STEK schedules daily SEMA tint challenge; entry deadline has passed

STEK is planning a tint-installation challenge during SEMA 2026, with one US$1,000 winner each day and US$4,000 in total prizes. The company describes the event as a race against shrink-less tint.

The important date for competitors has already passed: STEK’s notice lists October 16, 2026 as the registration deadline. As checked October 17, the page still links to a registration form, but that link does not establish that late entries are being accepted. Registered participants are told to expect their assigned day and time by email on October 26.

The organizer’s current exhibitor directory lists STEK-USA at booth 52237 in the West Hall with Diamond Lot area. The competition announcement does not provide a complete judging rubric, the number of competitors or a daily spectator timetable. Registered competitors should use their assigned slot and confirm the contest location with STEK before the November 3–6 show.

The shrink-free approach also has a practical product connection for film shops. In a separate current product page, STEK describes NEX+ Curve as a TPU-based ceramic window film installed with techniques closer to PPF than conventional heat-shrunk PET tint. That page is useful background on the method; it does not identify the precise film or rules that will be used in the contest.

For installers watching a demonstration, the useful questions are how the material is positioned on curved glazing, what solution and edge-finishing process it requires, and which glazing applications the manufacturer approves. A timed competition alone cannot establish a repeatable labor saving on customer vehicles.