SEMA CONVENTION, Las Vegas NV: SEMA is short for the Specialty Equipment Market Association. SEMA is once again sponsoring and organizing the largest gathering of specialty automotive equipment at the Las Vegas Convention Center . Access is restricted to industry professionals and they come from all around the world to show off and deal new and existing products with others. This year SEMA is expecting over 40,000 attendees who will be flooding the 2 million square feet of exhibits. Over 1,100 products related to the car, truck, automotive, RV and marine industry are going to be unveiled at this years show. This is in ADDITION to what will be displayed in an estimated (believe it or not) 8000 booths!! If that isn't enough the vehicles alone are simply amazing. The stats for this years SEMA show are just as amazing as well as record breaking.

Ford Motor Company is the main vehicle sponsor and will be showing off its vehicles and maybe the new models to come such as the new GT40 which can be seen in last years SEMA gallery. You can rest assured that we will be covering as much of the show as possible. Expected to be on display at the show are fully modified 2004 Ford F-150's, more Nissan 350z's, the Subaru WRX/STI model, Mazda RX8, the Chevy Colorado, Lincoln Navigator, a couple Dodge HEMI powered trucks and Hummer H2 trucks among others. We are armed with more digital camera equipment than ever. For those of you lucky enough to attend this years convention I have put together a small list of tips below.

• REGISTER EARLY - Early registration is $10. Registration at door is $50!! OUCH!
• ARRIVE EARLY - You will thank me for this!!
• DRIVE YOURSELF - That way you can make trips back to your vehicle to unload all the literature/ goodies you will accumulate through the day. It would be a good idea to keep some beverages and munchies in a cooler also. You WILL NOT want to carry much at all. Start off by dressing light because you will have walked miles by the end of each day. Comfortable shoes are KEY!
• GET REST - The convention is an attack on your senses! Your eyes will be tired, your ears will be ringing, your mind will be put to the test and your legs will be worn out. Start the day early and leave the convention before the masses. The people waiting (their line was NOT moving at all) in the taxi lines and bus lines were looking pretty sad as I walked right past them to my truck which was just a few yards away!
• BRING EXTRA FILM - Or extra memory cards for your cameras because on top of taking pictures of everything you wish you could have you will have to retake some pictures due to people accidently walking in front of your camera! Extra batteries might also come in handy if your camera sucks lots of power.
• GET YOUR ROOM RESERVED!! - THIS IS IMPORTANT. If you DO NOT reserve a room you will be sleeping in your vehicle! Unless you are a high roller and feel like throwing down 500+ on the spot for a room you had better call ahead or plan on staying at Buffalo Bills. Word has it that Buffalo Bills is the hot spot for those who don't plan on indulging in the Vegas Strip nightlife, mainly because its very nice, cheap, not too far and is as far as I know, available.
• STAY ON THE MAIN STRIP - For the most part it's safe. People have been known to dissapear when they wander off the main street. And here is a warning everyone should know: If you get caught J-Walking you will be staying the night in the most uncomfortable place in Nevada... jail, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Be safe and STAY OUT OF THE ROAD. Use those people movers and pedestrian bridges! Some cab drivers here are absolutely insane!! Also it's a fact that people drive drunk in Las Vegas so just keep an eye out.
• HAVE FUN - Don't stress out and don't be afraid to mix business with pleasure =)
• OH ONE MORE THING - Leave your huge, slow, lifted truck at home. I gaurantee you will be very frustrated driving to and from Las Vegas as you are passed by everyone else in thier rent-a-cars doing warp speed. Plus when you get there it will be put to shame by everything else at the convention.

AND YOU THOUGHT THE LINE AT DISNEYLAND WAS BAD !!