December is a hectic month for nearly everyone in the firearms industry. Retailers are dealing with fast-paced seasonal sales, distributors are working to fill last-minute orders and meet yearly quotas, and all of us are making plans for the month-end holiday visits with family and friends.
On top of all of this, SHOT Show preparations are in full swing. There are just seven weeks left until the 2015 SHOT Show. That means December has dozens of deadlines important to exhibitors, advertisers and attendees. In fact, we have so many, that this month we’re going to break them into a couple blog posts here, to better help all going to SHOT better organize their pre-show planning. You can always keep abreast of the deadlines by printing out the Deadline Checklist located in the online Exhibitor Resource Center and reading the weekly Exhibitor Update that is emailed to the main show contact and posted online in the Exhibitor Resource Center.
Before I get started with the most important upcoming deadlines, I need to emphasize two things. First, the names and unique email addresses for every staff member of each exhibitor attending the 2015 SHOT Show must be submitted, for qualification, through their Registration Dashboard immediately. Rules and qualifications for exhibiting staff have changed from past years, so it is important that appropriate submissions are made in advance to avoid confusion or waiting onsite. As we’ve said before, it will be very important to book your hotel rooms early. While some have sold out, there are still many hotel options available through our official block.
Now, on to the first half of December’s deadlines.
December 12—Six Deadlines
- New Product Guide Advertising Deadline: This is the deadline for anyone wishing to advertise in the printed version of the New Product Guide. With the expansion of the New Product Center at the 2015 SHOT Show, its high show traffic volume and the dedicated post-show usury of the printed New Product Guide by media members and buyers, this is an excellent opportunity for all exhibitors to boost their visibility, whether they have a product in the Center or not. Contact me at djeannnette@nssf.org or Chis Tatulli, NSSF Director, Exhibitions and Sales, at ctatulli@nssf.org.
- “No Soliciting” Sign Request Deadline: For exhibitor use, to help control traffic and meeting availability, as well as to help identify potential “suitcasing,” soliciting by vendors who are not SHOT Show exhibitors. Contact Jennifer Carr at jcarr@convexx.com; 702-216-5852
- Press Conference Application Deadline: For exhibitors and public relations and marketing firms expecting to host press conferences either on the show floor at exhibitor booth locations or in reserved meeting rooms. Contact Tricia Hanisko at thanisko@convexx.com; 702-216-5865.
- Sponsorship Artwork Deadline: For those advertisers and exhibitors sponsoring various aspects of SHOT Show and its publications (SHOT Show University, Law Enforcement Education Program Workshops, digital media, Exhibitor Spotlight, Showcase Theater and others), this is the deadline for which artwork must be received by Freeman. A detailed list of 2015 SHOT Show sponsorship opportunities can be found here. For information on artwork formats and delivery avenues, contact Convexx’s SHOT Show Manager Susan L. Schwartz, CEM, at sschwartz@convexx.com; 702-216-5858.
- Visa Letter Request Submission Deadline: This deadline is intended for those international exhibitors and those who will require booth staff arriving from foreign countries. Non U.S.-based exhibitors requesting booth badges for themselves and booth staff have the option to check “yes” on their Exhibitor Dashboard during registration and receive a Letter of Invitation to the 2015 SHOT Show. That letter is then printed out by the exhibitor for presentation at the Visa appointment in their country in application for their tourist or business Visa. As the Visa application can take some time to complete, once again, we urge everyone to register for SHOT Show immediately, especially our international guests. For additional documents that may be needed for Visa application completion, email visa@shot.convexx.com.
- Fabric Order Early Bird Discount Deadline: This is the deadline to order booth drapery and other fabric needs from Freeman at the discounted advanced rate. Contact Freeman Exhibitor Services Department, exhibitorhelp@convexx.com; 855-355-7468.
December 15—One Deadline
December 15 marks the halfway point of this month, but it’s an important date for exhibitors shipping materials ahead of time. This is the first date that Freeman will accept exhibitor freight in advance of the show for storage at Freeman’s warehouse until setup in the days before the show (these pre-show freight shipments stored ta Freemans warehouse will be in your booth for your scheduled setup time). For those taking advantage of advanced freight shipping, it will be important to convey this information to your freight carrier and provide them contact points with Freeman so that your shipment does not arrive before this date and incur possible holdover fees. For more information in coordinating freight shipping to Freeman’s warehouse in advance of the 2015 SHOT Show, contact Jennifer Carr at jcarr@convexx.com; 702-216-5852.
I’ll cover a second set of December deadlines in another blog post shortly. For the full list of 2015 SHOT Show deadlines, click here.
Dave Jeannette is Senior Director, Sales for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @DaveJeannette.