Tag: 2014 SHOT Show

SHOT Show Attendees: $50 NSSF Membership for SHOT Show 2014

There is no better time than now to become a member of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

This year, NSSF’s SHOT Show® retail/range memberships start as low as $50. This offer will provide those that haven’t experienced what NSSF membership is all about an opportunity to do so.

NSSF’s benefits for retailer members include a 24-hour FFL hotline, access to ATF compliance consulting with former ATF officials, access to NSSF research and a whole lot more. NSSF membership provides you with information and resources, networking and training, continued education opportunities and discounted products and services. This one single investment can give you an invaluable competitive edge.

Not only does your membership help your business, but it also helps NSSF fulfill its mission of promoting, protecting and preserving our industry and our sports.

This membership offer is available at nssf.org/join or you can also take advantage of it while registering for the SHOT Show.

If you have any questions about membership, please contact Samantha Hughes at shughes@nssf.org or Bettyjane Swann at bswann@nssf.org.

Bettyjane Swann is director of member services for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Book Travel Through SHOT Show’s Official Housing Partner onPeak

Book in the official SHOT Show block — don’t be scammed by third party housing companies.

Through our designated host hotels, The Venetian and The Palazzo and official housing partner, onPeak, the SHOT Show provides reduced hotel rates and travel discounts for your trip to Las Vegas.

Attendees and exhibitors can make their travel arrangements with The Venetian or The Palazzo by calling 866-580-1198 (U.S.) or (702) 414-4100 (international) OR onPeak through the SHOT Show website’s Travel page – or directly through onPeak’s booking agents by calling 800-388-8104 or 312-527-7300 (International).

We have already received several calls and emails from exhibitors who were solicited by a high-pressure salesperson who urged the exhibitors to get their rooms for the SHOT Show while they could. I can assure you that no one affiliated with the SHOT Show will ever solicit you. And if they do, I want to hear from you.

The SHOT Show, in partnership with onPeak, is committed to providing you with the best travel deals around. onPeak is the official travel provider for the SHOT Show.

Don’t be fooled by offers from other parties using the SHOT Show name — they are NOT affiliated with Reed Exhibitions or the SHOT Show. Remember, if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Diedra Cauley is the senior director of exhibitions and conferences for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow her on Twitter at @dcauley.

Reserve your spot today to see Penn & Teller at the 2014 State of the Industry Event


More than 1,000 tickets have already been reserved for the Jan. 14 State of the Industry event — sponsored by Outdoor Channel. Don’t miss out on an unforgettable performance by Penn & Teller, seven-time winners, including 2013, as “Las Vegas Magicians of the Year.”

In their 35 years as a team, Penn & Teller have redefined the genre of magic and invented their own very distinct niche in comedy with Emmy-winning TV specials, sold-out runs on Broadway, world tours and hundreds of outrageous appearances on everything from Letterman to Leno, Friends to The Simpsons, Chelsea Lately to Top Chef. Their 12-year run at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino makes them one of the longest running and most-beloved shows in Las Vegas history. Outselling every other resident magician on The Strip, the duo will now be performing exclusively for attendees of the 2014 State of the Industry Dinner.

Tickets to the State of the Industry event can be purchased when registering for the show.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

Get Ready for the 2014 SHOT Show

Jump start the year by getting your business noticed, learn about new products and get educated on latest and the greatest. SHOT Show is the place to be this January. Watch this brief video for details on what you need to know about the 2014 SHOT Show.

Apply today for the 2014 SHOT Show, January, 14-17, at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. Visit www.shotshow.org for more information.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack. 

SHOT Show Retail Seminar Slated for 2014: What Business Structure Is Right for My Firearms Business

Want to grow your business and improve your staff? NSSF is here to help. We are offering a dozen courses during the SHOT Show covering these topics and much more, all designed to increase your profits, meet the needs of your customers and help our Industry stay strong.

Below is an overview of one of the seminars. You can view the full schedule of speakers and topics here.

Seating is limited and classes are filling up fast. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Thursday, Jan. 16 — 9-10 a.m.
What Business Structure Is Right for My Firearms Business
Presented by John Renzulli and Christopher Renzulli
Would a sole proprietorship better meet your business needs than an LLC? How will this decision regarding structuring your business impact your FFL? Let founding partners of Renzulli Law Firm, a great friend of our industry and the 2nd Amendment, help make sense of these difficult legal decisions.

Apply Today!

Diedra Cauley is the senior director of exhibitions and conferences for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow her on Twitter at @dcauley.

SHOT Show Retail Seminar Slated for 2014: Grass Roots Political Organizing

Want to help support our 2nd Amendment rights? Retailers can play a critical role in that effort. NSSF is here to help. We are offering a dozen courses during the SHOT Show covering this topic and much more, all designed to increase your profits, meet the needs of your customers and help our Industry stay strong.

Below is an overview of one of the seminars. You can view the full schedule of speakers and topics here.

Seating is limited and classes are filling up fast. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Tuesday, Jan. 14 — 9-10 a.m.
Grass Roots Political Organizing
Presented by Jake McGuigan
In the fight to save our 2nd Amendment rights, the independent firearms retailer is the front line of defense for the industry. Learn how to effectively organize and participate in this process and help to save our rights and your livelihood.

Apply Today!

Diedra Cauley is the senior director of exhibitions and conferences for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow her on Twitter at @dcauley.

SHOT Show University Line-up Announced

Sign up now for the 2014 edition of SHOT Show University, held the day before the SHOT Show exhibit hall opens. This year’s theme is “Aiming for Excellence” and includes a keynote speaker, interactive sessions and a lineup of classes offer unparalleled training and education to operate businesses more effectively. Specialty tracks allow attendees to quickly identify sessions they want to attend: ATF Compliance, Marketing, Retail Operations and Range Operations.

On Monday, Jan. 13, the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF) hosts THE premier educational series of seminars for firearms retailers and range operators. This daylong event features an incredible lineup of notable experts delivering information to take back to your operation and glean money-saving, business-building tips.

Retailers slow on the trigger have missed out before when trying to register for this perennial sell-out. Don’t wait. View the schedule of speakers and topics, then register and claim one of the still-available seats.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

Online Exhibitor Registration and Reservation Services Are Now Available

Online exhibitor registration and reservation services are now available. At this one-stop portal you can add new booth staff, modify or cancel existing registrants and upload a file with new booth staff and order a listing of media attending the show.  Also online is the Exhibitor Resource Center, where you can access information about your exhibit, education on best practices and contractor information.

REGISTER BOOTH STAFF – Use our easy exhibitor registration system to quickly register all of your exhibit personnel. You get immediate e-mail confirmations. At this one-stop portal you can add new booth staff, modify or cancel existing registrants and upload a file with new booth staff. *NEW* Register your staff for an Exhibitor/Media badge!  Please Note: There is an allotment for exhibitor personnel and guests for the 2014 SHOT Show.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY TICKETS – While registering your booth personnel, purchase tickets to this year’s State of the Industry Dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 14.  This year’s entertainment will be Penn & Teller, who have redefined the genre of magic and invented their own very distinct niche in comedy.  Tickets will sell fast. Reserve yours when you register your staff.

Follow these simple steps:

CLICK HERE to access the Exhibitor Registration website. You can also copy the following link and paste it in your web browser to access the site: http://shotshow.org/exhibitreg

Please Note: You will need your user name and password to access the following components throughout the show cycle, so please keep it accessible.

LEAD MANAGEMENT SERVICES – Gain a competitive edge in following up on your company’s most valuable assets — new customers!   Use a CompuLead tool and capture information quickly about the buyers visiting your booth.

Use either the SmartApp for smart phones and tablets, Mobile and Mobile Elite handheld scanners or desktop units to record qualified leads with complete information about the customers visiting your booth.  Sign up when you register your booth staff so you don’t miss out on early bird pricing.

Diedra Cauley is the senior director of exhibitions and conferences for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow her on Twitter at @dcauley.

SHOT Show Update – Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed

Las VegasSince we last gathered at the Sands Expo in January, it’s been an exciting and challenging year for the industry as a whole, and in particular for your industry’s trade association and its signature event—the SHOT Show. Throughout the process, our focus has been to maintain continuity for our exhibitors and attendees while delivering a continuously improving SHOT Show experience.

In May, NSSF ended its 30-plus-year association with Reed Exhibitions. After a thorough national search involving the trade show industry’s top management companies, we named Las Vegas–based ConvExx as our new show management partner for the next three years. ConvExx is privately held and has produced more than 200 shows and events, including the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. Trade Show Executive magazine ranks the SEMA Show as the fourth-largest trade show in North America (SHOT Show is ranked 16th), with 2,250 exhibitors, 135,000 attendees, and more than 1 million net square feet of exhibit space.

ConvExx offers a unique combination of extensive large-show and Las Vegas experience, which will serve our exhibitors and attendees well. Rest assured that ConvExx is a pro–Second Amendment organization. We wouldn’t have selected them otherwise.

We have also struck a new five-year agreement with our long-time partners at Freeman as the official exposition services contractor for the SHOT Show. This new agreement with Freeman provides our exhibitors with the best-in-class services and cost certainty.

Freeman is the leading global partner for integrated marketing solutions for live engagements. It produces more than 4,300 expositions annually, including 135 of the 250 largest U.S. trade shows, and 11,000 other events worldwide. What’s more, the Freeman family is made up of avid hunters and shooters.

Also in May, NSSF selected CSG Creative as its agency of record for marketing the 2014 SHOT Show. CSG was selected at the conclusion of a national account review that included a number of well-known trade-show marketing agencies. Their experience in the trade-show and face-toface event business is unparalleled, and we have enjoyed working with them to make the 2014 SHOT Show the best event yet.

Based in Alexandria, Virginia, CSG Creative is a strategic marketing and creative agency with unparalleled insight into event promotion, branding, and strategy development. Its award-winning creative staff, stellar service, and innovative approaches have made CSG one of the premier agencies in trade-show, conference, and event promotion. We’re confident that our new SHOT Show website and new attendee promotion campaign, combined with our participation in the U.S. Department of Commerce International Buyer Program, will deliver new qualified buyers for our exhibitors.

We’ve also reached new agreements with our official housing partner onPeak, our registration services provider CompuSystems, and our mobile app developer Sherpa. All have done a great job for us, and we look forward to working with them to make the SHOT Show the industry’s “must-attend” event.

Here’s what’s in store for you. You’ll receive the same outstanding customer service you’ve come to expect from NSSF and the SHOT Show, and enjoy the comfortable familiarity of our registration and housing systems. There will be additional newly designed, high-impact signage to help you find your way around, including arrows pointing to the main hall exits on Level 1 and Level 2.

Retailers will have more opportunities to learn new skills and take innovative ideas back to their stores from SHOT Show University and our expanded retailer education seminars. In addition, select retail buyers will be invited to participate in a hands-on shooting range experience on opening morning.

The Law Enforcement Education Program will begin the day before the show opening, providing LE professionals with the opportunity to earn continuing education unit credits while learning from nationally recognized experts.

Outdoor Channel has returned as the Pinnacle Sponsor of the 2014 SHOT Show and will be providing attendees with amenities such as mobile-device-charging stations and Internet hotspots. State of the Industry Dinner attendees will be treated to a performance by renowned illusionists and Second Amendment supporters Penn and Teller, courtesy of Outdoor Channel.

The 2014 SHOT Show is just too good to miss. I hope to see you in Las Vegas.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

Smith & Wesson Is Platinum Level Education Sponsor for SHOT Show University

Smith & Wesson® returns as the top-tier sponsor of SHOT Show® UniversitySM, the education seminar for firearms retailers that will take place in conjunction with the 2014 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show).

We greatly appreciate Smith & Wesson’s generous support as the Platinum Level Education Sponsor for industry’s largest professional development opportunity for firearms retailers—SHOT Show University.

More than 300 firearms retailers will attend the 2014 SHOT Show University at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 13, the day prior to the beginning of the four-day SHOT Show. Expert speakers and strategic breakout sessions will provide firearms retailers and their staffs with training and education that will help them operate their businesses and service their customers more effectively.

Educational tracks include ATF Compliance, marketing, retail operations and range operations.

Learn more about course lineups, scheduling and registration at SHOT Show University.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.