Hero build A
Turntable or platformYour headline build. A vehicle host stays with it all day: keeps hands off the paint, kids out of the cab and answers the first questions before handing buyers to your team.
Trade show models, product presenters, brand ambassadors and booth reps for SEMA, indoors and outside. A Las Vegas crew briefed on your builds and parts. One $85 hourly rate, zero travel charges.
Sources: SEMA’s published floor space for the 2026 show; hall ceilings from the LVCVA via our Las Vegas Convention Center guide.
At SEMA the vehicle is the booth, and the people next to it decide who stops. Purple Exhibits staffs SEMA Show exhibitors with local trade show models, product presenters, brand ambassadors and booth reps for $85 an hour each, whatever the role, and since the whole crew is Las Vegas-based you pay nothing for travel. The 2026 show runs November 3–6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, indoors and in the outdoor display areas, and it is trade-only except for a public day on Friday, November 6. We brief staff on your builds and parts, plan sun and heat breaks outside, and add crowd hosts for the public day. Book six weeks ahead; for SEMA 2026 we still take rush bookings with 72 hours’ notice.
| Show dates | November 3–6, 2026 · next show early November 2027 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Las Vegas Convention Center, indoor halls and outdoor display areas |
| Floor | About 1.1 million sq ft indoors and roughly 1 million sq ft outdoors |
| Audience | Trade-only, plus a public day on Friday, November 6, 2026 |
| Rate | $85 per hour, per person, every role |
| Book ahead | 6 weeks · rush 72 hrs, including SEMA 2026 |
At SEMA the crew follows the cars. Set your hero builds and outdoor displays to see who you need and what it costs.
An example island with three hero builds. Tap an area to see the job, or match the numbers to the crew list.
Example 40×40 island layout, not to scale. We map your real floor plan the same way before the show.
Your headline build. A vehicle host stays with it all day: keeps hands off the paint, kids out of the cab and answers the first questions before handing buyers to your team.
Corner builds pull traffic from two aisles. Put your most outgoing host here and give them a photo-op script.
Lifted or raised builds draw phones. A host keeps the photo line from blocking the aisle and scans each visitor.
A presenter with a headset explains parts and fitment to small crowds on the hour. Give us part numbers and the three questions buyers always ask.
Swag only for a badge scan. On the public day this counter needs two people and a hard rule on quantities.
Serious buyers sit here with your sales team. A booth rep qualifies them first so your people only take real meetings.
Brands that have booked Purple
SEMA fills about 1.1 million square feet indoors and roughly a million more outside. Each side needs a different crew.
Custom builds, wheels, lighting, tools and shop equipment. Visitors are shop owners, buyers and media. Presenters who know a part number win here.
Bigger, louder displays in the Las Vegas sun. Staff need sun plans, water and rotations, and hosts who can manage a crowd around a moving vehicle.
From vehicle hosts to the Friday crowd crew: what each role does and how many you need.
| Role | What they do at SEMA | How many | Book by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle host | Stays with one build, protects the paint and answers the first questions | One per hero build | 6 weeks out |
| Product presenter | Explains wheels, parts and fitment to small crowds with a headset | One or two per booth | 6 weeks out |
| Trade show model | Gives a build presence for photos, media and reveals | One per hero build you promote | 6 weeks out |
| Booth rep | Qualifies shop owners, dealers and buyers for your sales team | One per meeting table | 6 weeks out |
| Crowd and queue host | Runs photo lines, signings and the Friday public crowd | Two on the public day | 4 weeks out |
| Swag and scan ambassador | Hands out swag only for a badge scan | One, two on Friday | 4 weeks out |
People who can stand next to a build and talk about it. These are the five roles we send to SEMA.
Models who give a build presence and keep hands off the paint.
Presenters with a headset who explain wheels, parts and builds to a crowd.
Ambassadors who trade swag for a badge scan and keep the booth busy.
Hosts for outdoor displays, with sun plans and crowd control.
Reps who talk tools and equipment with shop owners and buyers.
Send your build listEvery car, every part number.
We brief on siteStaff meet your builders first.
Public day plannedCrowd hosts for Friday.
SEMA is trade-only until Friday, when the public comes in. That changes how the booth needs to be staffed.
The public day brings fans, families and phones. Add crowd hosts and a photo line plan.
Builder or athlete signings need a queue host, wristbands and a hard stop time.
Hand-outs disappear fast on Friday. A host gives swag for a badge scan, not for free.
A host at each hero vehicle keeps hands off paint and kids out of cabs.
Work through it before you ship the builds. Your ticks save in this browser.
The crew mix changes from opening day to the public day.
Typical SEMA crews by booth size and build count, at $85 an hour per person.
| Booth | Typical crew per shift | People | Per day | Whole show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10×10 parts booth | A booth rep and a brand ambassador | 2 | $1,360 | $5,440 |
| 10×20 | A product presenter, a booth rep and an ambassador | 3 | $2,040 | $8,160 |
| 20×20 with one build | A vehicle host, a presenter, a rep and an ambassador | 4 | $2,720 | $10,880 |
| 20×40 with two builds | 2 vehicle hosts, 2 presenters, a lead qualifier and an ambassador | 6 | $4,080 | $16,320 |
| 40×40 island, three builds | 3 vehicle hosts, 2 presenters, 2 qualifiers and 2 ambassadors | 9 | $6,120 | $24,480 |
| Outdoor display | 2 hosts and a crowd host on sun rotation | 3 | $2,040 | $8,160 |
8-hour days × 4 show days × $85 per person per hour. No travel, hotel or agency markup.
A booth with three hero builds needs five people: a host at each vehicle, a product presenter and a lead qualifier. Compare that crew booked locally with the same five people flown in for SEMA week.
| SEMA booth, three builds, four days | Cost |
|---|---|
| Purple local staff | |
| Travel, hotel, per-diem | $0 |
| Your Las Vegas total |
| Typical fly-in agency, same team | Cost |
|---|---|
| Staff hours at $85 | |
| Round-trip flights ~$380 each | |
| Hotel SEMA week rates · ~$330/night | |
| Per-diem ~$89/day | |
| Fly-in total |
How the choices stack up for SEMA Show exhibitors, row by row.
| Purple local crew | Fly-in staffing agency | General temp agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $85 per person, every role | Agency rate plus travel markup | Low hourly, untrained for booths |
| Getting staff here | They commute in | Flights (~$380) and hotel nights (~$330) | Local, but unscreened |
| Las Vegas venue know-how | Works these halls all year | Learns the venue on show day | Hit or miss |
| The Las Vegas edge | Staff meet your builders first. | Not local | Not specialised |
| Product briefing | Included before day one | Varies by agency | Rarely |
| Scanner and follow-up | Notes in the scanner for sales | Depends on the team | Untrained |
| No-show plan | Briefed local within two hours | Usually none mid-show | Next available temp |
| Exhibit and staff together | Design, build and staff | People only | People only |
Fly-in costs use the same typical Las Vegas rates as the budget above. Other agencies’ pricing varies.
About three minutes. No deposit.
We’ll email your quote within 24 hours, usually much sooner. Need it now? Call (800) 994-8030.
Visitors lean on paint and climb into cabs. Put a host at every vehicle you care about.
Buyers ask about fitment and part numbers. Give us a parts cheat sheet and we brief.
Outdoor displays get hot even in November. Plan shade, water and hourly rotations.
The public day needs crowd hosts and swag rules, not more sales reps.
The best SEMA crews book early. Six weeks out is safe; we still do 72-hour rushes.
Call (800) 994-8030 and ask for the SEMA desk.
$85 an hour per person with a four-hour minimum. Trade show models, product presenters, brand ambassadors and booth reps are billed at that one rate. Our SEMA staff are locals, so flights and hotel rooms never appear on the invoice.
November 3–6, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It is trade-only except for a public day on Friday, November 6. The 2027 show is expected in early November.
Yes. We take rush bookings with 72 hours’ notice. The sooner you call, the more choice you have.
Plan one host per hero vehicle, plus presenters and a lead qualifier. Use the vehicle-display crew builder on this page for your booth.
Yes. Send us a parts cheat sheet with part numbers, fitment and pricing rules. Detailed technical questions go to your team.
Yes. We send ambassadors and crowd hosts with sun plans, water and hourly rotations for outdoor shifts.
Friday brings fans and families. We add crowd hosts, photo-line plans and swag rules so the booth stays under control.
Yes. We send queue hosts with wristbands and a timed line so the signing ends on schedule.
Yes. Hostesses, door hosts and brand ambassadors for events during SEMA week.
We keep standby staff in Las Vegas all SEMA week. A briefed replacement arrives within two hours, or that shift is free.
No. We are an independent company hired by exhibitors who show at SEMA. We are not affiliated with SEMA.
Yes. We design, build and install exhibits in Las Vegas, including vehicle platforms, and staff them under one plan.
SEMA spreads into the streets, the outdoor lots and the parties. We staff all of it.
Off-road, drift and ride displays in the sun.
We send: Brand ambassadors, crowd hostsVehicle reveals for press and creators.
We send: Product presenters, hostessesVIP arrival, seating and gift hand-outs.
We send: HostessesGuest lists, door and photo walls.
We send: Door hosts, ambassadorsBuilder and athlete meet-and-greets.
We send: Queue hosts, wristband staffStaffing by show
Las Vegas and this show
Purple Exhibits is an independent exhibit and staffing company. We staff exhibitors at the SEMA Show; we are not affiliated with SEMA (the Specialty Equipment Market Association). Show names belong to their owners.
Send your builds and dates. A SEMA price within 24 hours.
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