Comments....
I've worked at SEMA shows a total of 5 times in my life, twice with Meguiar's and three times with Autogeek and my first comment is that each event just gets better and better...
It's also nice to see the quality of the finishes on the cars on display to also look better and better. Sure there are cars on display with swirls and scratches but each year it does seem there are fewer and fewer swirled-out cars and more cars with true show car finishes...
There's a huge difference between going to SEMA to enjoy the show and going to SEMA to work in a company booth but both are very rewarding. The days are long and require a lot of energy as everyone needs to do the best job possible representing Palm Beach Motoring Group.
Despite all the work that goes into setting up, manning the booth and then tearing the booth down and packing it up, it's incredibly rewarding in multiple different aspects, for example,
- Meeting other owners and employees of all the other companies represented at SEMA.
- Meeting my peers in the detailing industry.
- Meeting forum members from all the various online communities.
- Meeting people that have attended any of the classes I've taught since 1988 when I first started teaching classes in Oregon.
(It's always nice to hear from and say hi to past students)
- Going to meetings after the SEMA show ends each day to discuss business in a casual environment.
- Working closely with my co-workers as a team from the time we left to the time we returned.
- Contacting everyone you meet with follow-up phone calls and e-mails.
All of the above is so much to take-in over a very short amount of time but the results have effects that will last with each of us that attended for a lifetime.
I'd like to thank everyone reading this that came by our booth to say hi and talk shop. I'd also like to thank everyone that purchased a copy of my new how-too book and took the time to get a picture taken and shake hands.
With the publication of the first book in a series, I can't even begin to describe the thrill of autographing and handing a copy to guys like Dennis Gage, Bryan Fuller, Dave Bowman, Rich Evans, Barry Meguiar as well as many of my Pro Detailer friends and so many others that work in the automotive industry as well as all my forum friends.
Working in a booth at SEMA is a lot of work... a lot of standing, walking around and always putting your best foot forward, but it's also some of the best memories in a person's career that will certainly last for a life time.
Team Autogeek is already looking forward to next year's SEMA show and if you ever get the opportunity to attend then I would strongly encourage you to go and if you do be sure to go down Autogeek Alley and stop in our booths to say "hi".
Sign-up for Mike Phillips's Detailing Boot Camp September 29th & 30th 
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