SEMA's Expanded 2026 Powersports Section Brings Vehicles, Gear, Lifestyle Brands and Outdoor Experiences Together in a Comprehensive New Exhibit Area

Powering Up Powersports

By Michael Imlay

Since the very first SEMA Show held at the Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium in the late ’60s, the event has grown to become an industry powerhouse and North America’s number-one automotive trade show. Constantly evolving, each year brings exciting new changes to the Show, which continues to reflect the vibrant and expanding specialty aftermarket. Among the biggest evolutions planned for 2026 is an expanded Powersports, SxS & Lifestyle section taking up residence in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) West Hall.

To better understand the significance of this development for exhibitors and attendees, SEMA magazine turned to SEMA Vice President of Events Tom Gattuso and SEMA Trade Show Director Andy Tompkins. The following is our Q&A exchange, edited for clarity and conciseness.

Facts to Know

• The 2026 powersports section embraces vehicles, parts, accessories, gear, lifestyle and recreation products.
• Indoor exhibits will be complemented by outdoor activations in the Diamond Lot.
• The section connects powersports with trucks, SUVs, trailers, overlanding, off-roading and more.

The breadth and rapid growth of the powersports market will be on full display at the 2026 SEMA Show.

SEMA Magazine: Let’s start with an easy question: How is the SEMA Show powersports section coming along?

Tom Gattuso: The section is coming along extremely well. With just weeks to go until the Show, we’re really excited about the support this section is seeing. New brands are joining every day, and the momentum is unlike anything we’ve seen within this sector over the past several years. So, we’re looking forward to presenting a great package to our powersports and motorcycle dealers in November.

“New brands are joining every day, and the momentum is unlike anything we’ve seen within this sector over the past several years…”

We’re especially pleased to announce that the section is being rounded out with many endemic brands within the powersports and motorcycle industries, including some of the largest and most iconic in the OE space like Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Kymco and Mahindra, to name just a few.

Andy Tompkins: And I’ll add that this section is a great complement to the Truck, SUV & Off-Road section, demonstrating a lot of synergy between the communities. We’ll also have lifestyle brands joining the section, including, for example, eyewear, apparel, protective gear and many other products.

Plus, we’re seeing incredible support from the adventure-lifestyle and powersports recreation communities. All combined, the brands that we’re attracting will represent the full powersports ecosystem, from the vehicles you ride, to what you’re wearing and carrying when you ride them, to the experiences you can enjoy in off-road recreational areas.

SM: It sounds like quite an extensive Show section.

TG: Yes, and it will be great anchor to complement the truck and restyling exhibitors we have each year in the West Hall. With these and all our other aftermarket communities, we’re going to be able to present a completely full convention center in November, delivering plenty of opportunities for SEMA Show attendees to see the latest products and network with brand leaders. They’ll especially gain a deeper understanding of the crossover between our industry’s many lifestyle communities, including SUVs, trucks, trailers and toy hauling, motorcycling, side-by-sides, overlanding and many other forms of motorized outdoor recreation. It’s all going to be at this year’s Show.

AT: We’re also planning some exciting outdoor activations in the Diamond Lot, adjacent to the West Hall. The “Trail to SEMA,” managed by Ian Johnson of Big Tire Garage, is just one of the outdoor anchors currently in the works. These activations will recreate some of the authentic experiences made possible through powersports vehicles and products. They’ll complement the indoor exhibits, so attendees will have a lot to explore both indoors and outdoors.

SM: SEMA has been expanding its support to the powersports community at many levels. How does this space reflect that outreach?

Expect to see an even greater presence of dirt and street bikes at the 2026 Show, underscored by the addition of a bike-build category to the Show’s famed Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers High Performance Car Care competition.

AT: We’ve been working with the National Powersports Dealers Association [NPDA], and we’re finding our organizations share the goal to support powersports dealers and the lifestyle they represent. NPDA has been instrumental in getting the word out to dealers, eliciting industry support and helping us create an authentic representation of the entire powersports community.

SEMA Show participants will benefit from exposure to product categories and business leaders we haven’t typically highlighted in this space. We’ll create a much more horizontally integrated powersports section than our attendees have experienced in the past.

Conversely, all the various powersports niches will gain access to a lot of small businesses within the SEMA community—something very beneficial for them. Powersports attendees will be able to connect not only with their dealers, but also with SEMA education opportunities and a larger aftermarket community that they can now see as part of their own. This cross-pollination will spark new ideas they can take back to their shops and businesses.

Many dealers are vehicle enthusiasts who own trucks and trailers along with their powersports vehicles. They modify cars. They also love to see new builds, so we’re really talking about kindred spirits here.

SM: You’ve touched on some of the opportunities for powersports dealers. What specifically can they expect to gain from attending the 2026 SEMA Show?

TG: In addition to the work we’re doing with NPDA, we’ll also have Dealer News magazine doing live interviews and bringing dealer-pertinent information to the powersports community, so the segment’s media and storytellers will be involved as well. It’s cool to see so many aspects of powersports coalescing to create this unique experience. We’re putting together an entire package that will help powersports dealers learn about new product innovations and how they can incorporate them into their businesses.

AT: For a decade or longer, we’ve seen powersports dealers attend our Show to accomplish many of the goals that Tom just outlined. Now we’ll be able to deliver a lot more in an exciting, comprehensive manner that builds the community and creates further opportunities for all.

SM: And how about traditional SEMA Show attendees? What will this expanded section offer them?

The West Hall powersports section will showcase the synergy it shares with the truck, off-road, overlanding, recreation and related lifestyle sectors.

AT: On the flip side, I think most SEMA Show attendees are in search of new products. Our surveys indicate that’s their number-one reason for coming each year. This expanded Show section means more new products, and that’s a win for any SEMA attendee.

But, similar to the powersports community, a lot of our vertical buying communities—collision-repair specialists, retail jobbers, builders, vehicle dealers, etc.—are enthusiasts as well. They’re passionate about the automotive lifestyle, including its intersection with powersports. It flows both ways, so they’ll also discover new products, innovations and business connections.

In all, we’ll have 12 different product communities and more than 40 different buying communities at the Show. Each brings something unique while bolstering the others. Strengthening our powersports platform and adding more lifestyle components means more opportunity for all.

TG: I’d also add that attendees come to the Show with their end-user enthusiasts in mind. So, when a buyer walks the Show knowing what their customer is looking for, they’ll find a full gamut of products, solutions and services. For example, if you’re an off-road outfitter and lifting trucks for customers to go overlanding, you’ll also find brands selling racks, protective eyewear and a wider assortment of other gear and products in line with your customers’ passions.

SM: Speaking of off-roading, SEMA also has been upping its efforts to serve that niche, notably through the acquisition of the Off Road Business Association (ORBA). How does this section enhance those association efforts?

The expanded powersports section also reflects SEMA’s advocacy efforts, notably the freedom to access public lands.

AT: Beyond the Show itself, there’s always another important goal. Bringing our industries together enhances our collective voice for advocacy. This industry believes in the right of choice—to modify, repair and recreate freely and responsibly. We need to collectively address obstacles to those rights, whether in D.C., at the state level or elsewhere.

Continued access to public lands is a particular issue for this community, whether they off-road in a truck, another powersports vehicle or on a dirt bike. But it’s not the only issue faced by off-roaders, and SEMA is building its advocacy on all fronts. When you participate in the Show, you help support all those efforts.

By uniting, we create a stronger voice to preserve the automotive lifestyle for generations to come. I think that’s very powerful for many of our attendees; they want this. It’s more than just business; it’s a passion. And advocating on their behalf is one of our primary missions. We want to protect and grow all our industry’s categories for the future.

SM: Switching gears, you’ve mentioned that the section goes beyond vehicle parts and accessories to embrace “lifestyle.” Can you elaborate on that lifestyle concept?

AT: We’ve advanced lifestyles for many years at the SEMA Show through the many products that we showcase. Modifications are a great example when you think of businesses and enthusiasts wrenching in their shops and garages. But what’s unique about this Show section is how it intersects with a variety of business and enthusiast interests.

There’s a whole world built around outdoor recreation and wilderness themes. For instance, think of overlanding and all the products you need to stay comfortable outdoors—generators, camping equipment and furniture, and off-the-grid power generation. And so many people who enjoy outdoors adventuring also tow and enjoy powersports vehicles. So, the ability to get to a great recreation area and enjoy an amazing powersports adventure goes far beyond the vehicle. That’s the lifestyle concept reflected here.

“…The ability to get to a great recreation area and enjoy an amazing powersports adventure goes far beyond the vehicle…”

TG: Also, when you look at a lot of global sectors like truck and off-road, overlanding, dirt bikes and street bikes and side-by-sides, there’s a horizontal marketplace of services for these each of these vertical communities. Until now, we’ve never really had an opportunity to showcase them all within proximity to another. As we continue to evolve this section, our vision is to help businesses keep the full range of end users in mind. We’ll highlight what all these customer bases are looking for, what they have in common and how your business can best serve their needs.

SM: So the recent addition of convention center’s West Hall couldn’t have come at a better time; it provided plenty of space for all this.

AT: Absolutely. Now we’re in a place where we can fully mirror the marketplace of all these growing categories. We plan to continue evolving the West Hall into a highly popular venue, just as we have with the other LVCC halls. The exhibits and activities in the West Hall add a lot of value to the Show and create excitement among brands and attendees.

SM: Before we end this interview, are there any other special developments or surprises in store for the powersports community?

TG: Definitely! One thing we picked up on very quickly while developing this section is the incredible talent and creativity of bike builders. There are some incredible builds out there, so it felt natural to incorporate a bike category into our Battle of the Builders (BOTB) Presented by Mothers High Performance Car Care contest this year. We’ve also gathered some of the motorcycle industry’s biggest names to act as curators and judges of the vehicles that will be displayed at the 2026 SEMA Show.

AT: We can’t wait to present this new BOTB category, Bike Builder Shootout, to the industry and put SEMA on the map as the place where you can see not only automotive innovation, but also powersports and motorcycle innovation that’s second to none.

TG: People love the creativity and engineering excellence unleashed each year in BOTB. Adding a motorcycle class brings even more of what we all love. Expect that, right out of the gate, the bike builds at the 2026 SEMA Show will rival anything that motorcycle enthusiasts have seen at any other industry contest or gathering.