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2015 SHOT Show Posts Second Highest Attendance Total Ever

The Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) rang up its second highest attendance ever at the Sands Expo Center Jan. 20-23, giving the industry a very good indicator that a strong sales year lies ahead.

Long a bellwether for the industry’s prospects, the SHOT Show brings together buyers and sellers from the United States and more than 100 countries. Total attendance for the 2015 SHOT Show was nearly 64,000, second only to last year’s record-setting event, where nearly 67,000 came through the turnstiles. Lower attendance reflected strengthened pre-screening of attendees to enhance the overall experience of both exhibitors and buyers.

“We know from long experience that attendance at the SHOT Show is a reflection of the state of our industry,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “This second highest attendance is in keeping with what we saw in the past year — that our industry is in good health and that manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers have a positive outlook for this year.”

NSSF®, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, owns and sponsors the SHOT Show.

From the opening bell, the show floor hummed with traffic. Cindy Daniel, Executive Vice President of Daniel Defense, a major sponsor of the SHOT Show, said, “It’s been a very busy show. We’re optimistic that with the good vibe we’re seeing on the floor sales will pick up again and we’ll have a solid year.”

Said Kort Nielson with Silencer Co., “We’ve been pretty busy, and there hasn’t been much down time. Increasing our booth size and design and its new position in this hall has been good for traffic, but we’re also focusing on education.” Silencer Co. put on two seminars this week for retailers on how to educate customers about suppressors, a fast growing sales area.

The $8 billion industry has seen rapid growth in the last several years, powered by newcomers to the shooting sports. More than 20 percent of firearms owners are in this category, in that they have purchased their first firearm within the last five years.

Women continue to be an undeniable market force. During the show at a packed press conference, NSSF released a new report on “Women Gun Owners: Purchasing, Perceptions and Participation.” Women, whose participation in target shooting and hunting as well as interest in owning a firearm for personal and home protection continues to grow rapidly, now purchase about 25 percent of industry products. “This report will help NSSF members better understand the products and features women want and to continue to serve women of all skill levels,” said Jim Curcuruto, NSSF Director of Industry Research and Analysis.

More than 1,600 exhibiting companies filled the convention center and rooms in the adjoining Venetian Hotel. Total show exhibition space was more than 640,000 net square feet, or 13 acres of product display, with more than 150 new companies exhibiting.

Manufacturers of firearms, ammunition, optics, cutlery, apparel, accessories and law enforcement equipment introduced new products and services that retailers will offer consumers during the course of the year.

On the first evening of the show, more than 2,400 people attended NSSF’s State of the Industry Dinner, where Steve Sanetti, NSSF President and CEO, delivered a well-received speech on the industry’s determination to counter its detractors with facts on firearm safety and deter efforts to burden law-abiding gun owners with unnecessary legislation. “Much of the public and the media are woefully misinformed about who we are and all that we do about genuine gun safety,” said Sanetti, who pointed out to such notable NSSF programs as Project ChildSafe, Fix NICS and Don’t Like for the Other Guy programs.

“Some pundits state that the shooting sports are ‘in retreat,’” said Sanetti. “Well, look at the facts. Last year’s SHOT Show, one of the fastest growing trade shows in the nation, had its highest attendance and satisfaction levels ever; the number of federally licensed firearms dealers is growing; firearm sales experienced the second highest year ever and ammunition sales continue at near record levels; firearms permit and safety classes report long waiting lists; and the number of apprentice hunting licenses increased to well over 1 million. If this is a ‘retreat,’ as those who see no appeal in what we do have alleged, I truly wonder what an advance would look like.”

At the dinner, Richard Lipsey, owner of Lipsey’s, one of the nation’s largest sporting goods distributors, received the prestigious NSSF Ken Sedlecky Award for longterm commitment to the success of the industry and supporting NSSF’s mission to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Mark Keefe, editor-in-chief of American Rifleman magazine, was awarded the POMA-NSSF Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator Award.

Media was out in force again at the show, totaling 2,500, including international press. Some of the country’s most well-known radio personalities, including Mike Gallagher, Lars Larson and Dana Loesch, broadcasted live from the show’s popular “Radio Row.”

Prior to the show, NSSF hosted a fundraising golf tournament to benefit Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA), an industry developed and supported effort to help the healing and reintegration of disabled combat veterans back into normal American life though participation in outdoor events.

The SHOT Show is not just about selling and buying products. The show provides educational opportunities for firearms retailers at SHOT Show University, which was sold out, and at other seminars, and for law enforcement professionals at the Law Enforcement Education Program.

The SHOT Show is managed by Las Vegas-based ConvExx. Major sponsors of the 2015 SHOT Show in addition to Daniel Defense were Outdoor Channel, GunBroker.com, Brownell’s, Gamo Outdoor USA, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Mossy Oak, Trijicon, Smith & Wesson and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, among others. Ram Truck Brand was the official truck of the SHOT Show. Nissan was sponsor of the show’s press room.

The SHOT Show, the fifth largest trade show in Las Vegas, pumps nearly $90 million in non-gaming revenue into the Las Vegas economy. Next year’s SHOT Show is scheduled for Jan. 19-22 at the Sands Expo.

More From the Floor: SHOT Show, Where the Work Gets Done

workDoneIt’s said over and over that SHOT Show is the place to be for anyone in the industry. Turns out there’s a lot of truth to that phrase.

Melesia Cisneros, Marketing Supervisor with Berger Bullets told us, “It really is about the face to face time that makes business through the rest of the year succeed. You need to sit down, shake someone’s hand, and when you can put a face to a name you’ve been talking to on the phone, that’s what builds the relationships. Also, we introduced a new brand this year, Applied Ballistics Munitions (ABM). Sure, we can do that at other shows, but this is the show to make that kind of introduction.”

Tom Heiser, Sales Executive with Celerant Technologies, a leading company in multi-channel e-commerce solutions and one of NSSF’s Affinity Member Benefits partners, told us “This show really gives us the chance to reconnect with our current customers, as well as introduce ourselves to new ones. We have a unique product, and this show gives us a chance to explain its ins and outs and why it can be such an asset to those in this industry.

Gary Byers, owner of Pro-Defense, tells us that for new products, the SHOT Show is making them a success. “We’re seeing more buyers than before, and they’re looking for not just new products, but unique products, which we have. We’ve been here on and off for 30 years, and this is the best show yet that we’ve attended and very productive for us as we launch these new products.”

Rick Alsen, National Sales Manger for Bevertail, which offers a line of waterfowling boats, blinds and other related equipment, acknowledged the value of the show for a company like Pro-Defense, but noted that there’s more to the show than that. “For many, this show is about showing new products,” Alsen told us. “For us, especially since we’re a brand that’s been around for a while and at this show before, it’s about finalizing details. We love the SHOT Show for that aspect of what we do, and it’s also vital for its connection with our international buyers. We do quite a bit of business with Russia, Finalnd, Sweden and Norway, for example, and if you’re not here and they are, you can quickly be forgotten. But by seeing our booth, our brand as they work the floor, they remember to have the meetings they need to with us.”

The working outdoor press, marketing professionals and associated industry organizations also get much from attending the show.

Mike Capps, Senior Account Executive with Howard Communications, “It’s a chance for us to interact with all the media and put them together with our clients. You can’t beat this kind of show for personal interaction, and despite how useful email and the phone is, you need that personal touch to really make the process works.

Steve Hall, Executive Director International Hunter Education Association-U.S.A., said, “I get a chance to thank all our supporters and sponsors personally, and that’s invaluable to a non-profit like us. Also, NSSF helps get the word out to the industry and retailers about us and helps us engage with them to help them understand the national voice behind the individual state efforts.”

Award-winning author Ron Spomer really summed up the show for us, though, saying, “Obviously, the making and maintaining contacts is integral to the show, but it’s the convenience of having everything and everyone at every level—manufacturers, public relations, marketing, retailers, other media members—that makes this show as productive as it is. It’s kind of like going to the Academy Awards—everyone who is somebody and is effective in the industry is here.”

SHOT Show Day 2—Word from the Floor

16150066919_046450c5b9_zThe staff at NSSF was receiving such positive feedback from the media in the press room, we thought Day No. 2 of the show would be a good time to take the temperature of the show floor and see how our exhibitors were getting along. Here’s what they had to say.

Cindy Daniel, Executive Vice President of Daniel Defense, one of this year’s top sponsors of the SHOT Show, said, “It’s been a very busy show. We’re optimistic that with the good vibe we’re seeing on the floor sales will pick up again and we’ll have a solid year.”

Daniel could very well be right. The show floor was humming with activity and we heard positive things from companies around the show.

“We’ve been pretty busy and there hasn’t been much down time,” said Kort Nielson, who works in marketing for Silencer Co. “Increasing our booth size and design and its new position in this hall has been good for traffic, but we’re also focusing on education.” Silencer Co. is holding two seminars this week for retailers on how to sell silencers.

Alexander Crown, working with military sales and suppressor tools in the Gemtech booth, told us, “Customers this year are more enthusiastic about the firearms industry as a whole. They seem to really be enjoying the technologies being offered.”

Jeff Patterson, PR guru with the Swanson Russell firm, said, “All our clients are happy with the traffic—SIG, Bad Boy Buggies, Otis Technologies, Weatherby, Leupold. The Leupold booth has been so crowded I can barely make it through, and most of our clients are looking forward to a steady year.”

Mike Capps, Senior Account Executive with PR firm Howard Communications echoed Patterson. “The ATK booth has been swamped . . . I think it’s due to the fact that it’s become one-stop shopping for the buyers. Under one roof you now have firearms, ammunition, optics and accessories, and we’re very pleased with the traffic that mix is generating.”

One company recognizing the leveling off of sales our industry experienced in 2014 isn’t resting on its laurels. Redding Reloading is experiencing high growth through expansion in international markets. “While we’re better servicing our domestic clients better right now, because we’ve been able to reduce our order backlog time from the four months we were experiencing last year (due to high volume) to two to three weeks this year, we’re really seeing tremendous growth in international markets,” explained Robin Sharpless, Executive Vice President. “Canada and South Africa in particular are proving very lucrative, as well as Australia and New Zealand.”

SHOT Show Product Spotlight – Carl Zeiss Sports Optics

SHOT Show Product Spotlight is inside the Carl Zeiss Sports Optics booth to check out the new top-of-the-line binocular, the Victory SF, a premium crossbow scope, the XB75, and a new Zeiss Terra binocular with an UnderArmour Exclusive Edition UA Bino Harness–all debuting at the 2015 SHOT Show. You can find Carl Zeiss Sports Optics at booth #13913 on Level 2 of the Sands Expo or visit their website.

Media Picks: Some Favorite Products of the Press at Media Day

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The 2015 SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range proved to be a success to industry media members. Everyone in the media we talked to were decidedly upbeat about the day in general and the number and variety of hot new products exhibited.

Ace Luciano, book author with Gun Digest, told us, “I was very impressed with the new Benelli over/under. It’s probably the softest shooting stack-barrel double I’ve ever shot.”

Phil Massaro, another book author with Gun Digest and freelance writer for Guns & Ammo, Gun Digest the Magazine and several other industry publications found two pieces he wouldn’t mind adding to his gun safe. “The Smith & Wesson M&P .45 with the suppressor attached was so quiet and had what I felt was zero recoil. Truly an experience to shoot,” he told us. “I also fell in love with the new Stevens Model 555 over/under. Now, I’m not much of a shotgunner, so when I tell you I couldn’t miss with this gun, I’m speaking volumes about its fit. I don’t think I’ve ever had a shotgun fit me so well out of the box. It’s available in 20- and 12-gauge, and retails under $700, far below most of the over/unders on the market these days. I think one of the 20-gauges is going to find a home with me this year, though I think after my wife shoots it, I’ll probably never get to lay my own hands on it again.”

Two veteran outdoor writers, Ed Noonan and Steve Zahurak, both hailing from New York, found there was just as much value in some of the non-gun products setup for trial as they did the guns themselves.

“I saw a demonstration of the new all-in-one firearm cleaner and lubricant,” said Zahurak. “What I liked, besides that I didn’t need two separate products for gun maintenence, is that it was both nontoxic and biodegradable.”

Zahurak was also a fan of Ruger’s new drop-in trigger for the 10/22. “It’s very user-friendly,” he said.

“Two things that caught my eyes, literally, were the shooting glasses from Edge Safety Eyewear and the new Sightmark firearm sight. The glasses were very flexible, and that tells me they can take a beating without becoming damaged, while the Sightmark sight, a lightweight dot-within-a-dot arrangement looked to be a very intelligent design, one I’m looking forward to using for turkey hunting this year.”

Noonan and Zahurak also discovered a new product they think may be the ultimate training tool when you can’t make it to the range.

“Steve and I both thought the Coolfire product was pretty ingenious,” explained Noonan. “You fit the device in your gun’s barrel, fill it with air just like you would a bicycle tire, then dry-fire the gun. Though there’s no noise other than a click, the gun recoils as if you were using live ammo. That’s a great way to improve the realism of this kind of practice routine.”

Still, it was the guns that were center stage.

Another veteran writer, Tom Tabor, favored another offering from Savage, as did several others we talked to. “The new Savage rifle in .17 HMR is likely to be a hit this year,” Tabor told us. “It’s a new semi-auto chambered for that round, and Savage worked closely with CCI to develop ammo that works reliably in the action. It’s also accurate—I started shooting at small rocks behind the 100-yard silhouette targets they had set up, and this gun was spot on. With that kind of accuracy and reliability, and at the user-friendly price point Savage will be selling this gun, I expect it to do very well with consumers.”

For those looking for something at the other end of the price spectrum, Massaro told us that the Mauser 98 was one of the most beautiful guns to be shot during Industry Day at the Range, “Very true to the original, beautifully made,” he said. “For me, too, the Rigby rifle in .416 was, very simply, a privilege to shoot, and a little closer to home, the Christiansen Arms .308 with its carbon fiber barrel has almost no recoil, yet it weighs just six pounds, and its titanium muzzle brake does an outstanding job of keeping muzzle rise to almost nothing.”

As for the event itself, both media members and buyers were quite pleased with the new format of the event. Long lines into the range were eliminated thanks to dual drop-off points for the buses, and the invitation-only format allowed for better connections and engagement between exhibitors and invitees. That the chili from one of the many food trucks on the premises apparently rocked the house was just icing on the cake for everyone.

Follow the latest news from the SHOT Show on Facebook, as well as Twitter at @nssfshotshow and #SHOTShow.