The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Loop bridged the West Hall and North/Central/South Halls at the 2021 SEMA Show. Designed to transport more than 4,400 convention attendees per hour, the tunnels offer a glimpse into the future. Here are three forms of rising technology with possible industry implications.

The LVCC Loop features several pickup stations.

1. Autonomous Vehicles

A recent video from CES 2022 shows a Tesla traffic jam. The cars are electric—and the tunnels are beaming with neon—but there is gridlock nonetheless. The 1.7-mile LVCC Loop is, of course, part of Elon Musk’s vision for the future of travel. Las Vegas officials recently approved an even longer loop. Dubbed the “Vegas Loop,” the system involves 29 miles of tunnels and 51 stations. Clark County, Nev., states as many as 57,000 passengers will be able to travel through it per hour. On top of that, the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta is well underway.

Musk isn’t alone. General Motors is gearing up to sell personal autonomous vehicles by the middle of the decade. Autonomous cars and loops will change human movement as we know it. Will this impact film professionals? Here are a few questions I have:

• What will become of the automotive accessory market if auto enthusiasts can’t get their hands behind the wheel? Will passion fade, spurring a decline in window tint and paint protection film (PPF) sales? With driving falling to the wayside, will ownership pride dwindle? Only time will tell—but it’s interesting to consider.

2. Cryptocurrency

Cashless payment options are center stage thanks to COVID-19. There were many concessions up for grabs at the 2021 SEMA Show, but if cash was the only currency in your wallet, you were fresh out of luck. More and more industries are trending in this direction. The 2021 Super Bowl was cashless, forcing attendees to spend with alternatives. Conventions and events are pursuing digitized choices to minimize the impact of the pandemic.

What about your business? As covered in Window Film magazine’s November/December issue, cryptocurrency’s relevance is climbing. Will consumers develop an urge to pay for their groceries, bills, entertainment—and window tint and PPF—with crypto in the next decade? Only time will tell, but it could be worth tracking as cash usage declines and the tech grabs headlines.

The LVCC Loop’s neon-lit tunnels fit in with Vegas

3. Competing Wrap Technology

The film segment offers automotive enthusiasts various ways to enhance the look of their cars. From PPF to stylish wraps to sleek window tint, our industry comprises a significant part of the market. But as technology evolves, competition will too. BMW debuted a concept car called the BMW iX Flow during this year’s CES. The vehicle uses, “electrophoretic technology to change colors from black to white or combine black and white in a kaleidoscope of graphics across the surface of its body.” Will this technology compete with traditional wraps upon its release?

Answers will be revealed as the decade rolls on, but one thing is certain: ‘The Times They Are a-Changin.’

Feel free to share your thoughts on these technological developments in the comments below and add me on Facebook for a story idea or conversation.