Tag: advertising

Renowned Business Author Tom Shay Joins SHOT Show University Speaker Lineup

NSSF is pleased to announce that expert small business owner and author Tom Shay will be presiding over four sessions of the 2015 SHOT Show University. These sessions include:

  • Merchandising and Maximizing Turns
  • Advertising Effectively: Your Ad Plan and Budget
  • Understanding Your Financials: There Are Dollars in the Details
  • Maximizing Your Store Layout

“While compliance is the leading concern of our retailers,” explained Randy Clark, NSSF Managing Director, Business Development, “there are many other topics important to running their businesses successfully. This is where Tom comes in. As a lifelong small business owner and the fourth generation to be involved in a family business, Tom has great insight into how to realize the potential in any store floor plan and how merchandise should be displayed within the space you have so that your customers see the products you have and they want. Getting these kinds of behind the scenes things down is what will keep product moving off your shelves and your cash flow up.

“Cash flow, of course, is part of any retailer’s overall financial picture, and that’s another subject Tom knows well. In his session on financials, he’ll help SSU attendees learn why they should drill down into their cash flow, fixed costs, overhead and more so that retailers get both the most for the money they need to spend and see ways to increase profits.

“Finally, Tom will address the value of advertising. Word of mouth used to be enough, and retailers still need that, but to be truly successful, they also need to utilize both the traditional methods of advertising, such as radio and newspaper ads, and the modern, such as social media and website placements. Tom will show this year’s SSU attendees how to discover which methods will provide the greatest outreach to your store’s community and produce the biggest results.”

Tom Shay has authored 11 books on small business management, a textbook on small business financial management, and he’s co-authored a book on retailer/vendor relations. During the past 18 years, he has written more than 400 management articles that have appeared in more than 70 national and international trade magazines. He is also the author of NSSF’s series of books specifically for firearms retailers, covering topics such as business plan writing, merchandising and financials, among others.

“Since the retailer books were first created by NSSF some 8 years ago,” said Tom Shay, “I have continually updated the content to reflect the changes that have occurred in retailing, as well as the changes that have occurred within the economy. I’ll bring those attending the 2015 SHOT Show University a wealth of these latest concepts.”

SHOT Show University is the premier event for firearms retailers. Seats are limited and this event will sell out, so retailers are urged to sign up now. Remember, NSSF Premium Retailers are offered a complimentary ticket to SSU. Additional tickets for both Premium Retail members and all other NSSF members who wish to attend is $250; non-members may attend for $500. To learn more about SSU and its many sessions, click here. To upgrade your membership to the Premium Retail level or to join at NSSF at the level that best serves your business needs, visit nssf.org/join or e-mail membership@nssf.org.

Exhibitors, Advertisers—SHOT Show Directory Deadline is Friday!

There are dozens of ways for exhibitors to get noticed at SHOT Show, but the one every attendee—media, buyers, range owners, retailers, and more—will see is the SHOT Show Directory. This is the book every show attendee uses to find you on the show floor and make contact with you throughout the year after the show is over.

It is crucial that all exhibitors must have their company update information submitted for listing in the Directory by the close of business this Friday, November 7. This is also the deadline for exhibitors and companies who wish to reserve advertising space in the directory.

“If there’s only one place you can afford to be seen this year, make sure it’s the 2015 SHOT Show Directory,” said Chris Tatulli, NSSF Director, Exhibit & Sponsorship Sales. “With more than 1,600 exhibitors, this is the single resource every one of the more than 62,000 attendees at the show will have in their hands, and the one resource each of those people will use every day, every week and every month throughout the year to contact you. Additionally, all exhibitors and advertisers displaying in the Directory will automatically find their listing on shotshow.org (a PDF of the full and final exhibitor listing will be uploaded there in the weeks before the show opens), and the Directory ties directly to the SHOT Show Mobile App so that attendees can instantly locate your booth and set appointments. Do not let the deadline pass to have your company information accurately updated or reserve the additional advertising space you need in the Directory.”

For more information on having your company exhibitor information displayed in the 2015 SHOT Show Directory, contact exhibitorhelp@shot.convexx.com. Those needing to reserve advertising space should contact Chris Tatulli, ctatulli@nssf.org. You can also click here to access your Exhibitor Dashboard and update your company information for the printed directory, online Show planner, and mobile app. You will need your exhibitor ID to log in. If you do not have your exhibitor ID, contact Show Management at 855-355-7468 or email regmgr@shot.convexx.com.

Dave Jeannette is Senior Director, Sales for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @DaveJeannette.

2015 SHOT Show Exhibitor Upcoming November Deadlines

November is a busy time for everyone with the upcoming holidays, but there’s no rest for the weary when it comes to organizing the 2015 SHOT Show. With the Show less than three months away, there are several deadlines crucial to exhibitors and advertisers.

The first two deadlines fall on Nov. 7. On that date, SHOT Show Directory advertising space reservations need to be completed and all Directory listings need to have any updates finalized. Contact Chris Tatulli, ctatulli@nssf.org with advertising questions and exhibitorhelp@shot.convexx.com for directory listing information.

Nov. 21 has four deadlines. On this Friday before the holiday week of Thanksgiving, advertising space reservations and listing descriptions are due for the much-anticipated New Product Guide. With the expanded floor space granted the New Product Center this year and the additional exposure exhibitors in this special center will receive through the online product photo gallery to be launched this year, ensuring your company and product information are accurately listed in the New Product Guide is paramount. Again, contact ctatulli@nssf.org for advertising questions and exhibitorhelp@shot.convexx.com for listing information.

The third deadline for Nov. 21 is for SHOT Show Directory & Buyer Guide artwork submissions (following the space reservation deadline of Nov. 7), while the fourth deadline for this date is for permitting exhibitor mobile units and motorized vehicles.

This final Nov. 21 deadline refers to ATVs, watercraft, trucks, cars and other motorized equipment to be included in booth displays. Exhibitors planning to display such equipment at the 2015 SHOT Show must obtain a Liquid or Gas-Fueled Vehicles or Equipment in Assembly Area Permit from Nevada’s Clark County Fire Department. Full information regarding this permit and restrictions on displaying motorized vehicles or equipment can be found here. This permit is required before exhibitors pay the spotting fee (deadline Dec. 26) and provide notice to Show organizer Freeman regarding the type of equipment to be displayed in your booth—weight, length, height, width and type—as well a requests for forklifts and cranes if necessary to properly position such equipment in the allotted booth spaces. Click here for the Freeman motorized vehicles booth reservation form. For questions about mobile units and motorized vehicles to be displayed in SHOT Show booths, contact Brian Nilson, Freeman Material Handling Supervisor, at 702-579-1784 or by email at brian.nilson@freemanco.com.

The final deadline for this month occurs on Nov. 24, and it’s one exhibitors interested in saving money will want to pay attention to. This is the deadline to receive the early-bird discounts on selected CompuLEAD applications and services from show provider CompuSystems. CompuLEAD provides a suite of lead management products that ensure each exhibitor capitalizes on every visitor to their booth. Products include the handheld CompuLEAD Mobile and Mobile Elite devices, the smartphone downloadable app CompuLEAD Smart, and the CompuLEAD Desktop unit. All offer a variety of lead generating tools, such as attendee badge scanning and contact editing, note taking and survey generating functionalities, custom lead qualifier creation, electronic literature sending capabilities and more. Early bird ordering offers substantial savings, so exhibitors are urged to reserve their devices and download applications now. Click here to access the CompuLEAD order form.

Dave Jeannette is Senior Director, Sales for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @DaveJeannette.

SHOT Show Exhibitor October Deadlines

There are two crucial deadlines SHOT Show exhibitors need to meet in October. Both revolve around the important publication SHOT Show Tracker.

For those unfamiliar with this exhibitor tool, SHOT Show Tracker is a once-a-year publication detailing education sessions and special events being held during the show, show floor plans, travel and logistic information and, most importantly for exhibitors, a full listing of all registered exhibitors and their booth numbers. This publication is mailed, during early winter, to tens of thousands of pre-registered SHOT Show attendees.

SHOT Show Tracker provides several important benefits to our exhibitors. First, it lets potential customers know you’ll be at the show and exactly where they can find you, allowing them to schedule meetings with you in advance of the show. This kind of information is, essentially, complimentary advertising for each and every exhibitor, but its availability as a part of pre-show marketing is invaluable.

In addition to the pre-show boost all exhibitors receive from this publication, Tracker also provides a platform for your booth and company to stand out from the crowd through creative advertising opportunities. Exhibitors may purchase a variety of ad space for inclusion in SHOT Show Tracker. These include full- and half-page options, as well as four-color inside and outside front and back covers. So while you’re amping up all your other pre-show marketing plans—mailings and e-newsletters to your own mailing lists, company website updates telling show attendees where you’ll be at SHOT and invitations to special events you’re hosting at SHOT—make sure your show visibility is maximized through SHOT Show Tracker.

Ad space is limited, so it’s important that exhibitors interested in maximizing their presence and visibility at SHOT Show act now to reserve their space. SHOT Show Tracker ad space reservation deadline of Oct. 17 is fast approaching, and all artwork is due by Oct. 31. Materials received after this date will be placed in Tracker at the discretion of NSSF staff and as space allows.

For more information on advertising in SHOT Show Tracker, click here and choose the dropdown box on the SHOT Show Tracker line item. There you’ll find a listing of available spaces, plus a downloadable rate card and a link that details all ad specifications, including acceptable submission formats and sizing. Questions? Email me at djeannette@nssf.org, or my colleague Chris Tatulli, NSSF Director, Exhibitor and Sponsor Sales, at ctatulli@nssf.org.

Dave Jeannette is Senior Director, Sales for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @DaveJeannette.