Diamond Bar, CA – After purchasing the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in March, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has agreed to acquire the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS), a racing trade show that has been held annually in Indianapolis since 2009. SEMA — producer of the SEMA Show, which ranked No. 4 on the TSE Gold 100 in 2012 — also announced that IMIS will be consolidated with PRI, which returns to Indianapolis for 2013 and beyond.
Both the PRI and IMIS trade shows will take place as scheduled in 2012. The 25th annual PRI Trade Show, which will featuremore than 1,000 exhibiting companies, will be held November 29–December 1, in Orlando. IMIS, which is expected to attract25,000 attendees and feature more than 530 motorsports companies, will be held December 6–8 in Indianapolis.
“We formed IMIS in 2009 to bring a hardcore racing trade show back to Indianapolis,” said Chris Paulsen, owner of C&R Racing and co-founder of IMIS. “We grew a lot faster than we ever could have dreamed of, and we couldn’t be happier that a hardcore racing trade show will remain in Indianapolis for years to come. SEMA will be great stewards of the hardcore racing industry, and I couldn’t be more pleased that Indianapolis will remain the center of motorsports both on and off the track.”
In 2013, the combined events, which will be held December 12-14 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, will be organized and produced by the PRI team based in Laguna Beach, CA, with John Kilroy serving as vice president and general manager. PRI also publishes PRI Magazine, a business magazine for racing industry.
“This consolidation is all about helping the racing industry to succeed,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “Unifying the racing industry’s trade shows makes it more affordable for all to participate and allows us to focus on providing the greatest value and benefits for the racing segment. Look for the association to be adding resources and services to help participants get maximum value from the PRI Show in Indy.”
IMIS is owned by Paulsen, Jeff Stoops, president of Stoops Freightliner, and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. The IMIS transaction is set to close in December 2012.
Reach Peter MacGillivray at (909) 802-8841 or peterm@sema.org
