It is almost trade show season in the auto industry. SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show, kicks off November 1st, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  We’ll be watching on with the rest of the auto industry as the hottest new vehicles and auto trends of 2016 are revealed. 

The trade show season for any industry is a great way to ramp up development.  Developers are putting great things together so that they can have something to deliver.  An upcoming tradeshow can inspire some extremely innovative solutions.  In development, when you have a hard deadline like a tradeshow, you tend to get excited about putting cool features together to show off. 

Each exhibitor now has the opportunity to vote for the hottest vehicle in each of five categories: Hottest Coupe, Hottest Sedan, Hottest Truck, Hottest 4×4/SUV and Hottest Hatch. Then, the top three finalists in each of the five SEMA Award categories will be announced in October. The actual winners will then be announced at the Awards Breakfast on the morning of the opening day of the SEMA Show.

Why is this important?  Awards like these push automakers and aftermarket manufacturers to bring quality products to the market.  Innovation at shows like these is really a treat to witness.  Aspects of the show, like the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition, recognize and celebrate innovators in specific categories.  The Battle of the Builders specifically spotlights proven vehicle builders in all market segments.

We’re excited to witness the upcoming changes and trends in the auto industry for the next year.

While the SEMA show is not open to the general public, we will be following along to see what parts, tools, components, and trends will be featured.  The event takes place November 1st – November 4th, 2016 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

This is a great opportunity to follow the industry’s brightest minds and auto’s hottest products in one place.  There will also be educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more.

Who else is following this huge event?  What are your thoughts for what will be revealed in the coming weeks? What are you hoping to see? Who are you hoping to see win some awards in different categories? How do you think tradeshows help bolster innovation from developers? Comment below!