Stateside with Stephanie
Cars on The Cruise at SEMA
Tom Gattuso production , for example ). They also look forward to taking new learnings from the Fest to apply it to the Show .
Gattuso explains : “ There will be more activations at the show grounds along with top tier bands . After all , cars and music have a very long , intertwined , and passionate history . Our two events are synergistic . As the industry continues to change , we are poised to take advantage of trends in both the B2B and B2C marketplaces . Our goal is to keep the SEMA Show B2B , and enhance the experience for car enthusiasts , while recruiting new fans ( the car-curious ), at SEMA Fest .”
The association hopes when people are exposed to the performance automotive lifestyle , they ’ ll want to modify their own vehicles , and help grow the industry in the process .
Since Gattuso lives and works in Southern California , a mecca for car enthusiasts , our final question was on what he drives . His answer : “ I ’ ve always liked ‘ pocket-rockets ’ like the VW GTI , particularly their spontaneous acceleration . These days I have two cars I alternate between for my 45-minute commute to the office : a Subaru BRZ with a few modifications and a BMW M-240i – with more modifications planned . Both cars are manual transmission and keep me on my toes ( pun intended ).”
Gattuso sums up the philosophy behind both the SEMA Show and SEMA Fest this way . “ When you arrive at the SEMA Show , there are specific sights , smells and sounds which greet you . Our audience knows they are in an incredibly immersive experience . We want that same feeling of excitement and community to greet everyone coming to SEMA Fest , making it yet another ‘ bucket list ’ event . EW
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