I was there in 2004.. and I'm itching to go this year.
Do you already have your printed badge in hand?
Or do you have a confirmation letter / email?
If you have the former, you should be able to just grab a badge holder from the kiosks near the main floor and go. But if you've got a confirmation email, be sure to get to the convention center
before the doors open. I cannot stress this enough.
So many people register in the last two months, the lines to get a printed badge are insane. I made the mistake of arriving at 10am on the first day... and I spent about 2 hours in line for my badge.
Other than that, the advice I have is pretty generic:
1) Wear good quality, uber-comfortable shoes. In the four days I was there, I'm sure I walked at least 1.5 miles a day. The Las Vegas Convention Center is absolutely enormous.
2) If you're out to collect sales brochures along the way, find a decent bag from a exhibitor or pack one.
3) Be sure to read the SEMA Convention Guide (they're availble at the entrances to the convention) to plan your days. I missed last year's Mopar exhibit (much to my own chagrin) and didn't know it... because I never read the guide.
For a petrolhead, the SEMA Convention is akin to a pilgrimage to Mecca. No matter your preference in automobiles, you'll find it there. Since Honda will launch the new Civic Si, I'd expect a very strong showing from them, much like the EVO/WRX hordes found last year. Ford will probably be touting the new Mustang Cobra. All the resto-mod, exotics and off-road tuning firms will be out in force. Nissan may have their Azeal coupe on display. The range of the SEMA show is nearly endless... Enjoy it.
