Most people don’t like traffic, but exhibitors at the 2012 SHOT Show love it. Business has been brisk at the show so far, and there’s still two days to go.
NSSF’s roving reporter Ann Baldwin has been roaming the show floor. Here’s her look back at the show’s opening day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poiobUXV3zw
The 33rd edition of the SHOT Show opened its doors this morning. This year, buyers from all 50 states and 100 countries have come to Las Vegas for the largest and most comprehensive trade show for shooting sports professionals. With more than 700,000 square feet of exhibition space, the SHOT Show remains the premier exposition of combined firearms, ammunition, archery, optics and related products.
“We come to NSSF’s 2011 SHOT Show at a time when the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that our fundamental right to keep and bear arms as American citizens must be protected by all levels of government, and when public support for firearms ownership, hunting, recreational shooting and self-defense is the highest it has been in many years,” says Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “Congress is more progun than at any time in recent memory. The mood is upbeat, even though the general economy is not. The upcoming year will be a good one, even though it would be quite difficult to top the banner years many companies in our industry have experienced since late 2008. Attendees will see an extraordinary array of innovative new products, exhibitors will meet many of their most influential and receptive customers and the outdoor and shooting media will have more to report about than ever.”
“Last year’s SHOT Show experienced attendance growth like we hadn’t seen before,” says Dennis J. McDonald, senior vice president of Reed exhibitions, which runs the show for the NSSF. “In anticipation of another great show, validated by our early registration figure’s, more creature comforts have been added, including a new escalator system for easy assess between the two floors. Exhibitor participation is strong again this year; all the major players are present, and we’ll see plenty of new products.”
The day will conclude with the State of the Industry dinner. The evening includes a cocktail reception, dinner, a State of the Industry multi-media presentation and industry awards, followed by a performance by best-selling comedian Jeff Foxworthy. Nonrefundable tickets ($100) are sold on a first-come, first-served basis at the SHOT Show booth. Booth #L221.