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Arcade Bar Gathering by T14 Becomes a Successful PRI Networking Event
BY Sam Du //
January 5, 2023
@duspeed
Photography: Sam Du
@duspeed
Videography: Kyle Crawford
@mrkylecrawford
  • 16-Bit Bar+Arcade provides access to play dozens of vintage arcade games with cocktails as a recipe for success.
  • Turn 14 Distribution Industry Night at PRI added complimentary Southern-style catering and macarons to the games and unlimited cocktails for the ultimate networking atmosphere.
  • Presented by eight valuable partners of Turn 14 Distribution, which include ACT, ARP, Energy Suspension, Powerstop, Radium Engineering, Supertech, Turbosmart, and Weld Racing.

MORE THAN JUST A CONVENTION

I start feeling old when I think about how many SEMA Shows I’ve attended. My first SEMA Show was in 2002. I was 19 years old, freelancing as a photographer while representing a VW/Audi e-commerce parts store from the Pacific Northwest. SEMA was my first taste of how vast the car industry was outside the state of Washington, and it simply blew my mind how much cool shit there was to see. I was hooked from the first sight of legit performance companies I had only read about in car magazines. And, of course, the builds were also much higher caliber than anything my eyes witnessed in Seattle.

As an underage teenager, I snuck into a couple of industry receptions at SEMA, where I began meeting fellow enthusiasts from across the country while being introduced to brands and sales reps from various exhibitors and buyers. These encounters began paving the way for my career in automotive journalism. Fast forward 20 years later, and I’ve been grateful to host our SEMA after-hours event alongside my team, the Pit+Paddock Clubhouse at Topgolf Las Vegas, two years in a row. Trying something new, for the first time in December, we expanded our event portfolio with two receptions at the other major industry trade show: the Performance Racing Industry show (PRI, for short).

TURN 14 DISTRIBUTION INDUSTRY NIGHT

PRI kicks off on a Thursday, so it only made sense to create a reception to celebrate the start of the week. Thus the Turn 14 Distribution Industry Night was born. Presented by eight valuable partners of T14, which include ACT, ARP, Energy Suspension, Powerstop, Radium Engineering, Supertech, Turbosmart, and Weld Racing, the reception took over the top floor of a popular arcade bar near University Square in downtown Indianapolis known as 16-Bit Bar+Arcade. Over 200 invited guests, from PRI exhibitors to friends and partners of T14, were treated to complimentary cocktails all night and Southern-style catering from a famous local fried chicken hotspot called The Eagle. There was unlimited beef brisket, mac n’ cheese, cornbread, cole slaw, multi-colored macarons; you name it. As for entertainment, more than 50 classic arcade games were available for guests to play; however, the welcoming atmosphere for PRI visitors to spend quality time with each other outside of the show made the inaugural Industry Night a huge success. For myself, it was refreshing to catch up with so many great people there, as it’s often too chaotic during show hours when random bystanders are stopping by booths every few minutes. Industry Night was scheduled from 7–10 pm, but most guests stayed at least an hour later as the good conversations didn’t stop.

OUR VALUED PARTNERS

We want to take a moment to thank our valued partners for supporting the Turn 14 Distribution Industry Night at PRI. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to create such unique events that bring so many industry leaders together.

ACT. If you still run a manual transmission car from the ’90s, ’00s, or ’10s, chances are a new clutch is in order. ACT has repeatedly offered some of the best options in the aftermarket for sport compact and performance cars that range from street performance to insane drag/drift/track builds.

ARP. Whether it’s nuts, bolts, fasteners, or washers, ARP is pretty much the cream of the crop, and you’ll notice their hardware is installed on virtually every serious grassroots and professional race car, even up to the highest level of motorsports.

Energy Suspension. When upgrading project vehicles, chassis bushings, and motor/drivetrain mounts are often overlooked. Energy Suspension has provided better aftermarket polyurethane components perfect for replacing dated OEM pieces.

Powerstop. Not everyone can or wants to step up to big dollar big brakes, which is why Powerstop has made a name for itself by offering affordable brake upgrades without hurting the consumer’s wallet. They’re also offered as a one-click kit for almost every vehicle on the road today.

Radium Engineering. A brand that needs very little introduction here as they’ve continually supported Pit+Paddock events, and you can see just about every build we feature will use one of their premium catch cans, fuel pumps, or fuel cells.

Supertech. The valve king of the aftermarket, Supertech is easily considered one of the highest-quality brands regarding engine valves and valve springs. It’s also popular in specific makes and models with pistons, rods, and head gaskets.

Vibrant Performance. Born in Canada in 1985 and one of the best in the game, any fabricator or shop likely buys clamps, tubes, hoses, catch cans, and other fabrication components from Vibrant Performance. A high-quality brand catered to suit the needs of any fabrication project.

Weld Racing. Mostly known for its off-road truck and drag racing wheels, Weld Racing is one of the iconic racing brands that have been trusted since the ’60s and is still widely used today.



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