2020 SEMA Show Officially Cancelled Amidst Covid Concerns

As of August 5, the 2020 SEMA show scheduled for November has officially been called off. For these major public gatherings, it seems to be more of a question of when it’s going to happen instead of if it’s going to happen.

SEMA made the announcement today that “Due to Covid-19 and concerns that event facilities and services will be unavailable, the SEMA Show, along with AAPEX, will not be taking place in 2020.”

The statement promises that event organizers and industry members have been “Working tirelessly” to make an outstanding show take place later this year. However, they refer to the mounting uncertainty, telling that it has rendered continuing with the event “Inadvisable.”

One important factor to remember is that these events don’t come together overnight. Long, hard, weeks of planning and collaboration have to happen in order to make the show go smoothly. Unfortunately, it’s not something that they can make happen or cancel the day or week before. Therefore, it seems like there was little choice but to make the decision now based on the current climate.

In place of the show, SEMA says that surveys indicated an interest in a virtual tradeshow with some live elements. It appears to be something that they’ll look into further to see what the best option may be as an alternative to the in-person show.

 

Ultimately, SEMA seems committed to fostering growth in the automotive community. However, these hard times are creating some truly difficult decisions.

SEMA’s president and CEO, Chris Kersting, says “We appreciate the spirit, hard work, and innovation our industry puts into the SEMA 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.”

The statement concludes but telling us that full refunds will be issued for exhibitor booth deposits and attendee registration fees.

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2019 SEMA Show Highlights – Insane Cars & Trucks – Day 1.