SEMA Show makes U-turn, cancels 2020 edition in Nov

It was only last month that the organisers of the SEMA Show were feeling bullish, pressing on with the 2020 edition of the famous tuning show despite Covid-19 wrecking havoc in the US. They’ve made a U-turn now though, “due to Covid-19 and concerns that event facilities and services will be unavailable”.

“While both event organisers and industry members have been working tirelessly to deliver an outstanding SEMA Show in November, mounting uncertainty has rendered continuing with the event inadvisable. SEMA expects the decision will bring much needed clarity to an uncertain picture and will help exhibitors, attendees and partners plan accordingly,” the organisers added.

Originally set to run from November 3-6 at the at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), SEMA Show 2020 was to have 1,800 exhibiting companies. They said that the event would include several precautions and preventive safety measures to ensure high safety standards and government compliance.

Among the planned safety precautions were the use of face masks or face shields, frequent hand washing and social distancing. There would have been designated entrance and exit areas to control and screen visitors with non-invasive thermal cameras. Traffic flow with one-way aisles and hand sanitising stations every 200 feet (60 metres) were the other measures.

On the organisers’ part, hourly sanitising of high-traffic areas throughout the show floor and common areas, including doorways, elevators and escalators was on the cards. SEMA organisers said they would collaborate with LVCC in the venue’s efforts to be among the first in the US to pursue certification for safety measures aimed at outbreak prevention.

SEMA stands with the Tokyo Auto Salon (the images in this post are from TAS and not SEMA) as the world’s top tuner shows focusing on mods and customisation, and it will be back for 2021.

“The SEMA Show is committed to furthering businesses in the automotive specialty equipment market, and to providing manufacturers and buyers with the best opportunity to connect, promote new products and discover new trends. We appreciate the spirit, hard work and innovation our industry puts into the show each year. While we are disappointed circumstances prevent us from hosting the show in November, we look forward to getting everyone together in 2021 for another outstanding event,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO.

The latest figures show that the US have had 4.9 million confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 160k deaths. The state of Nevada, where the famous casino city is in, has had 52,919 cases with 891 deaths. Over 45k of the state’s cases (744 deaths) are from Las Vegas’ Clark County.

Looks like a potential “SEMA Cluster” has been avoided. Good move.

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