Tag: NSSF

It’s Here. 2012 SHOT Show Opens in Las Vegas

At 8:30 a.m. PST today, the doors opened to the 2012 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. For the next four days, attendees from across the nation and the world will take part in the industry’s largest trade show.

For an idea of what to expect at this year’s show, here is a preview from the National Shooting Sports Foundation:

34th SHOT Show Brings Out Best in Shooting, Hunting and Law Enforcement Products

LAS VEGAS — Nearly 60,000 firearms industry professionals will make their way here to the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade ShowSM (SHOT Show®) Jan. 17-20 to get a first look at the new products and services they hope will excite customers in 2012.

The $4.1 billion industry continues to be a bright spot in the anemic U.S. economy, as sales in 2011 topped the previous year’s. Through December, adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check statistics, an indicator of industry sales, showed 19 straight monthly increases over the same period of the previous year, and background checks for Black Friday, Nov. 25, set a new one-day high.

“We are grateful and proud that our industry has helped maintain jobs from the manufacturer through retail levels during these difficult economic times,” said President and CEO Steve Sanetti of NSSF. “Industry is delivering products that people desire for sporting purposes and personal and home defense. We see no reason why this won’t continue during 2012. Buying activity at the SHOT Show will give us a first look at the industry’s prospects for the year ahead.”

The 34th annual SHOT Show will take place for the third straight year at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. The largest trade show of its kind in the world, the SHOT Show attracts buyers from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Manufacturers and distributors display a broad range of products, including firearms, ammunition, optics, reloading, locks and cases, shooting range equipment, targets, training and safety equipment, hunting accessories, law enforcement and tactical equipment, hearing and eye protection, tree stands, scents and lures, cutlery, GPS systems, holsters, apparel, leather goods, game calls and decoys.

Given the size of the SHOT Show at more than 600,000 net square feet, the Sands is stretched to capacity. Improvements made to the venue prior to the 2011 show to improve crowd flow, seating and signage were given an enthusiastic thumbs-up by attendees in the post-show survey. Enhancements to the 2012 show include making room in the sold-out exhibition halls by having larger exhibitors voluntarily reduce their booth space so that smaller companies could move off the show’s waiting list and onto the show floor. “We received outstanding cooperation from our longtime, voting member exhibitors who sacrificed some of their booth space for the good of the show,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “Our exhibitors instinctively understand that what’s good for the SHOT Show is good for the marketplace. As a result, we anticipate a vibrant, successful show.”

NSSF will present its State of the Industry Dinner on the first evening, with Outdoor Channel serving as the title sponsor of the event. The Foundation will show its State of the Industry video and present an achievement award to a most-deserving recipient. NSSF also will assist in the kickoff of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Act, through which the industry has contributed nearly $7 billion to wildlife conservation since 1937. A crowd of more than 2,000 will be entertained by comedian Larry the Cable Guy.

The 2012 show, whose theme is “One Industry — One Voice,” will bring together manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, publishers and wildlife conservation groups to conduct business, exchange ideas, renew contacts and reaffirm the unity that has been the hallmark of the shooting sports industry in these challenging times.

For retailers, the SHOT Show provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gain a hands-on education about the products they’ll be discussing with their sportsmen customers. New products seen at the SHOT Show will arrive throughout the year at retail stores.

The largest number of outdoor media in the world turns out at the SHOT Show to cover the introduction of products and to report on the firearms and outdoor industry. NSSF credentialed more than 2,000 media members for the 2011 show. At SHOT Show Media Day at the Range, the day before the show, members of the press can handle, test and learn about the new products that will be on display over the next four days.

With all segments of industry in attendance, the SHOT Show provides a perfect setting for organizational and educational meetings. On the day before the show opens, retailers take advantage of SHOT Show University to learn from experts about new marketing strategies, store financials and compliance with federal regulations. Additional seminars for retailers are scheduled during the show covering topics such as knowing your competition, exporting firearms, hiring smart and the benefits of utilizing GunBroker.com, along with presentations from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Law enforcement professionals will have a series of seminars to choose from as well.

The SHOT Show is a “must-see” event for industry professionals, who can register to attend the show at www.shotshow.org. The website is also the place to find out all that’s happening at SHOT during and after the show.

How SHOT Show Revenue Works for the Betterment of Our Industry and Sports Year-Round

NSSF makes no secret of the fact that the SHOT Show provides 80 percent of our revenue, allowing us to keep membership dues low and to provide the member services, government relations, communications and customer recruitment programs critical to the industry’s growth.

Here are just a few things that the SHOT Show’s revenue is helping to support:

  • Research: NSSF offers ground-breaking industry and market research, helping all of its members make informed and data-based decisions.
  • First Shots: Thanks to this fast-growing NSSF program, thousands of newcomers have been introduced to the shooting sports in a fun and safe environment at their local ranges.
  • Government relations: NSSF represents thousands of industry businesses, making the industry’s collective voice heard all the way from state capitols to Capitol Hill.
  • Communications: NSSF is actively engaging hunters and shooters as well as reaching out to the media and our entire industry with key information and updates across multiple platforms.
  • Modern sporting rifle campaign: This NSSF campaign continues to erase misconceptions about AR-15-style rifles, commonly labeled “assault weapons” by the anti-gun crowd, by educating the masses about these popular firearms.
  • Youth programs: NSSF actively contributes to many programs helping to introduce the next generation of shooters and hunters to our sports in a safe, educational and fun environment.

And that’s just scratching the surface of what NSSF is doing for our industry and our sports on a daily basis.

The most recent illustration of how your participation in the SHOT Show benefits the entire industry is the recently held 2011 Shooting Sports Summit in Louisville, Ky. The Summit brought together more than 175 leaders from throughout the industry and the hunting and shooting sports communities — not to mention 2012 presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty and new-media icon Brian Solis.

All Summit attendees were there with the same goal: to increase participation in hunting and the shooting sports. We encourage everyone to read a complete recap of what took place in Louisville last week. It really demonstrated the unity of our industry and our sports in meeting tomorrow’s challenges.

So, the next time you send in your booth deposit or enter your credit card information for attendee registration, remember that the SHOT Show truly is the show that supports everything you stand for.

Cut the Cake: Outdoor Press, NSSF Celebrate 50 Years Together

DougCuttingCake

Doug Painter, National Shooting Sports Foundation senior adviser, cut NSSF’s 50th anniversary birthday cake today in the SHOT Show Press Room.

Surrounded by outdoor media that have been attending the show for years, NSSF acknowledged the important roll the outdoor press has played in NSSF’s success over the past 50 years.

Read more about NSSF’s 50-year history. Also, tune in to a 15-minute video that strolls through NSSF’s first 50 years.

A Tribute to Doug Painter

Doug Painter has enjoyed a distinguished career at the National Shooting Sports Foundation, covering 37 of the organization’s 50 years. The former president and CEO of NSSF (and its longest-serving employee), will retire this year on March 31.

For his many contributions to NSSF and the industry over the years, NSSF paid tribute to Painter at the SHOT Show’s State of the Industry dinner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EgllqxpDjM

Veteran Journalist Michael Bane Honored with Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator Award

The Professional Outdoor Media Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation honored veteran journalist Michael Bane with the prestigious POMA/NSSF Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator Award during the SHOT Show’s State of the Industry dinner. Tom Gresham presented the award.

In honor of legendary outdoor communicator Grits Gresham, POMA and the NSSF developed the Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator Award in 2005. It recognizes communicators within the firearms/shooting sports/Second Amendment arena who grasp the ideals, foster the commitment, and display the talent Gresham showed during his storied career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxpqAJPPuM4

Video: State of the Industry Address – 2011 SHOT Show

In his address at the SHOT Show’s State of the Industry dinner Tuesday night, NSSF President Steve Sanetti highlighted the industry’s successes in 2010 and offered a look forward at the efforts that 2011 will bring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YASUdFm5aiU

NSSF Marks 50th Anniversary at SHOT Show

The year 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the owner of the SHOT Show and the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. Appropriately, NSSF kicked off the celebration at the SHOT Show at the State of the Industry dinner Tuesday night. Take a look back at 50 years of NSSF by watching the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEqgWlG6Uco

A Pro’s Advice to the Media on Getting the Job Done

A view from a veteran who has worn both press and exhibitor badges

Mark Thomas, managing director, marketing communications, NSSF

I remember my first SHOT Show. Daunting. Exciting. A lot of work that needed to be done in a short amount of time. Even though that was in 1985, not much has changed.

I attended my first show as a reporter with assigned stories, so I had to gather information and do interviews for three vastly different publications. I didn’t think it would be difficult, but the marked difference in the stories and the sheer size of the show became daunting. I am sure I didn’t make many friends at that show due to my impatience and lack of understanding of the true purpose of the show.

Since then, I have worked the show as a public relations and marketing practitioner for large manufacturers and now as a part of the NSSF team that owns and sponsors the show. Ask any politician, and he or she will tell you that walking both sides of the aisle is enlightening and challenging.

The relationship between manufacturers and the media has always had a hint of insecurity. Exhibitors want what reporters can deliver but are torn by why they are at the show. That purpose is to make a return on their investment, and getting that immediately may most readily be construed as spending time with buyers. Reporters, on the other hand, want to get their job done as best as they can, being objective without alienating companies that can be useful to them in the future. I can’t tell you how many informal gatherings I have been in with reporters where the conversation was how bad a company spokesman was or how the materials they were given were not helpful. Fast forward to my days as a public relations representative where my brethren were joking about reporters who just didn’t get it or didn’t get it right. As in most cases, these criticisms are not fully justified.

The SHOT Show, with more than 1,400 press-credentialed representatives, hosts the largest gathering of outdoor media in the world. This is one of the reasons the show is so great. This is the ideal place for people to exchange ideas, stories and best practices. In an earlier editions of SHOT Show ® Blast, Mike Walker and Sherry Kerr gave great advice to exhibitors on how to work more efficiently with the media. I think a couple of suggestions to the media will also help everyone get what he or she needs from the 2010 SHOT Show.

1.  Do your homework – Approach the show exactly as you would for any other story. Make sure you know to whom to talk and something about their products before you approach them at the show. Most exhibitors have press information in the SHOT Show ® press room, and hopefully those materials will answer some of your questions and help facilitate your research process. Doing your homework beforehand will also give you instant credibility and respect, which will result in more time and better answers.

2.  Plan ahead – This sounds elementary but is sometimes hard to do and certainly critical. If you know with whom you need to speak and when you can talk to them, make contact before the show and arrange a specific time to do an interview. I assure you, company executives are already filling up their SHOT Show ® calendars.

3.  Remember, this is a selling show – Though all exhibitors clearly understand the value and impact a positive story can have, their primary focus is to speak with current and prospective customers to sell goods and services. For some, this may be the only time they can reach buyers. In these times, this show may be the difference in growing and surviving. Remember this as you attempt to plan a meeting or approach a booth for which you have no prearranged appointment.

4.  Patience – Those that know me are laughing right now because being patient is a big challenge for me. After you have done the research, made the appointment and are at the exhibitor’s booth, you discover that your source is talking to a customer and can’t see you right away. Take this time to explore the exhibitor’s products and services; you may learn things to enhance your current assignment or even spur an idea for a new story.

Frankly, most of the media that attend the SHOT Show ® are true professionals, and this is nothing more than a refresher sheet or a gentle reminder. That’s okay. I am at that age where I have to tell myself daily that old dogs need to learn new tricks and be reminded of old ones.

Mark Thomas is managing director of marketing communications for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. He is also an active freelance writer and a former president of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association. He has spent most of his career as an award-winning communications’ professional with Remington, OMC, Volvo-Penta, Continental Airlines and Invisible Fence Brand.