SEMA Show 2026: Dates, Badges, Who Attends & Buyer Lists
By Ilyas Kerbal,
SEMA Show 2026 takes over the Las Vegas Convention Center from 3 to 6 November. It is the trade-only meeting point for the automotive aftermarket, with more than 2,300 exhibitors and roughly 150,000 industry professionals looking for performance parts, accessories, wheels, lighting, tools and the next big build.
Behind the custom cars, SEMA is a buying show. Distributors, retailers and installers come to place orders and pick product lines for the year ahead. Here is what you need to know about dates, badges and the people you can meet there.
SEMA Show 2026 at a glance
| Next edition | 3-6 November 2026 (SEMA Fest consumer festival on 6 Nov); 2027 expected early November |
| Venue | Las Vegas Convention Center (all halls) |
| City | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| Typical month | Early November |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Attendance | ~153,000-160,000 industry professionals |
| Exhibitors | 2,300+ exhibiting companies |
| Industry | Automotive aftermarket, specialty equipment & powersports |
| Organizer | Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) |
| Official website | semashow.com |
What is SEMA?
The SEMA Show is the flagship trade event of the Specialty Equipment Market Association and the main meeting point for the global automotive aftermarket. Manufacturers of performance parts, accessories, wheels, tires, lighting, restyling products and tools show new products to distributors, retailers, installers and builders, alongside hundreds of custom vehicles.
It is strictly trade-only and attendees are vetted. Beyond the show floor there are 90+ free education sessions, a New Products Showcase and networking events. The show runs the same week as AAPEX, so many buyers walk both, and the week ends with SEMA Fest, a public festival.
Where and when to find SEMA
Las Vegas Convention Center, using the North, Central, South and West Halls plus outdoor areas.
Does it change location? No. SEMA has been held at the Las Vegas Convention Center every autumn for decades.
Las Vegas Convention Center with CES branding. Photo by Florian Schindler on Unsplash.
Who you’ll meet at SEMA
- Parts distributors and warehouse distributors
- Retailers and e-commerce sellers
- Installers, service shops and vehicle builders
- Fleet operators and OEM product teams
- Automotive media and content creators
The crowd is large and mixed. That is great for brand awareness, but for pipeline you need to know in advance which companies and roles to prioritise.
Exhibiting or attending SEMA? I can deliver the SEMA attendee and exhibitor list, enriched with job titles, company size, industry and LinkedIn profiles, as a CRM-ready file before the event starts. Ask for your SEMA list on Prospector
What SEMA covers
- Performance and racing parts
- Off-road, 4x4, truck and overland accessories
- Restyling, wheels, tires and lighting
- Restoration and hot rods
- Collision repair and tools
- Electrification and EV aftermarket
- Powersports and mobile electronics
Why SEMA matters for sales teams
SEMA concentrates the buyers that aftermarket brands chase all year: warehouse distributors, online retailers, shop owners and builders. Many of them only travel to one or two shows a year, and this is usually one of them.
The catch is scale. With four halls and outdoor areas, nobody can see everything, and key buyers fill their calendars before arriving. Vendors who know which distributors and retail chains are registered can reach out in advance and secure a slot, instead of hoping someone walks past the booth.
Is SEMA right for your team?
Best for: companies whose customers are the operators, dealers and distributors that SEMA attracts, and who want to see a whole industry in one place.
Less ideal for: enterprise software vendors targeting C-level buyers only. The crowd at SEMA is broad, so the attendee list has to be filtered hard before outreach.
SEMA ticket prices
| Option | Price / details |
|---|---|
| Approved trade attendee badge | $50 early (to late June) / $75 afterwards (2026 rates) |
| Also good to know | Media and some categories free with credentials |
| Also good to know | SEMA Fest (consumer festival) ticketed separately |
| Typical cost | About $50-75 per attendee badge; exhibitors pay far more for space. |
Prices change between editions and by registration date, so treat these as a guide and check semashow.com before you buy.
The SEMA app and platform
Visitors plan their show with SEMA’s My Show Planner (exhibitor search, favorites, floor plan). SEMA has also published an official show app in past years, check semashow.com before the show.
If you plan to prospect through the event app, expect friction: limited search filters, caps on messages and connection requests, and no way to get the data into your CRM. It helps on the day, but it is not a target list.
Pros and cons of SEMA
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Unmatched concentration of aftermarket buyers in one place | Enormous and crowded, hard to get time with key buyers without pre-booked meetings |
| Cheap badge for qualified attendees | Las Vegas hotel and booth costs are high during show week |
| Strong product-launch platform with heavy media and influencer coverage | Credentials review can reject people without a clear industry connection |
| Co-timed with AAPEX, so one trip covers both aftermarket shows | Focus is consumer-facing aftermarket products, less relevant for enterprise B2B |
How to prospect at SEMA
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Early planning | Pull the attendee, exhibitor and speaker lists and score them against your ideal customer profile. |
| Pre-show outreach | Contact your top tier personally and your second tier with a short sequence. Aim to book meetings, not booth visits. |
| On site | Work from a printed or mobile list of priority accounts and use breaks and evening events for warm introductions. |
| Post-show | Follow up fast, share what you promised, and keep the list for next year’s edition. |
Run SEMA and AAPEX as one campaign. Many buyers attend both in the same week, so a single list split by show lets you plan meetings across both venues.
The hard part of this plan is step one: the list. That’s exactly what I do. Get your SEMA attendee list and spend your time on the conversations instead.
Frequently asked questions
When is SEMA Show 2026?
3-6 November 2026 (SEMA Fest consumer festival on 6 Nov); 2027 expected early November. Dates can shift, so confirm on the official website (semashow.com) before booking travel.
Where is SEMA held?
Las Vegas Convention Center, using the North, Central, South and West Halls plus outdoor areas.
Does it move? No. SEMA has been held at the Las Vegas Convention Center every autumn for decades.
How much does a SEMA ticket cost?
About $50-75 per attendee badge; exhibitors pay far more for space. See the pricing table above for pass types.
Who attends SEMA?
Mainly parts distributors and warehouse distributors; retailers and e-commerce sellers; installers, service shops and vehicle builders; fleet operators and OEM product teams.
Can I get the SEMA attendee list?
Event organisers rarely sell attendee lists. Prospector builds one for you from the event app and website: attendees, exhibitors and speakers, enriched with job title, company, company size, industry, LinkedIn profile and work email where available, delivered as a CRM-ready file before the event. Ask about SEMA here.
Get the SEMA attendee list
Whether you are exhibiting or walking the floor at SEMA, the teams that win are the ones who arrive with meetings already booked. Get in touch through Prospector and I’ll put together the attendee list for your event.
Related event guides
- AAPEX 2026 Guide: Dates, Registration Fees & Attendees
- NADA Show 2027 Orlando Guide: Dates, Fees & Attendees
- CES 2027 Guide: Dates, Passes, Who Attends & Lead Lists
Photo credits
- Cover image: Photo by KaroGraphix Photography on Unsplash
- In-article image: Photo by Florian Schindler on Unsplash
Sources
Event details were last checked in October 2026. Dates, venues and prices can change, so confirm them on the official event website.