AAPEX and SEMA overlap in Las Vegas. Here is how aftermarket brands cover both with one crew, one shot plan, and a shared footage strategy.
Every November the automotive aftermarket descends on Las Vegas for two shows at once. AAPEX runs at the Venetian Expo and the AAPEX Forum. The SEMA Show runs at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For 2026, AAPEX is November 3 to 5 and SEMA is November 3 to 6. Plenty of brands exhibit at one and work the other, and some exhibit at both.
The default move is to hire two separate crews, brief them separately, and end up with two disconnected folders of footage. This playbook covers the alternative: one crew, one plan, and one library that serves both shows.
Most brands have one show that matters more. If your buyers are distributors and retailers, AAPEX is usually primary. If your product sells on how it looks on a build, SEMA is usually primary. Decide this first, because it sets how the days are split.
An even split sounds fair and usually wastes time. Put the crew where the important moments are. Opening day often carries reveals and the most energy. Scheduled interviews can be stacked on the days your key partners are in town. A practical pattern looks like this.
The Venetian Expo and the Las Vegas Convention Center are separate venues, and the AAPEX Forum adds a third location to think about. Moving a crew with gear between them takes real time during the busiest week of the year. Schedule transitions at natural breaks, not in the middle of a peak window, and do not plan back-to-back commitments in different buildings.
AAPEX buyers want proof the product works and sells. The SEMA audience responds to the build, the look, and the story. The same session can serve both. Film the product demo with clean technical detail for the AAPEX follow-up, then capture the installed product on a vehicle for SEMA-facing social content. Tag the footage by audience as it comes in so the edit is fast.
Each show has its own rules for who can film and how a hired crew gets on the floor. SEMA publishes video permit and filming rules, and exhibitor permission applies to any booth you film. AAPEX has its own exhibitor materials. Confirm credentials for both well before the week. Our guide to SEMA video permits and booth filming rules covers the SEMA side in detail.
Set the first deliverable for whichever show needs content live first. Cross X Agency packages return a first deliverable within 24 to 72 hours depending on the package, so a clip can post while both shows are still open. The full library follows in a Google Drive you own, organized by show and audience.
Covering two shows with one plan does not cost the same as one show, but it rarely costs what two separate hires would. You avoid briefing twice, duplicate product capture, and mismatched deliverables. Because Cross X Agency is based in Las Vegas, local coverage carries no travel, lodging, or per diem line for either show. For the full exhibiting budget, see what it costs to exhibit at AAPEX and what it costs to exhibit at SEMA 2026.
The two shows end, and the follow-up starts. One library makes this easier: AAPEX clips go to distributor and retailer follow-up, SEMA clips go to social and paid distribution. The 30-day AAPEX post-show campaign and the 30-day SEMA post-show campaign lay out both sequences.
See AAPEX coverage and SEMA coverage for how we scope each show, or ask us to plan both together.
External resources are linked for reference. Cross X Agency does not control external content or search ranking outcomes.
Heading to a show? See our convention video and photo coverage.
Keep reading
SEMA 2026 Video Permits, Media Credentials, and Booth Filming Rules
Events & ConventionsThe SEMA Content Calendar: What to Post Before, During, and After the Show
Events & ConventionsHow to Film Product Demos and Vehicle Reveals at SEMA
Events & ConventionsHow to Turn SEMA Footage Into a 30-Day Post-Show Sales Campaign
Events & ConventionsLas Vegas Convention Videography Pricing: What Exhibitors Should Budget
Events & ConventionsFilming at LVCC, Venetian Expo, Mandalay Bay, and Caesars Forum
