Are you ready? The SHOT Show is almost here! Here’s a list of the top 12 items you can check off. Introduce yourself to the offerings by watching this brief video, first.
1. It’s your last chance to book your travel plans with onPeak, the official housing partner of the SHOT Show. Its hotel rate-guarantee deadline closes tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 11. SHOT Show provides two sources for special hotel room opportunities; one is direct with the Venetian/Palazzo, and the other is through onPeak, the official housing partner of the SHOT Show and the service provider directly linked to the SHOT Show website for all hotels besides the Venetian/Palazzo. To view or book available hotel/travel deals through onPeak, click here or call 800-388-8104. To view or book available hotel rooms at the Venetian/Palazzo, you may do so by clicking here or calling 866-580-1198.
2. Tell us if you are hosting celebrities in January. Log in to the Exhibitor Listing Dashboard and let us know about celebrity appearances or other special events you are planning at your booth. Follow the provided screenshots to inform us of celebrity appearances.
3. Register for SHOT Show University on Monday, Jan. 13. A limited amount of seats are available. Offered each year on the day before the SHOT Show opens, SHOT Show University, with a theme of Aiming for Excellence, is a day of seminars specifically tailored to the needs of those in the firearm retail business. Check out our speaker spotlights from Chip Bell and Dan Mann.
4. Find the retail seminars you need to attend. Retailers, Patrick Shay gives you an inside look at these scheduled sessions. Stay tuned for the follow-up and get the run-down of what should be on your schedule! We are offering a dozen courses (at cost) during the SHOT Show, all designed to increase your retailing expertise, make your operations more profitable and keep our industry strong. You can view the full schedule of speakers and topics here. Seating is limited, and classes are filling up fast. Don’t miss out!
5. Reserve the ultimate dining experience. Check out our “SHOT on a Dime” restaurant guide aimed to help you find quality meals in Las Vegas for $50 or less. If you are dining on a budget, you can even choose from dining options of $25 or less. No matter your cuisine preference or desired location, you’ll find all sorts of selections.
6. Work smarter, not harder! First, download the mobile app, sponsored by ArmaLite. Then, use the My Show Planner online aid to navigate the show floor, keep track of appointments and find new products and services, among other conveniences. You can review the entire SHOT Show layout, search for exhibitors, find specials, search for brands and much more. You can even map out your own planned schedule and route!
7. Learn about the scheduled Law Enforcement Education Seminars (LEEP). NSSF has partnered with Law Officer magazine to present a quality education program for law enforcement professionals at the 2014 SHOT Show®. These are free for our LEEP sponsors.
8. Catch up on all three segments of the SHOT Show Exhibitor Webinar series, available online in the Exhibitor Resource Center under Exhibitor Education and News.
9. Get to know this year’s pinnacle sponsor, Outdoor Channel.
10. Meet the new management team. You can read all of the bios, here. The firearms, exhibition and event industries, as well as the Las Vegas business community, continue to respond positively to the selection of Las Vegas-based ConvExx as our new SHOT Show management company.
11. Become an NSSF member. As the owner of the industry’s largest trade show, NSSF rolls out the red carpet for its members at the SHOT Show. Members receive discounted booth space, five extra booth-priority points when exhibiting, early notification on registration and hotel accommodations, access to the NSSF Member Lounge and Member Business Center and more. NSSF is currently offering a SHOT Show special for range and retailer memberships, starting as low as $50.
12. Get social. Follow us and subscribe to get the latest SHOT Show updates. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@nssfshotshow) and join the official SHOT Show group on LinkedIn. Also, be sure utilize the #SHOTShow hashtag to ensure your social media communications are being seen by all who follow the show online. Another way to keep up-to-date is to subscribe to NSSF’s Bullet Points e-newsletter, which delivers a weekly roundup of industry happenings.
Diedra Cauley is the Senior Director of Exhibitions and Conferences for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow her on Twitter at @dcauley.