by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
LAS VEGAS—Walking. We all have to do it every November during the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association event.
At the end of each day, many look to their smart devices to see just how those steps took them around the Las Vegas Convention Center. Some even make it a competition.
Well, in recent years, those steps saw a bit of a reduction thanks to the addition of LVCC’s West Hall. A hall that now houses the majority of SEMA’s Off-Road and Truck attendees.
On the outside, West Hall may look like just another exhibition space, but for SEMA 2025, it quickly became one of the most important hubs of the event. Completed as part of the convention center’s $1 billion expansion earlier this decade, the West Hall added roughly 1.4 million square feet of exhibit space, more than 600,000 sq ft of which is dedicated to the Truck, SUV & Off-Road and Powersports segments.
On Day Two of our SEMA adventures, we pushed past crowds in the South and Central Halls into this massive wing where the aftermarket’s biggest manufacturers and retailers live side by side with special show builds and emerging technology. For Jeep owners, this is where the future of the gear, the vehicle and the experience lives. With wider aisles, devoted show zones, and an interactive lobby (including a 10,000-sq-ft digital video wall), the West Hall isn’t just bigger—it’s smarter. So our Day Two of SEMA 2025 was all about beginning to explore West Hall and discovering what’s next on the aftermarket landscape.
One: The Vegas Loop
We mentioned all the walking that attendees face when traversing the vast LVCC landscape. Well, it isn’t just inside one of the five convention halls; it is also trekking outside between the halls.
That’s because the LVCC campus stretches across all those halls and outdoor zones, meaning what could be a 25-minute brisk walk from West Hall to South Hall can feel like an eternity during long show days
.For many years, that was just life for those who came to the event. However, a few years ago, The Boring Company completed a two-year tunneling project under the LVCC, essentially connecting West, Central, and South in a hub of tunnels that allowed a fleet of Tesla vehicles to flow.
According to the convention authority, the trip between West and South Halls that once took up to 25 minutes now takes around two to five minutes via the Loop.
For SEMA attendees, especially those covering off-road and Jeep content, that difference is some foot-saving steps and helps conserve energy for longer engagement at the show.
Additionally, while the Vegas Loop charges for routes to off-campus stops such as the Westgate Casino/Hotel, rides among the internal LVCC stations are free during show events.
Stations for the loop include South, Central and West Halls, as well as one outside Fountainbleu, Westgate and Resorts World.
Also, as we were headed to West Hall on Tuesday, our driver mentioned that the company should have a tunnel system finished up late in 2026 that will link Harry Reid International Airport to the LVCC.
According to the Boring Company, the entire LVCC loop handles about 4,300 people per hour, and it cost $53 million to construct. At the same time, casinos and hotels will fund respective spurs to their locations.
Two: Fox Sway Bar Disconnects
Quickly disconnect your Jeep Wrangler’s sway bar with the touch of a button.
Jeep Rubicon owners have had that feature for quite a few years now, but Fox Shocks introduced a new set of quick disconnects this year at SEMA that will allow Wrangler owners of all trim levels to press a button and disconnect.
Called QSE, this electronic sway bar disconnect is a bolt-on system that utilizes links, a wiring harness and dash switch to rapidly disconnect (or connect) the sway bar on the fly, no matter if you are in two-wheel drive, four-high or four-low.
This allows you to easily adjust to driving conditions depending on the exterior terrain.
SEMA judges loved it so much that they awarded it the Best Truck & Off-Road for the 2025 show.
Fox says the product’s digressive tune will provide excellent stability while the sway bar is disconnected. At the same time, one-piece aluminum spherical bearings, along with their machined aluminum body and chrome shaft, will offer superior durability and corrosion resistance.
So, if you’ve been that guy at the trailhead hammering your disconnects on or off for your trail adventures, this new Fox system may be just what you need for 2026.
Method Race Wheels’ ‘Beyond the Box’ Booth Turns Heads at SEMA 2025
Throughout the LVCC’s five conference halls, there are thousands of display booths. And they can range from small tables, to large 1000-square-foot mammoths like Toyota or Stellantis/Mopar.
Many of those booths offer display vehicles showing off products unique to that particular vendor, as well as parts from other build partners. For example, we saw plenty of builds complete with Warn winches and Baja Designs LP6 headlights.
However, for day two, the top ‘build’ we loved wasn’t even really a build. It was a cardboard box truck setup by Method Wheels.
The booth itself was a masterclass in simplicity. It offered no displays, no products, only a small placard that read:
“Every great build starts with a box. Ours happens to hold more than wheels. It carries confidence, craft, and a bit of grit... Beyond the box lives the spirit of Method.”
Method called it ‘Beyond the Box’ and for us, the setup was a refreshing departure from the traditional tradeshow booth. More of an art gallery centerpiece than a retail display. And while it may not have generated much business traffic, it succeeded spectacularly in its true purpose: getting people talking.
We read that some attendees questioned whether the minimalist approach made sense for an industry show built on networking and deals. Still, there’s no denying that Method’s concept captured the crowd's imagination. It became one of the most-photographed booths at SEMA, proving that sometimes, creativity alone can win the spotlight.
Additionally, not only did the booth itself generate buzz, but Method also won SEMA’s 2025 Best Wheel & Related Product award behind its 709 HD Bead Grip Wheel with optional Forged Rings.
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