While children across America may be preparing for Halloween, the big kids in the automotive industry are descending upon Las Vegas this week to attend the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) event. Commonly referred to as the SEMA show, this mega event occupies several venues with shows targeting all facets of the automotive aftermarket industry. Closed to the public, SEMA will attract more than 100,000 automotive professionals to do business and see the mechanical treats.

Consumer Reports has sent a Cars contingent that includes editorial, product intelligence, research, and engineering staff to comb the event and discover the products and trends that will most impact our readers in the year(s) to come. As you’ll see from the trivia tidbits below, covering this event is no small task. The booths span miles of aisles, and the project cars number in the hundreds.

Our team will be focused on the latest products and models from the automakers, such as the Toyota Corolla and Matrix unveiling. In particular, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors all have a legion of project cars that we’ll be looking at closely to determine what, if anything, is destined for production. We’ll also look at entertainment systems, including the latest advances in high-tech audio and satellite video. Several portable GPS manufacturers have new devices to show, including Dash, Garmin, Panasonic, and TomTom. As we scour the halls, we will also report on the latest developments in backup cameras, car care, and tires.

Over the next few days, the CR team will file blog reports to share their findings. Be sure to check back regularly, or subscribe to our RSS feed, to see the latest posts.

SEMA by the numbers:

Booths: 10,000
Attendees: 125,000
Exhibitors: 2,000
Exhibit size: 1 million square feet
New products unveiled: 1,200
Annual car aftermarket sales: $36.7 billion

Discuss SEMA in our Auto Show and Aftermarket forums.

--Jeff Bartlett