Each year, the SEMA Show welcomes 160,000 guests to the Las Vegas Convention Center, where custom builds, new products and just about anything else you can think of in the automotive aftermarket space is showcased. If you ask Tom Gattuso, vice president of events at SEMA, the 2025 SEMA Show is positioning itself as a hub for innovation, education, and business opportunities at a level it hasn’t been before.
Held November 4-7, Gattuso has a mission to make this year’s show different. He compares his role to an air traffic controller, coordinating the moving parts that come together each November.
Why SEMA Matters
Gattuso said product showcases are still the heart of the event, but what makes this year’s SEMA Show especially important is the constant evolution in vehicle platforms and customer demand.
“What we’re seeing from an industry perspective is the advent of new parts of the industry,” he explained. “Take EVs as an example. That segment created an entirely new set of requirements for tires. [EVs] didn’t reinvent the tire or wheel. There’s now an opportunity to have products catered to the types of vehicles being produced.”
Beyond product showcases, Gattuso said the real power of SEMA happens with peer-to-peer interactions. Whether it’s a tire dealer sharing best practices with another or manufacturers swapping ideas, the show floor becomes a true hub for knowledge exchange, he said.
SEMA Show 2025: More Than Just Tires & Wheels
Gattuso said SEMA’s team has worked to broaden the wheel and tire hall’s relevance for the modern tire shop. Many dealers now offer suspension, alignment, diagnostics work, and more, and Gattuso said SEMA has content for all of it.
“The average tire shop is probably doing 60% of their business on tire sales, and another 40% on other work, be that suspension or alignment and more. Regardless, SEMA will provide info on that in droves,” Gattuso said. “As an industry participant, you get a wide breadth of what’s happening in the marketplace and really get to feel like you’re part of an industry that’s evolving and keeping up with the trends.”
This mix means exhibitors can expect traffic not just from their buyers, but also from attendees interested in those adjacent segments. For new or smaller exhibitors, Gattuso emphasized that even a small booth can open doors.
“[You don’t need] a gigantic booth,” he said. “It’s really just about representing your brand and building connections with others in the industry.”
B2B at its Core
Though SEMA will be open to the public on Friday, the show remains a business-first event. Gattuso said the B2B connections happening from Tuesday through Thursday are where most attendees find real value.
“Our target B2B attendees are the people who do things for an end user enthusiast,” Gattuso said. “As an example, if you have a tire shop and somebody asks what performance tire is best for their BMW, manufacturers will be educated in that and can make a strong recommendation.”
SEMA also offers over 100 education sessions, covering topics from collision repair and TPMS to emerging EV repair techniques.
“You can talk to salespeople all day. However, when you talk to the person who designed it and you learn why they designed it that way, you build an education base in your head and become a stronger asset to the company you work for,” he said.
SEMA Show 2025 Floor Plan Updates and Foot Traffic Strategy
To increase interaction and improve foot traffic, Gattuso said SEMA has made strategic changes to this year’s layout. Perhaps the biggest change is that the New Products Showcase, previously located on an upper level, will now sit across from the registration area and the South Hall wheel and tire section.
“The new products showcase is the number one traffic driver at the show,” he said. “It’s efficient to have a resource where someone can see what new products they’ll find on the show floor. Attendees report that with almost half of the companies they visit, they found it because of the new products showcase.”
Planning is Everything
With registration now open, SEMA is urging both attendees and exhibitors to start preparing. Gattuso said that efficiency is key to getting the most out of the experience. On average, attendees spend 20 hours at the show. However, if you’ve been to the show, you know those hours disappear quickly with so much to see.
To make every minute count, Gattuso recommends using SEMA’s online tools to build a custom agenda. He said you can map out the booths you want to visit and leave some time for unplanned discovery.
“Everything happening at the show is really well organized on our website, SEMAShow.com,” he said. “We have found that almost three-quarters of our attendee community comes with a plan. If you don’t have a plan, you end up taking more of your time to understand the show floor, where you want to go, and what companies you want to see.”
