Tag: deadlines

Less Than 30 Days Until the 2015 SHOT Show! Are You Prepared?

The real countdown has begun—there are less than 30 days remaining until the doors open on the 2015 SHOT Show. Are you prepared? Take a look at the tips we have for exhibitors, buyers and retailers and media, as well as some important items that will help everyone attending SHOT Show (be sure to read through to the end!).

Exhibitors

  • Check the list of December 26 deadlines for catering, sign hanging, electrical, Internet and much, much more.
  • Do you have all your exhibitor badges (based on your allocation) finalized for your booth personnel?
  • Did you schedule a press conference? Now’s the time to get your press materials in order, send out invites to the media members and buyers you want to attend, and get working on your PowerPoint presentations.
  • There are still a handful of slots available for the all-new SHOT Showcase Theater. This is a unique opportunity to have your newest products and lines in front of media members and buyers in a high-intensity, multi-media forum. Contact Chris Tatulli, NSSF Director, Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales, ctatulli@nssf.org.
  • Get your press kits in order—jump drives, CDs, catalogs and press contact business cards. There will be more than 2,500 members of the media in attendance, and they need these materials. Also, remember to take advantage of the press bins in the Pressroom that are made available to members of the media; exhibitors may reserve up to two bins here. Media members tell us this is one of the first places they turn to for press kits, especially when the floor is busy and finding someone to talk to in a booth gets more difficult.
  • Are you holding a press conference in your booth? Let us know so that we can add your conference to our calendar of events. The press conference application provides an option for you to tell us that your booth will be the conference location, so please utilize that function.

Buyers/Retailers

  • Make the SHOT Show Planner your new home page and use the floor plan tab to set meetings and see all you need to see without zig-zagging the entire show floor and wasting time.
  • While you’re planning appointments, make sure to utilize the Show Special tab under the SHOT Show Planner. There are nearly 100 brands offering show-only specials, with more added every week.
  • SHOT Show University—This year’s lineup of topics and speakers is better than ever. Literally something for everyone from new store owner to veteran entrepreneur, this year’s University will also be open to exhibitors to encourage better communication and understanding of the manufacturer-to-consumer production chain. See the full course and speaker listing here and apply today—seating is limited!
  • The 2015 New Product Center should be on every buyer’s must-see list. Greatly expanded in size this year, you’ll find booth and company contact information for each product so that you may go directly to the floor for additional information.
  • This year NSSF will host more than a dozen Retail Seminars throughout the week with topics ranging from understanding key profit centers to compliance, as well as a special session on straw purchase prevention. Sessions are just $20 each, but worth their weight in gold. See the full schedule here.

Media

  • Press Room—As always, this is the place to be. Remember that the press room has a number of amenities press members need, such as free Wi-fi, electronic device charging stations, multiple PC and Mac work stations with printers, coat check and more. You can also find hot coffee and bottled water there throughout the day.
  • Press conferences will be held in Room 3401, Level 3, San Polo Ballroom of the Venetian, near the press room. A finalized list of available conferences will be posted here before the show begins.
  • NSSF Media Members have access to the Member’s Lounge during the show. The Member’s Lounge provides a quiet place to have a meeting, catch up on emails or just take a breather in between booth visits. A free lunch is also provided each day of the show.
  • Keep up with NSSF’s Twitter board during the show. Follow @NSSFSHOTShow now for announcements and of course search for and use #SHOTshow to follow the excitement of the show.
  • A full list of room numbers, phone numbers and websites important to our media members is available here.

EVERYONE!

  • The SHOT Show Mobile App is available now for Apple, Android and Blackberry smartphones and tablets. Simply go to shotmobile.com to link directly to the appropriate stores from your mobile device, or click here if opening from a web browser for more information or visit the app store for your mobile device and search for “2015 SHOT Show.”
  • Business cards—double what you think you need. It’s not worth running out mid-show.
  • Need to know where to go after show hours? Visit SHOT on a Dime to find dozens of restaurants on and near the strip that offer dining below $50, plus a list of local attractions.
  • Did you know SHOT Show has a concierge service? Traveler can help you with show tickets, tours, restaurant reservations and more.

This will be the last SHOT Blog post before the Christmas celebration. On behalf of everyone at NSSF, may all of you and yours have a safe and wonderful holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas.

 

Diedra Cauley is the Director of Exhibitions and Conferences for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow her on Twitter at @dcauley.

December Deadlines—Part III

As we told you earlier this month, December has a long list of deadlines important to SHOT Show exhibitors. The biggest date ahead for all our exhibitors is Dec. 26. Deadlines for more than two-dozen booth setup items fall on this date, and with the hubbub of the holiday week and the actual Christmas day just the day before, this is a date that could easily slip by you. Note that many of these entries are for the last date exhibitors can access certain items at the reduced advanced rate. Starting Dec. 27, those advanced rates end, so be sure to get your orders in now.

The full list of exhibitor deadlines is as follows:

  1. Audio/Visual (Advance Rate) – Freeman AV
  2. Booth Security Guard Service (Advance Rate) – Century
  3. Carpet (Advance Rate) – Freeman
  4. Catering Request – Sands/Venetian
  5. Cleaning – Booth Order– SES
  6. Column Drape – Freeman
  7. Computer Equipment (Advance Rate) – NMR
  8. Credit Card Authorization – SES
  9. Credit Card Authorization – Freeman
  10. Electrical Order – SES
  11. Exhibit Accessories (Advance Rate) – Freeman
  12. Exhibit Furnishings (Advance Rate) – Freeman
  13. Firearms Onsite Inventory & Security Program
  14. Hanging & Rigging Order – SES
  15. Hanging Truss, Chain Hoist, Lighting and Stagehand Labor (Advance Rate)
  16. Freeman Internet & Telecommunications Order – SES
  17. Labor – Installation, Dismantle, Forklift – Freeman
  18. Labor – Rigging 200lbs and over – SES
  19. Material Handling – Freeman
  20. Payment Authorization – Freeman
  21. Payment Authorization – SES
  22. Rental Exhibit Order (Advance Rate) – Freeman
  23. Special Signs and Graphics (Advance Rate) – Freeman
  24. Target Date Changes – Freeman
  25. Utilities – Air, Drain, Sprinklers, Water – SES
  26. Vehicle/Motorized Units Spotting Fee – Freeman

Questions about an item in the list above? Important contacts at ConvExx and Freeman can be found here and here, respectively. You’ll also find our Frequently Asked Questions page helpful.

 

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

December SHOT Show Deadlines

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

  1. 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.
  2. “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
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

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.

First-Time SHOT Exhibitor? We Have the Resources to Help

ERCTrade show exhibition is nearly an art unto itself, especially when it comes to a show as enormous as SHOT Show. Simply put, this isn’t a bigger version of your local gun show with its folding high school cafeteria tables and chairs. Indeed, if you’ve never set up a booth at SHOT before, and even if you’ve attended smaller local or regional outdoor consumer shows, the list of items you need for a successful booth setup may not be obvious nor readily available to you before the show.

We can help. One of the many resources available and just a mouse click away is the Frequently Rented Items checklist. You’ll find this by going to shotshow.org, then clicking on the drop-down Exhibitors tab and clicking on the first item, the Exhibitor Resource Center (ERC). Under this heading you’ll click on the menu for General Information, Deadlines and Contract and find what we’ve affectionately dubbed the First-Timer Cheat Sheet, is an invaluable resource for any exhibitor, but especially those setting up shop for the first time at SHOT Show.

In this sheet you’ll find rates for the most common booth setup help, like electrical labor, freight and materials handling, end of show dismantling services, and post-show hours cleaning services. Then there are the smaller things, the trash cans, chairs, tables, table skirting and carpet, that one might assume are automatically provided at a show and would be woefully surprised to find they’re not (i.e., finding out you have nothing to sit on for four days would ruin almost anyone’s show experience).

One of the most important booth items you’ll find on this sheet are the listings for CompuLEAD services. CompuLEAD is a computerized sales/client lead retrieval system designed specifically for use at trade shows. You simply scan the show badge of each attendee you contact at the show, and CompuLEAD automatically collates that person’s full contact information, along with all the demographic information provided in the registration process, including job title, primary business interests and buying power, far more information than most business cards will contain.

This system not only eliminates the hassle of combing through stacks of business cards when you get home, trying to decipher all those illegible notes and numbers written on the back, you can append any prospect’s contact information and edit on the spot with notes, action codes and surveys, even run analysis reports. The setup is available for desktop and mobile use, as well as in a smartphone app.

Advanced rates on these exhibitor items and more are available until Dec. 26 (deadline for CompuLEAD products is Dec. 19), so plan now, get your orders in, and avoid a last-minute scramble to organize your booth during the winter holidays and in the last days before the show. For more information about CompuLead, click here, or call CompuSystem’s Heidi Marecek at 708-786-5565, ext. 312; Heidi.Marecek@csireg.com. If contacting CompuSystem, be sure to tell them you’re an NSSF member and SHOT Show exhibitor.

Quick Tip—Click on “Show All” at the top of the ERC page so you can easily view all forms and information within the ERC without having to go through each one individually.

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