Crowded halls, big displays and rockin’ after-parties—that’s what this SEMA was for many people.

But all the investments made in the show also told another story—it’s a great time to be in tinting.

“The show has been fantastic this year,” said Angie Leonetti, marketing and customer relations manager for Madico Window Films. “The strength of the show is coming back and the attendance is larger than we’ve had in years.”

She said it was not only attendance that served as an indication of the industry’s good health, but also customers’ demands.

It was demonstrations like Suntek’s self-healing PPF that drew in large crowds—a good sign for the film industry.

“People are looking to expand their products and services and for higher quality products. They are moving away from the more economical films,” she said.

Dawn Rodahl, marketing manager for 3M Window Film, agreed.

“The film industry is growing and the requests of end consumers are becoming more sophisticated,” she said, which drives demand of higher quality films. “They want more technical solutions.”

Part of that demand is clearer film, according to Johnson Window Film’s vice president of sales and marketing Steve Chambers.

“Clear film with high heat rejection is where the market’s going,” he said. “It appeals to a broader market. It’s the older demographic that is interested in it.”

All three of these company officials also received good reports from their dealers throughout the week.

“Dealers have a strong demand in the U.S. and abroad,” Rodahl said.  “It’s across all segments—residential, commercial and automotive.”

And while SEMA is an automotive show, Chambers and Leonetti are particularly confident in the architectural window film market.

“We’re getting the sense that architectural tinting is growing faster [than automotive],” Leonetti said.

Chambers even offered a prediction as to where the market is heading.

“I think you’re going to see a lot more interest in exterior films. People want new technologies, game-changers. They’re also looking for polarized and electro chromatic films,” he said.

The overall consensus was that 2015 will be a strong year for the industry.

“It will be a great year. 2014 was good and we don’t see that slowing down. We have an extremely positive outlook for next year and we’re exciting to get it going,” Leonetti said.