Tag: manufacturers

2016 SHOT Show Selected for International Buyer Program

For the third year in a row, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s® (NSSF’s®) SHOT Show® has been selected by the federal government’s International Trade Administration (ITA) as one of just 23 trade events chosen to participate in the ITA’s International Buyer Program (IBP) in 2016. U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Stefan M. Selig made the announcement in a press release Monday.

The IBP is a joint effort between the U.S. government and industry to bring thousands of international buyers to the United States for business-to-business matchmaking with U.S. firms exhibiting at major industry trade shows. An integral component of SHOT Show, the IBP serves as a value-added service to U.S. exhibitors at the show. The IBP recruited more than 420 international buyers representing 28 countries to the 2015 SHOT Show, where they participated in defined networking opportunities geared to maximize import/export potential with U.S-based manufacturers. Those opportunities included:

  • Showtime Program: U.S. exhibitors have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with U.S. Department of Commerce industry specialists from its overseas embassies. During these meetings, these specialists will brief attendees on individual market opportunities as well as discuss the challenges related to the safety/security and textile/sporting goods sectors and market potential for SHOT Show exhibitor products and services.
  • B2B Matchmaking Program: This focused business-to-business program allows the IBP to promote U.S. businesses to overseas delegates before and during the show. Exhibitors who register for this service have their company profile shared with pre-screened international buyers recruited to attend the 2015 SHOT Show by U.S. Department of Commerce industry specialists. More than 300 SHOT Show exhibitors participated in this service.
  • Export Counseling: At the International Trade Center, exhibitors to SHOT Show can visit and receive expert trade counseling from Department of Commerce trade specialists who help U.S.-based SHOT Show exhibitors identify the best markets for their products and introduce those companies to those international delegates seeking goods from these makers.

“We are extremely pleased that the ITA has recognized once again the potential for expansion SHOT Show provides its American exhibitors through the connections they make in the IBP program,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “This program grew 30 percent from its inaugural event in 2014 to its second gathering last year, simply enormous growth, and growth that plainly shows the firearms industry is fully engaged in capturing new markets and exploring new opportunities for profitability. Thanks to the continued support from the ITA and the renewal of the IBP program, we expect the expansion of this program to continue its strong, upward trend in the years to come.”

The 2016 SHOT Show will be held Jan. 19-22 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Sands Expo. More information on the 2016 SHOT Show and the IBP program can be found at shotshow.org. Registration is expected to open in August.

Melissa Schilling is the Director of  Conferences and Exhibitions for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

2016 Industry Day at the Range Already Gaining Traction

Take a closer look at Industry Day at the Range.

While the 2015 Industry Day at the Range set a record for attendance, our management partners aren’t resting on their laurels. CMG Marketing & Events’ Cathy Williams and her staff are fast-tracking sponsors and exhibitors to ensure next year’s event is equally successful.

“We recently signed Kriss USA as a Supporting Sponsor of our event,” said Cathy Williams, CMG Owner. “We have had the pleasure of working with this company and its wonderful staff for many years as an exhibitor, and we are excited that their sponsorship this year will help continue the successful, upward trajectory that Industry Day is enjoying.”

Following record attendance at the 2015 event and a new invitation-only format that both better controlled admittance to credentialed media members and allowed for a select number of buyers to attend, CMG opened registration for the 2016 event on May 4.

“Exhibitor commitment to the 2016 Industry Day has been very strong in its first 30 days,” said Williams. “We’re already down to just two pistol range slots remaining, and shotgun, archery and non-shooting exhibitor spaces are filling at a steady rate. We’d also like to remind all NSSF and industry members that Industry Day at the Range is a great opportunity to get your brand out there if you’re on the waiting list for booth space at the SHOT Show. Not only can Industry Day provide hands-on awareness with media members and buyers looking for new companies producing quality goods, it’s a great way to get your feet wet with a show as big as SHOT Show before a space on the show floor becomes available.”

The 2015 Industry Day at the Range was attended by more than 1,100 members of media and 400 buyers getting a hands-on try of the goods on display by more than 170 manufacturers. Exhibitors included truck makers, knife artisans and archery equipment crafters, but none were more popular than the firearms and ammunition manufactures. More than 500,000 rounds of ammunition were expended by the crowd.

Industry Day at the Range is held annually on the day before the opening of each year’s SHOT Show. NSSF is the event’s leading sponsor, where we take the opportunity to spread the word about Project ChildSafe and “Own it? Respect it. Secure it.” You can see a preview of how this event works here. Want to become an exhibitor? Click here or visit shotshowrangeday.com.

Chris Dolnack is Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

International Trade Center Open to All 2015 SHOT Show International Buyers and U.S. Exhibitors

For the second consecutive year, SHOT Show is participating in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program (IBP). The IBP is a joint effort between the U.S. government and industry to bring thousands of international buyers to the United States for business-to-business matchmaking with U.S. firms exhibiting at major industry trade shows.

There are three components to the IBP taking place at the 2015 SHOT Show. These include the Showtime Program, where U.S.-based show exhibitors can meet one-on-one with USDOC industry specialists from our overseas embassies, and the B2B Matchmaking Program that works to promote U.S. firearms businesses and products to foreign delegates throughout the show.

The third component to the IBP is the International Trade Center. Here, breakfast, lunch and an afternoon reception are held each official show day. Private conference rooms are available for meetings; hostesses are available to assist with scheduling. Complimentary WiFi Internet access and computer access with printer capabilities and multi-language translators are available in the center.

This center offers something to “both sides of the coin.” For international buyers, experts in U.S.-based firearms manufacturers and distributors are on hand to help identify the exhibitors and products that best match those buyers’ needs and arrange introductions. For the exhibitor, trade specialists from the U.S. Department of Commerce help our U.S.-based businesses identify potential new markets and arrange in-person meetings with the buyers attending those markets.

“The International Trade Center provides a place away from the crowd and distractions of the show floor so that exhibitors working to expand their businesses can meet face-to-face with those who can provide access to new markets,” explained Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “We urge all our exhibitors searching for fresh selling avenues and business growth opportunities to utilize this meeting space to discover the potential that can be had in international sales and distribution.”

The International Trade Center Location is located in The Venetian Hotel, Level 2, Bassano Ballroom, attached to the Sands Hotel and Convention Center. For more information on the center during show hours, call 702-691-8705.

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

Manufacturer/Retailer Market Research Seminars Scheduled for 2015 SHOT Show

New to the growing schedule of educational classes, NSSF is pleased to be offering two presentations of its Market Research 101 Seminar during the 2015 SHOT Show. Lead by NSSF’s own Jim Curcuruto, Director of Industry Research & Analysis, in partnership with research experts Rob Southwick and Nancy Bacon of Southwick Associates, this seminar will cover industry indicators affecting how our member manufacturers and retailers are and will be doing business.

Discussions during this seminar will cover topics such as the current status of the National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) system, excise taxes, firearms production numbers, imports and export numbers for firearms and ammunition and hunting license sales. There will also be an overview of NSSF’s research on first-time gun buyers and women gun owner demographics, as well as the increasing importance of understanding diversity in hunting and shooting sports. Along with an overview of current consumer sentiment, buying trends and related demographics from Southwick Associates, this in-depth seminar will provide a detailed picture of the firearms industry and its consumer behaviors today, allowing manufacturers and retailers to make better informed business decisions in the coming year.

“This kind of research is invaluable to the members of our industry, but it’s not something everyone knows to take advantage of,” explained Curcuruto. “We want to give our manufacturers and retailers every chance to be the most successful businesses they can be by providing them the full picture of today’s buying trends and customer demographics and helping them to identify fresh ways in which to conduct their businesses.”

The Market Research 101 Seminar will be presented twice, first on Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and again on Thursday, Jan. 22 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30pm. We will announce the location in the Venetian closer to the show.

Registration to attend either Market Research 101 Seminar is $50 for NSSF members, $100 for non-members. Click here to register. For additional information, contact Jim Curcuruto, jcurcuruto@nssf.org.

Want Your Company’s Firearm Featured in the SHOT Show Auction? Let Us Know

Once again it is our pleasure to make our voting member firearms manufacturers aware of a special opportunity to feature a special edition of one of your rifles, shotguns or handguns as the 2015 SHOT Show Auction gun.

Each year the SHOT Show features a very special rifle, shotgun and handgun as a featured SHOT Show Auction gun. Past guns have typically been anniversary or milestone production guns — like last year’s one-of-a-kind Tribute to Henry rifle designer B. Tyler Henry (that auctioned for $50,825) or the first-ever Doug Turnbull Restoration 1911 pistol (which auctioned for $36,025). These guns are auctioned on GunBroker.com and, as you might expect, get excellent coverage in the trade press.

The SHOT Show gun program is administered for NSSF by Bob Delfay and the Hunting Heritage Trust. If you have a special anniversary or production milestone gun coming up in 2014 or 2015 that you would like to propose as a 2015 SHOT Show gun, we hope you’ll contact Bob at rdelfay@earthlink.net.

Chris Dolnack is Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.