The 2014 SHOT Show at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas was another one for the record books — record attendance, record sales and record industry unity. The show also registered record satisfaction with attendees and exhibitors alike, with 75 percent of exhibitors completely or very satisfied and 96 percent of exhibitors extremely or very likely to exhibit in 2015. Those intentions are reflected in the record 96 percent of exhibit space renewals put under deposit onsite, and the 98 percent renewal rate we have reached since we left Las Vegas a month ago!
Ditto for attendees, with 82 percent completely or very satisfied and 86 percent extremely or very likely to attend 2015 SHOT Show. Also remarkable is that total attendance increased 8 percent to over 67,000 in a year where we re-qualified attendees in the red badge-buyer category, requiring documentation to verify purchasing authority.
All in all the 2014 SHOT Show was a testament to the passion and enthusiasm that retailers, exhibitors and industry associates share for our industry and the SHOT Show. It’s rewarding to know that all of our time and effort paid off, and you can rest assured that we’re already working on making the 2015 SHOT Show even better.
Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.