SEMA Launch Pad is helping one young entrepreneur (or team of entrepreneurs) to launch a new business with $10,000, free marketing and other awesome prizes.
To apply for consideration, you must be between the ages of 18-39 and complete an application outlining an innovative business idea. You don’t even have to be a SEMA member to apply.
SEMA’s Young Executives Network will narrow the list of applicants to 26 people. If you’re chosen, you’ll pitch your idea to an audience of thousands at the 2018 SEMA Show, where a grand prize winner will be declared.
Here are the prizes:
Grand Prize: 1 winner
- $10,000 to be used for the benefit of your business.
- Turnkey exhibit space with premium placement at the 2019 SEMA Show.
- One full-page, four-color advertisement in SEMA News magazine.
- Up to three hours of free custom scanning services at the SEMA Garage.
- SEMA Data Co-op: 50% off supplier monthly membership fees for your first year.
- SEMA Manufacturers’ Rep Network: Distribution/sales support consultation meeting.
- Family Events Group Event Marketing/Advertising package worth $5,000.
Finalists Prize: 10 participants
- 2018 SEMA Show kiosk booth in the Performance Pavilion.
- Two exhibitor badges to the SEMA Show.
- Two tickets to the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet.
- One-hour mentoring session with an industry leader.
- Widespread awareness of your brand and business.
Semi-Finalists Prize: 15 participants
- One year SEMA membership.
- Free registration to the 2018 Exhibitor Summit with three nights of hotel and meals.
- $500 award to be used toward flight cost to the 2018 Exhibitor Summit.
- Widespread awareness of your business through SEMA communication channels.
The deadline to apply is June 4, 2018. To learn more, visit Sema.org/sema_launchpad.
Oh- to be that young and have the ambition to strike out and change the world! I miss those days.
What a great opportunity that SEMA has made possible.
Hi my name is Brian Needleman and I do auto Upholstery in Australia right now but I’m from North Carolina where I worked at a trim shop for 9 years. I will be moving back to the good old USA may 21 2018 and will be attempting to start my own business. Seeing that my last name is Needleman and I do upholstery the name will be Needles & Threds Upholstery.
I have a long family background in car upgrades. The needleman family business is called auto sound and is located in New England and has been open now for 45 years. So for my own and separate business idea is a trim shop that when you work for Needles & Threds Upholstery you are someone that has little or no experience and would like to learn but at the same time making money for the business. For example you would start your first day learning how to remove seats from cars /trucks and do that until you know the right proses and can do it on your own. And move up from there to the point you can complete you own car. There’s a lot more involved in this and would be worked out. So someone could learn this industry and move onto there own thing or stay with Needle & Threds Upohlstory.