The 2026 SEMA Show is currently underway at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Exhibitors have committed to more than 1 million net square feet of exhibit space, with more than 2,000 brands on hand. Builds and performance parts still fill the halls, but this year paint protection exhibits and services dominate the floor. Paint Protection Film (PPF) installers and ceramic coating brands like XPEL are out in force, with live wrap demos and service exhibits showing how far the category has come. For shops and owners alike, protecting your vehicles’ finish has become as much a part of the aftermarket project as the parts underneath it.
PPF is a clear (or sometimes tinted, matte, or colored) urethane film applied directly over a vehicle’s painted surfaces to shield them from rock chips, road debris, bug splatter, light scratches, bird droppings, and UV fading. But you have to pay to play, as PPF on a pickup truck or exotic could easily cost $6,000 to $10,000. You should see the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo one-of-one road-going version in the XPEL booth. It’s immaculate!
The show kicked off November 3 and runs through the 6, with trade-only Tuesday through Thursday and open to the general public on Friday. SEMA Fest also returns Friday, November 6, on the SEMA Show campus to close out the week.
