Q & A – Page 2 – SHOT Show Blog

Answers to your questions about the show

Since the show, we've received feedback in all forms, including social media, the live chat we held last month and surveys we've sent to all of the show's exhibitors and attendees.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be addressing the questions we've received and posting the answers right here on the blog.

Here is the first batch:

Q: Can there be more staff on the floor? I had a lot of trouble finding vendors I wanted to see.

A: We will have more information staff on the floor and in the lobbies for 2011.

Q: Will the Sands Convention Center have the roof fixed in case of rain next year? Will dry storage be considered for crates?

A: We have asked the Sands to address this for 2011. The rain we experienced was highly unusual as Las Vegas received nearly a year's worth of rain in a couple of days.

Q: Why must the SHOT Show take place in early January?

A: Because that's when the vast majority of our customers tell us they want the show. In fact, 85 percent say it should be in early January in Las Vegas.

Q: Can the SHOT Show get on a regular schedule every year? The last week of January, first week of February, etc?

A: We are currently scheduled for the third week in January but would certainly move to the second week if it became available.

Q: Any thought given to reducing the number of exhibitors or at least limiting booth size to accommodate the Sands venue?

A: Yes on both counts. We have already ceased selling booth space for 2011 even though we were 6,000 net square feet below 2010.

Q: A ton of people were sitting on the floor eating near the food vendors. It is very difficult to have business discussions in this fashion. Can there be more chairs added?

A: Yes. That's one of the reasons we capped exhibit space 6,000 net square feet less than 2010.

Q: Instead of being concerned about how many people attend the show can the NSSF change its focus to attracting qualified buyers?

A: We put in many more restrictions for attendees this year and are seeking greater cooperation from both attendees and exhibitors to limit friends and family that they obtain credentials for.

Q: Why do you allow exhibitors to expand on the main floor before everyone has a chance to pick?

A: Because they have the most priority points and quite frankly are the biggest draw for the attendees. We are looking at capping our largest exhibitors for future events, however it appears that some of the larger exhibitors are reducing their exhibit space voluntarily.

If you missed the chat we held last month, you can view the transcript at nssf.org/shotshowchat.

SHOT Show facts and figures

The "SHOT" in SHOT Show stands for Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade.

The 2010 SHOT Show runs Tuesday, January 19, through Friday, January 22, at the Sands Exposition and Conference Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

SHOT Show hours

The 2010 SHOT Show is the 32nd; the first was in 1979 in St. Louis.

The 2010 SHOT Show will have 1,800 exhibitors.

More than 60,000 professionals in the shooting, hunting and outdoors industry are expected to attend. The show is for trade only and is not open to the general public.

Attendees come from all 50 states and 75 countries.

The Law Enforcement section remains the fastest growing segment of the SHOT Show. To illustrate this growth, when the law enforcement section was started booth space covered 7,000 square feet; today, Law Enforcement covers more than 195,000 square feet of the show.

Total exhibit space for the 2010 show is expected to be approximately 700,000 net square feet.

The SHOT Show is the once-a-year gathering place for the shooting, hunting and outdoors industry — manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, publishers and wildlife conservation organizations. It's where a passion for firearms, ammunition and outdoors equipment, plus the industry's unified support of the Second Amendment, are on display.

The SHOT Show generates millions of the dollars in revenue that funds NSSF programs and services that help "promote, protect and preserve" hunting and the shooting sports — all the shooting sports. A top priority of NSSF is to develop new hunters and shooters and to reactivate former hunters and shooters. NSSF also promotes firearm safety through programs such as Project ChildSafe and works to prevent illegal firearms purchases through Don't Lie for the Other Guy.

Approximately 1,400 members of the outdoor media, including a significant contingent of international media, promote the products they see at SHOT in their articles in magazines, newspapers and electronic media, and on TV and radio. Media attending the SHOT Show constitute the largest gathering of outdoor media in the world.

Handy list of locations at the SHOT Show

Here's a handy list of locations you may wish to visit at the SHOT Show.

Annual State of the Industry	Palazzo Ballroom 5th Floor
Coat Check	Sands Level 1, inside taxi lane
Exhibitor Service Centers	Sands level 1 Room 401 & Sands Level 2 front of 13,000 aisle
Exhibits	Sands Expo Levels 1 & 2, all Venetian Ballrooms on Levels 1 & 2
First Aid	Sands Level 1 near Room 401
Law Enforcement Seminars	Venetian Level 4 Marcello
Members' Lounge	Venetian Level 3 Murano Ballroom
New Product Center	Venetian Level 1 Lobby
NSSF Booth	Sands Level 2 Lobby Booth #L221
NSSF Office	Sands Level 1 Room 305
NSSF Friends Meeting Room	Venetian Level 2 Bassano 2803
NSSF Member Business Office	Venetian Level 3 Murano Ballroom
NSSF Program Staff Meeting Room	Venetian Level 2 Bassano 2806
NSSF Seminars	Venetian Level 4
Overnight Storage	Level 1 Sands Rooms 301-302, end of 300 Aisle; Level 2 Hall A end of 10,000 Aisle, Hall D front of 16,000 Aisle and Bassano 2801-2802
Press Conference Room	Venetian Level 2 Bassano 2601
Press Room	Venetian Level 2 Bassano 2701
Press Registration	Outside Press Room on Venetian Level 2
Product Locators	Conveniently located at all 12 Information Counters throughout the show
Safety Advisors	Sands Level 1 Room 404
Sales Office	Venetian Level 1 Lobby in New Product Center
Security Command Post	Sands Level 1 Room 301-302
Ship-A-Box Program	SES Service Desk Window
SHOT Show University	Venetian Level 4 Lando Jan. 18 only
SHOW Daily	Venetian Level 3 San Polo 3401a&b
Show Office	Sands Level 1 Room 304
Shuttle Bus Pick-up & Drop-off	Venetian Level 1
Space Draw	Venetian Level 3 Lido – General Shooting & Hunting
Space Draw	Venetian Level 3 Lido – Firearms, Outdoor Wear & Outfitters
Space Draw	Venetian Level 3 Lido – Law Enforcement & Tactical

What are you looking forward to most at the 2010 SHOT Show?

What are you looking forward to most at the 2010 SHOT Show? We'd like to hear about it from everyone — buyers, exhibitors, members of the press.

Judging by the response we've had so far, enthusiasm for this year's show is as high as it's ever been.

Whether this is your first SHOT Show or your 32nd, the 2010 show promises to be one of the best yet. A number of companies, including top firearm manufacturers, are planning to unveil new product lines at the show — many already creating a buzz.

We've also got a great new location right on the strip that's within walking distance of the city's top hotels and attractions.

Let us know why you'll be attending the 2010 SHOT Show. We look forward to seeing you next month in Las Vegas!

Answers to Important Questions:
Q&A with NSSF Senior Vice President Chris Dolnack

Chris Dolnack
National Shooting Sports Foundation

With the SHOT Show’s return to Las Vegas, in a slot of weekdays in a venue other than the Las Vegas Convention Center, you probably have some questions about the 2010 edition. Following are some that may have occurred to you, and Chris Dolnack, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation which owns and sponsors the SHOT Show, answers the most commonly asked questions about this year's event.

Q. With the current state of the economy, many trade shows have seen a drop in attendance. How has attendance been at the SHOT Show over the past couple of years?
A. The SHOT Show is one of the few trade shows that has bucked the trend of declining attendance. In fact, the 2009 show experienced a 3 percent increase in attendance (48,907) when compared to its last visit to Orlando in 2007. In 2008, the show in Las Vegas shattered every attendance record in its history with 58,769.

Q. Where will the SHOT Show be held over the next few years?
A. Based on constant feedback from our members and show attendees, we entered into a rolling three-year agreement with the Sands Expo and Convention Center for 2010, 2011 and 2012

Q. Why is the show being held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center?
A. Because in our post-show surveys our exhibitors and attendees consistently tell us that the SHOT Show should be in Las Vegas in January no matter what. The Sands Expo offered us attendee-preferred January dates, according to our surveys, through 2012, and the location is second to none.

Q. With the show being held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center for the first time, what differences can we expect to see compared to previous shows in Las Vegas?
A. Exhibitors will have their booths on Levels 1 and 2. Meeting rooms and the banquet hall will be centrally located on Levels 3 and 4, which is much more convenient. And we’ll be in the heart of the Strip, surrounded by hotels and restaurants in every price range.

Q. Why is the show being held Tuesday through Friday?
A. Weekday dates were available for the coveted January dates that we wanted, and the weekday hotel rates were much more favorable for our attendees and exhibitors.

Q. What is NSSF doing to lower costs to attend in 2010?
A. Our partners at Reed Exhibition have been aggressively renegotiating our room rates so the average across the board is under $100 while the average room rate in 2008 was over $173.

Q. What is show management doing to make sure that qualified attendees come to the SHOT Show?
A. For 2010, we’ve implemented additional screening layers to help further qualify buyers and we are placing more restrictions on “guest of show” badges in addition to advising exhibitors to limit their badges to booth staff and company employees.

Q. As a buyer/exhibitor, how do I make the most of my SHOT Show experience?
A. Here are some links to answer your question: Buyers Click Here! Exhibitors Click Here! Be sure to check out the tips on getting the most out of the show.

Q. What is NSSF doing to increase law enforcement attendance? Also, what is being done to increase traffic in the law enforcement section of the show?
A. We are planning to offer a law enforcement version of SHOT Show University the day before the show and to offer law enforcement oriented seminars. Stay tuned for more details.

Q. Is the concealed carry of a firearm permitted at the show?
A. Per our lease with the Sands Expo and Convention Center, no personal firearms or ammunition is allowed. Only firearms on display by exhibitors whose firing pins have been removed (and have been inspected by SHOT Show Safety Advisors) will be permitted on the show floor.

Q. Due to limited parking, driving to the show is not recommended. What alternate forms of transportation are available in Las Vegas?
A. First and foremost, being centrally located on the Strip, many SHOT Show attendees will be staying within a 10-minute walk of the Sands Expo and Convention Center. In addition we’ll have shuttle buses running as we usually do–and don’t forget the monorail, though the closest stop, Harrah’s, is about a mile away. Another option is the Deuce, which travels up and down Las Vegas Boulevard.