2023 SEMA Show Registration Opens May 1

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DIAMOND BAR, CA (04.25.23) – Registration for the 2023 SEMA Show opens May 1 at www.semashow.com/register. The annual trade event taking place October 31-November 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center is the ultimate business gathering for the automotive specialty equipment industry.

By bringing together all segments of the industry – including racing and performance, mobile electronics, hot rod and restoration, restyling and car care, collision repair, trucks, offroad, powersports, overlanding, and wheels and tires – the SEMA Show is the place to discover new products and trends, make new business contacts, strengthen existing ones, and help professionals take their careers from good to great.

Registration for the 2023 SEMA Show opens May 1 at www.semashow.com/register. The annual trade event will take place October 31-November 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“With the worldwide automotive industry gathered together in Las Vegas, the SEMA Show gives attendees the once-a-year opportunity to connect as a global community,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA VP of Events. “Attendees build meaningful relationships, develop trust, and strengthen bonds that lead to partnerships and real results. They are engaging on a level that doesn’t compare to anything else.”

Registration of only $40 per person is open to buyers and attendees who sign up between May 1-June 30. Early registration also ensures that applicants will receive important news and updates about the SEMA Show in advance, including actual badges in the mail before the event in November.

“The most successful attendees at the SEMA Show are those who secure their badges early,” said Gattuso. “In addition to saving money, Showgoers who register early benefit by learning about special events, opportunities, and discounts.”

Upon registering, attendees will be guided on exclusive discounts for hotels, best practices for connecting with exhibitors, links to sign up for free educational seminars, details about networking events and activities, tips for navigating the Las Vegas Convention Center, the ability to request a travel visa, and more.

SEMA Show registration is offered in three primary categories – attendee, exhibitor, and media – and everyone must qualify to attend. For more information about qualifying documents and the 2023 SEMA Show, log on to www.semashow.com.

KICKER Audio Went Overboard in Lake Havasu City at Desert Storm Events

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LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ (04.24.23) – KICKER stretched West from Stillwater, OK to join dealers and fans with festivities at Desert Storm, running April 19-23, on Lake Havasu and in Lake Havasu City, AZ.

The KICKER XRV rolled out of KICKER HQ for the 1100 mile trip to Lake Havasu AZ. Jeremy Wynn, Events and Promotions Manager, was behind the wheel and Steven as the navigator as the XRV hit the road.

This was the 7th year with KICKER participating in Desert Storm. KICKER first started at Desert Storm with a 10×20 booth with River Dave and Wired 4 Sound. The last 4 years KICKER has been onsite as the Title Sponsor with a much, much larger presence at the downtown Street Festival and on the lake with the Poker Run and boat parades through the days and evenings Friday and Saturday.

The Havasu Downtown Street Festival drew thousands to check out a variety of boats and vendors.

Tracy Focht related “Another amazing show in Havasu! The weather was perfect with a perfect vibe from the crowd. The people who attend Desert Storm are always happy, and just want to have a respectful good time with their friends and family. Thanks again to Elite Audio in Lake Havasu plus Eliminator Boats for showcasing the 27’. Also thanks to 187 Customs for allowing us to bring the Firedock of Street Outlaws that was a hit. Plus a big thank you to Frank and Annette Zepeda, owners of the BoomToon, for treating us like family.”

Continuing “The staff at Murfco provided strong assistance and equipment throughout the event. Desert Storm has grown into a family event and we love them all out there. We look forward to 2024!”

Dan Murphy’s Murfco is the Southern Nevada, Arizona and SoCal Rep Firm for KICKER.

The KICKER XRV drew attendees throughout Desert Storm to check out demo vehicles and the BoomRoom with 40,000 watts driving a wall of 15” subs.
This @havasuorbust post shows helicopters keeping up with powerboats.

Focht concluded “We feel this grass roots event is the perfect event to work directly with both boat manufacturers, dealers and end consumers. This allows us and our dealers to learn more about what customers are actually looking for and where the the target market is headed. Each year we work diligently to better our approach and showcase KICKER at the event.”

Jeremy Wynn offered “It’s so great to see attendees in and around the KICKER XRV. They definitely see and Hear, in the BoomRoom, KICKER was definitely Livin’Loud. Having Carlos Jimenez on site to connect with members of the crowd in the XRV BoomRoom worked out very well.”

Throughout the city the grounds were packed as attendees enjoyed the perfect weather and a wide variety of exhibits.

Lorin Morrell, Maddog_Media, is on site at many KICKER consumer events…including Desert Storm. Morrell related “The attendance at this year’s Desert Storm looked like an increase from last year. I was busy across the venue, including driving a filming boat on the lake, and got the feeling this year was bigger to 2022. We will watch for the attendance estimates to be released.”

Elite Audio in Lake Havasu showcased the 27’ Eliminator Boat.

From the first night kick-off vendor party, to the hustle of the street party, to the Poker Run and the family atmosphere throughout the event Desert Storm 2023 at Lake Havasu City was amazing. Lasting friendships were created with extended families at Desert Storm. At Desert Storm 2023 KICKER went overboard and was definitely Livin’Loud.”

Visit kicker.com/marine-audio for more.

Sanford Sound Connects with Enthusiast on Tracks in the Area

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SANFORD, ME (04.24.23) – Jack Bogard, behind the wheel at Sanford Sound, is very active across the community in Sanford ME and the surrounding area as Sanford Sound continues to grow year over year.

Recently Sanford Sound logos appeared on the track at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “The Alan Tardiss car looked super on the track at the Northeast Classic on April 15th. The Sanford Sound logos looked great on both sides” Bogard related.”

Jack Bogard with a young sponsored rider.

Bogard also participates by sponsoring drivers on short tracks, scooters and cycles too, closer to the Sanford ME home base.

“Being involved with drivers, young and old, allows us the connect with enthusiasts who have an interest in audio and upgrades in their daily drivers and other vehicles. They come into our store to check out options…and many times they bring fiends. I enjoy time at the track so ultimately it’s a win/win” Bogard stated.

Jack Bogard (R) and Alan Tardiss trackside at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway showing the Sanford Sound logos on the race car.
A sponsored race car in front of the Sanford Sound location in Sanford, ME.

Sanford Sound also has banners stage side at local concerts and is readying for the 27th Annual Show-N-Soud on Sunday July 30th at the company’s Sanford ME location. Be sure to meet Katherine…Ms Sanford Sound.

The Sanford Sound RZR was on display in the Memphis Audio booth at the GoFast Expo 23 as Jack Bogard and the team continued to be active across the 12volt industry.

Promo activity for the 27th Annual Show-n-Shine is underway.

Visit sanfordsound.com for more.

2023 NFL Draft to Air Live on SiriusXM

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NEW YORK, NY (04.24.23) – SiriusXM announced its coverage of the 2023 NFL Draft, which will feature live announcements of every selection from every round and in-depth analysis on the SiriusXM NFL Radio channel, as well as additional NFL Draft-focused programming on the SiriusXM College Sports Radio channel.

From the first round on Thursday, April 27, through the final round on Saturday, April 29, SiriusXM NFL Radio will broadcast onsite in Kansas City, MO. Live coverage will air Thursday and Friday from 7 pm – midnight ET/6 – 11 pm CT and Saturday from noon – 7 pm ET/11 am – 6 pm CT. Listeners will hear the announcements of all 32 teams’ selections through all seven rounds, as well as interviews with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and dozens of draftees, general managers and coaches.

SiriusXM NFL Radio’s NFL Draft broadcast team will be anchored by Jason Horowitz.  SiriusXM’s expert analysts all three days will be former NFL scout, coach and front-office executive Pat Kirwan, former NFL quarterback Jim Miller and former coach Rick Neuheisel. 

Immediately following the conclusion of SiriusXM NFL Radio’s Draft broadcast each day, the channel will have live call-in shows where fans can share their reactions and discuss their favorite team’s picks. Alex Marvez and Kirk Morrison, a former third round selection, will host the Thursday and Friday post-Draft shows, and Zig Fracassi will be joined by former first round pick Ryan Leaf post-Draft on Saturday.

On Wednesday, April 26, Rick Neuheisel and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik will host a special SiriusXM NFL Radio show live from the NFL Play Football Draft Prospect Clinic and Community Event at Central High School in Kansas City from 11 am – 1 pm ET/ 10 am – noon CT. The show will feature one-on-one interviews with several of the NFL Draft prospects.

SiriusXM NFL Radio is available to subscribers nationwide in their cars (channel 88) and on the SXM App (https://siriusxm.us/SXMNFLRadio).

In addition to SiriusXM NFL Radio’s coverage, SiriusXM College Sports Radio (channel 84) will broadcast live from Taps on Main in downtown Kansas City on Thursday, April 27 and Friday, April 28 starting at 6 pm ET/5 pm PT through the final selection each day. Kris Budden will anchor these shows. She will be joined by Mark Dominik and former NFL players EJ Manuel, who was a first round pick in 2013, and Jacob Hester, a third round selection in 2008.

Alpine Launches TikTok Account to Reach the Next Generation of Audio Enthusiasts

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AUBURN HILLS, MI (04.21.23) – Alps Alpine North America, Inc. (“Alpine”) today launched the TikTok account “@alpinesound” to reach a younger demographic of audio enthusiasts and further expand the Alpine brand.

“It’s no secret that the average age of the aftermarket car audio customer is increasing. That’s why social media platforms like TikTok are key in reaching a younger demographic,” said Mike Anderson, Executive Director at Alps Alpine North America. “Alpine’s TikTok will be instrumental in introducing the brand to a younger audience who might be unfamiliar with aftermarket car audio.”

TikTok has seen rapid growth since its initial launch in 2016 and now boasts one billion active monthly users globally (150 million in the United States). With 80% of users between the ages of 16 – 34, more commonly referred to as Generation Z and Millennials, TikTok is quickly becoming a key social media platform to engage with the next generation.

While Alpine intends to promote products, demo vehicles, events, and traditional business activities using the entertaining, short-form video format made popular by the platform, the strategy behind the Alpine TikTok account is to engage with the younger audio enthusiast and identify new business opportunities that meet their unique interests.

New Ways of Marketing
Featuring short and long-form video content designed to be everything from entertaining to educational, TikTok is a powerful marketing tool when increasing brand awareness. The main use case of the platform is to share and engage with video content that connects an entire audience through music, dance, trends, brands, experiences, and more. This fast-paced and often reactive form of engagement has yielded success for companies when testing marketing messaging, brand campaigns, and increasing product awareness.

However, beyond its social use case, studies have shown that TikTok is quickly becoming the preferred search engine for younger users, and with advertising capabilities that link to a website, app, and future plans of an in-app checkout system, brands and retailers can assume that TikTok will become a platform where a large majority of the purchase decisions are made. Studies have also shown that 37% of users who discovered a product on TikTok ended up purchasing the product, giving a whole new value to the trend “TikTok made me buy it.”

Joining the TikTok platform allows long-time and new Alpine fans to engage with the brand, learn about local and national events, and see products in action in a casual, entertaining format. Down the road, Alpine intends to leverage its TikTok account to introduce new products and campaigns that are geared toward the platform’s younger audience in hopes of inspiring the new generation of audio enthusiasts to become Alpine fans.

TikTok users can find Alpine by searching the username “@alpinesound” or at www.tiktok.com/@alpinesound.

ORCA Announces First Training and Certification for GA-BARNIE Audio Measuring System

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CAMARILLO, CA (04.21.23) – ORCA Design and Manufacturing announced it will hold a training and certification event on the upcoming Gladen GA-BARNIE (Binaural Audio Record Non Interferece Elaborate) sound measurement system, June 1-4, at Mobile Solutions in Tempe, Ariz. The in-depth workshop will be held in conjunction with Mobile Solutions’ MasterTech training module. Participants will be selected by Orca and receive complimentary tuition, meals and hotel accommodation.

The GA-BARNIE debuted at KnowledgeFest Las Vegas and MasterTech Expo earlier this year. The unique system consists of a faux head with built-in microphones at the ear locations. The head is placed in the vehicle to emulate how drivers and passengers receive sound, enabling the technician to precisely tune frequencies and align the timing at which sounds reach the listener. The GA-BARNIE connects to, and works with, DSP-equipped Gladen / Mosconi amplifiers.

“We are very excited about the introduction of the BARNIE system,” said Nalaka Adikari, national sales director of Orca. “This training and first-of-its-kind certification will ensure our technicians fully understand the power and benefits of BARNIE combined with Gladen Mosconi DSP. Our objective is to empower retailers to create accurate and unique sound experiences for their clients.”

The GA-BARNIE will be available to Orca retailers this quarter.

For more information, please visit mosconi-america.com.

2023 Powersports Market Trends: Growth Is the Outlook

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DIAMOND BAR, CA (04.21.23) – The vehicular market segment that industry-watchers refer to as the “powersports” market is, in a way, easier to label than it is to define. What, after all, is the connective tissue that joins such disparate market segments as ATVs and side-by-sides, motorcycles and dirt bikes, snowmobiles and personal watercraft–especially considering that very few of these vehicles are ever used in a “sporting,” i.e., competitive venue?

Whatever it is, one thing is certain: the powersports market is growing. The U.S. market experienced an unprecedented surge in demand in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and combined with low levels of inventory, the market enjoyed record profitability at the dealership level. Likewise, the global powersports market grew by a record-setting 10% in global unit sales in the year 2020, according to a 2022 study from Stratview Research. And while sales have cooled gradually since then, more growth is the outlook going forward.

Polaris RANGER SP 570 NorthStar Edition

How much? The global powersports market, currently valued at $37 billion, is forecast to reach a valuation of $69 billion by 2032, with a 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during the period, according to a 2023 survey published by Allied Global Insights. This expected surge is ascribed to several factors, including the increased popularity of larger side-by-side UTVs in the North American market; the lingering impacts of COVID-19 and its stimulative effect on backcountry travel; increased allocations from government entities for military use; increased consumer demand in South America and the Middle East; and increased demand for electrification, particularly in the European market.

In any event, the powersports market presents considerable growth opportunities for companies that currently serve this sector, as well as for others that can innovate new technological advancements for these vehicles and bring them successfully to market.

For this article. we consulted several industry experts for their assessments of the powersports market. What follows has been edited for clarity and length. This article was written by Douglas McColloch for sema.org

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Cicada Audio Connected at the GoFast Mobile Expo 23

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SPRINGFIELD, MA (4.20.23) – On Wednesday, April 12th, Cicada Audio set up on the event floor at the MassMutual Center in Springfield with dozens of other 12volt brands.

The Cicada Audio tent set up on the GoFast ME23 event floor.

Marty Deane, Cicada Audio Director of Sales, related, “We had recently partnered with GoFast Solutions so the timing was super to get Cicada Audio rolling in the territory. Under the tent in our booth we showcased a great Harley build from InFocus Mobile Audio. Owner Justin O’Neil and Harley owner Andy LaBranche brought the Harley from Windham NH which is about 100 miles away.

Attendees gathered around for a demo of Andy LaBranche’s Cicada Audio loaded Harley from InFocus Mobile Audio.

In the booth the Harley drew attendees from across the event floor when the volume was cranked. The modified Harley was on an old frame and motor with 2014 and up electronics. For the GoFast a Cicada Audio was added to the system.

“Andy’s Harley was definitely rockin’ with clarity as a 4-speaker system driven by Cicada Audio amplifiers,” Justin from InFocus Mobile Audio stated.

“The GoFast ME23 was definitely a good event for Cicada Audio. Our area rep Art Rickless was in the house and we were able to deliver information about our brand to attendees and definitely provided demos through the day,” Deane added.

Marty Deane Cicada Audio Director of Sales

Rickless, A.I.R. Associates, commented, “There was definitely the feeling of energy in the MassMutual center as industry members connected with vendors plus their fellow dealers and friends. We have several dealers in the territory turning out bikes loaded with Cicada Audio and our riding season up here is just around the corner.”

Visit gofst.com for more.

Oracle Lighting Illuminates Jeep Beach 2023

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METAIRIE, LA (04.20.23) – Oracle Lighting is proud to announce it will exhibit during Jeep Beach 2023, held in Daytona Beach, Fla. from April 23-30 as part of the event’s 20th anniversary celebration.

“Jeep Beach is the ideal event to showcase Oracle Lighting’s Jeep-specific lighting solutions,” explained Melissa Parker-Boudreaux, Oracle Lighting National Sales Manager. “As an American company that designs our products with pride in Louisiana, Jeep is an iconic brand and Jeep owners are hard-core enthusiasts that only want the best aftermarket products for their rides. So, partnering with Jeep Beach is a great match and we can’t wait to get to Florida for this year’s event.”

According to event organizers, Jeep Beach is one of the largest Jeep-exclusive events in the world, attracting more than 225,000 people and 25,000 Jeeps to Daytona Beach, Fla. in 2022. All 50 states and 34 countries were represented last year.

During Jeep Beach 2023, Oracle Lighting will feature a number of its new and acclaimed Jeep-specific lighting solutions, including the Jeep Oculus Headlight, Jeep Flush Tail Lights, Integrated Light Bar, Side Track, Skid Plate, and more.

Oracle will also be offering on-site sales and swag (free with purchase).

Louisiana-based Oracle Lighting has been designing innovative lighting products and technologies for the automotive aftermarket since 1999. Oracle’s philosophy is this: in today’s world of fly-by-night vendors, we think it is important to partner with businesses that you can trust to be there for you today, tomorrow, and for years to come.

For more information on Oracle Lighting and its full product line, please visit www.oraclelights.com, call (800) 407-5776, or email info@oraclelights.com.

CTK In Car Products Welcomes Mike Keenan as Head of UK Sales

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CHESHIRE, UK (04.17.23) – CTK UK distributed by In Car Products Limited welcomes Mike Keenan as Head of UK Sales.

Mike brings an extensive background in the automotive industry working with premium brands within the sector over a 15 year period. Throughout this period Mike has worked within both the UK and European countries working with distributors using his skills as an effective communicator, manager and strategic planner to provide company results.

“Being within the industry for such a long time and developing not only a skill set but as a person, the opportunity to work with In Car Products Limited and head CTK within the UK and Ireland was one not to be missed knowing from my experience is one of the market leading manufactures within Europe for sound deadening and thermal insulation products” said Mike Keenan.

“We are thrilled that Mike has joined the In Car Products team” said Daniel Molyneux, Finance and Operations Director. “Mikes industry experience and talents will ensure we drive and continue to grow the CTK sound deadening and thermal insulation across the United Kingdom and Ireland.”

Mike will oversee the distribution across the whole of the UK and Ireland.

Visit www.ctkuk.com for more information or contact Mike directly on +44(0)7930 349957 or mkeenan@incarproducts.co.uk