Just back from my first SEMA shuffle, and it was a huge eye-opener. More later over on the site, but between diamond encrusted Merc SLs, Tahitian hula dancers, enough booth chicks to open a club, audio that can bounce sound off the moon, and more customs and concept cars than I’ve seen in a lifetime all gathered under one roof, I came away a believer.

I didn’t get a big roller-coaster adrenaline rush from this powerful first impression. And my prefs are still for two wheels, not four. But for sheer spectacle and marketing horsepower, SEMA sure got my motor started.

I’m not the show’s audience — dealers are. I attend (most) trade events on behalf of clients and to run down the marketing efforts, new and old, that work, and that don’t work. How to tell? If the booth’s buzzin, something’s working.

This trip to the desert was worth the effort, and more. Organization, representation, depth and breadth. Something for everyone, and if your focus isn’t from the dealer perspective with attention given to a few areas of interest, it meant miles and miles of aisle hiking. And that still wasn’t enough.

But it was enough to have me looking forward to next year, and a better organized personal tour itinerary inside the walls and through the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center.