Tag: sessions

Seminars and Press Conferences and Meetings, Oh My!

We’ve made dozens of posts over the last few months about the many educational seminars and press conferences available to the thousands of people who will attend SHOT Show this year. All offer numerous opportunities to learn about the latest industry research, current compliance issues, marketing tools, new products and much more. To maximize your time at the show, seeing what you need to see and meeting with who you need to meet while still getting to the classes and seminars you want to attend, turn to the Digital 2015 SHOT Show Tracker.

The Tracker is your one-stop tool for mapping out the sessions you want to attend. Whether it’s the various sessions of SHOT Show University, the many and varied Retail Seminars, or the nearly dozen Law Enforcement sessions, the Digital 2015 SHOT Show Tracker contains the dates and times for every session during the show. The Tracker also features floor plans of the Sands Expo and Convention Center and a shuttle bus schedule to and from the many nearby hotels, along with a breakdown of exhibitor categories and booth locations.

To access the Digital 2015 SHOT Show Tracker click here. And don’t forget to download the SHOT Show Mobile App, available for iPhones and iPads through the Apple store, for Android devices through Google Play, and for Windows and Blackberry devices through a web-based application. Go to shotmobile.com and download the app for your mobile device now.

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

2015 SHOT Show University—Don’t Miss Out!

With the holidays almost upon us and SHOT Show just weeks away, I wanted to take a moment to round up the stream of information available for the 2015 SHOT Show University and encourage all retailers and range owners to attend. I firmly believe that this year’s lineup of speakers and sponsors brings more to the table than ever before, with ideas and discussion that will help everyone on the front lines of the firearms industry improve their businesses and meet the challenges of the year ahead.

We’ll start the day with a keynote address by the talented Dr. Linda Talley, who’s discussion on leadership development skills will help store owners and managers get the most out of their employees and create a productive, profitable environment for all staff members.

After the opening address by Dr. Talley, attendees will participate in one of four learning tracks.  Track 1, ATF Compliance, is geared toward newer retail owners and certainly a solid refresher for anyone. Choose Track 2, Drive Your Sales, and you’ll get lessons from experts Larry Messereau, Doug VanderWoude, Miles Hall and Gene Marks on how to profit from digital marketing, enhance your Internet presence, differentiate your business from the competition, increase cash flow and improve your promotions for better returns. In Track 3, Retailing 101, industry retail professionals Tom Shay, Karl Stearns and Bill Napier will discuss honing the basics of retailing firearms, with topics such as advertising planning, and merchandising practices that increase turns. Finally those attending Track 4, Veteran Retailer, will glean knowledge from some of our industry’s most successful and long-time entrepreneurs, such as Janey and Meaghan Hall, Tom Shay, Bill Napier, Karl Stearns and NSSF’s own Deb Kenney, with panels on human resources, ecommerce planning, security strategies, and store layout enhancements.

The 2015 SHOT Show University will conclude with a closing address from business consultant giant Afterburner, Inc.—and I promise, you do not want to miss this dynamic presentation.

This year’s University is represented by an unprecedented lineup of talent and expertise. But none of that would be possible without the industry support of our sponsors. These include Smith & Wesson, Celerant Technology, the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers, Winchester, and our two newest sponsors, iTech Digital and Joseph Chiarello and Co., Inc. Their contributions to making the 2015 SHOT Show University live up to and surpass the success of past Universities amply demonstrates the industry’s commitment to helping today’s firearms retailers succeed. Be sure to visit with them during SHOT Show and thank them for their partnership in this year’s event—together, this is how we all continue to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports for the generations to come.

SHOT Show University is the premier event for firearms retailers. Seats are limited and this event will sell out, so retailers are urged to sign up now. Remember, NSSF Premium Retailer members are offered a complimentary ticket to SHOT Show University. Additional tickets for both Premium Retailer members and all other NSSF members who wish to attend is $250; non-members may attend for $500. To learn more about SHOT Show University and its many sessions, click here. To upgrade your membership to the Premium Retailer level or to join NSSF at the level that best serves your business needs, visit nssf.org/join or e-mail membership@nssf.org.