| After four days of automotive hedonism, the SEMA
show finally came to a close in Las Vegas. We here at Off-road.com
weren't the only conventioneers with our tails dragging when the 5
pm call to wrap it up came down. Nearly every vendor we spoke with
said about the same thing: ORC: "Well, how'd the show go for you?"
Vendor: "It was fantastic. It keeps getting bigger every year, and
we made a lot of good contacts, but I'll tell you what. After four
days of this, I'm ready to go home." But, but, but….this is
Nirvana! Valhalla! The automotive equivalent of heaven in high
heels!! How can anyone even think, much less "say" such a thing?
Well, unless you've ever been to a SEMA show, you'll have a hard
time understanding. In truth, it's about impossible to get burnt
out on all the new toys coming down the pike, but the miles and
miles of asile walking, coupled with $4.00 hot dogs and $2.75 Cokes
tend to take a toll on anyone short of an Ironman Triathelete. To
quote the great philosopher Popeye, "That's all I can stands, I
can't stands no more!" Smart aleck comments aside, the 2000 SEMA
show has once again shown just how far automotive enthusiasts can
push the technological envelope. Just when you thought that the
Jeep accessory aftermarket hit a creative wall, along come
companies like Bestop, Tomkin, and others adding new fuel to the
fires of a clamoring marketplace. Just when you thought it was
impossible for anyone to come up with anything to give a small
block Chevy a couple more horses, there are suddenly lines of
vendors offering aluminum / composite parts and other go-fast
goodies. It hopefully, and likely will never end. Another great
thing about the SEMA show that we took home with us were the
memories of the people we'd met and the friends we'd made. All too
often when we're doing business with companies, it's by phone or
e-mail. Getting the chance to sit down and shoot the bull with a
bunch of amped up vendors after a show is a whole different
program. A cold beer and "booth babes" might not be as terribly as
exciting as a game of telephone tag, but this is Vegas after all,
and some times ya' just gotta' make due! ;-) As closing time grew
nearer, the crowds trickled down to the hard core buyers trying to
finish up on the last of their deals for the show, and those of us
determined to stick it out to the end, experiencing everything SEMA
has to offer. By 2 PM, many of the convention goers had already
taken the taxis' to McCarren Airport for the long flight home.
There were even a few vendors folding up shop all on their own
(much to the chagrin of the unions I'm sure), and began loading
their equipment and merchandise into a line of semi trailers that
filled the back lots of the convention hallways. Others were
content to hold up 'till closing time, and let the Locals do the
deed. As we left the Convention Center, many of the display
vehicles were being loaded up on trailers for the long drive back
to points unknown. With convention traffic adding to the already
slow paced crawl of downtown Vegas on a Friday night, gridlock was
soon to follow. Rather than add to the madness, we decided to head
to "The Beach", a popular nightspot located just across from the
show grounds, and wait out the insanity in style. While we waited
to cross the street, we struck up a conversation with a Metro
officer who was trying to bring some order to the chaos of the
intersection. "We're headed to The Beach for a beer, wanna' join
us?" He smiled, thought about it, and said , "Give me a couple
hours, and I'll be right there. " It's kind of ironic when you think
about it - So many people into this automotive hobby/sport of ours,
and so few of them can actually drive…..Coincidence? I think
not…… We hope you've enjoyed our look at the SEMA
2000 show from Las Vegas, and invite you to take a stop back next
year when we're going to do it all over again. Judging by the leap
in technology that this year's event has taken over the last, I
can't imagine what 2001 will hold in store. Never the less, you can
count on Off-Road.com be there, and to bring you all the latest and
greatest from the automotive aftermarket world. Better yet, why not
'round up a set of passes, hop a plane, and join us? It'll be a
show you won't want to miss!
Sema 2000 Realtime Article Index
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