Generous Industry Sponsor Support Key to Successful 2015 SHOT Show

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The success of the 2015 SHOT Show was due in great part to the many dedicated industry sponsors that contributed generously in support of the firearm industry’s largest trade show. For many of our sponsors, this was not the first time they have stepped up to the plate.

Outdoor Channel made a remarkable fifth consecutive appearance as one of the show’s top sponsors, demonstrating unwavering commitment to the industry, as did Ram Trucks, returning for the third straight year as another top sponsor, its hunt-worthy vehicles on display garnering tremendous attention from the show’s 62,000 attendees.

Daniel Defense came back with strong support for the third year in a row. Not only did everyone staying in the Palazzo and Venetian have a room key sponsored by Daniel Defense, the company was the sole sponsor of the SHOT Show Mobile app and contributed to many other aspects of the show.

GunBroker.com continued to be an extraordinary partner of NSSF and the SHOT Show, again sponsoring the NSSF Member Lounge and Business Center. Nissan also returned, sponsoring the 2015 SHOT Show Press Room for the second year in the row. Both are great examples of companies making the extra effort to help our industry thrive.

Other important sponsors returning to support the 2015 SHOT Show included Brownell’s, Gamo Outdoor USA, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Mossy Oak, Trijicon, Smith & Wesson and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, among others, and NSSF offers many thanks to each and every one of them. Their support is invaluable to ensuring the continued success of the SHOT Show and NSSF’s mission of promoting, protecting and preserving hunting and the shooting sports.

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

Less Than 30 Days Until the 2015 SHOT Show! Are You Prepared?

The real countdown has begun—there are less than 30 days remaining until the doors open on the 2015 SHOT Show. Are you prepared? Take a look at the tips we have for exhibitors, buyers and retailers and media, as well as some important items that will help everyone attending SHOT Show (be sure to read through to the end!).

Exhibitors

  • Check the list of December 26 deadlines for catering, sign hanging, electrical, Internet and much, much more.
  • Do you have all your exhibitor badges (based on your allocation) finalized for your booth personnel?
  • Did you schedule a press conference? Now’s the time to get your press materials in order, send out invites to the media members and buyers you want to attend, and get working on your PowerPoint presentations.
  • There are still a handful of slots available for the all-new SHOT Showcase Theater. This is a unique opportunity to have your newest products and lines in front of media members and buyers in a high-intensity, multi-media forum. Contact Chris Tatulli, NSSF Director, Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales, ctatulli@nssf.org.
  • Get your press kits in order—jump drives, CDs, catalogs and press contact business cards. There will be more than 2,500 members of the media in attendance, and they need these materials. Also, remember to take advantage of the press bins in the Pressroom that are made available to members of the media; exhibitors may reserve up to two bins here. Media members tell us this is one of the first places they turn to for press kits, especially when the floor is busy and finding someone to talk to in a booth gets more difficult.
  • Are you holding a press conference in your booth? Let us know so that we can add your conference to our calendar of events. The press conference application provides an option for you to tell us that your booth will be the conference location, so please utilize that function.

Buyers/Retailers

  • Make the SHOT Show Planner your new home page and use the floor plan tab to set meetings and see all you need to see without zig-zagging the entire show floor and wasting time.
  • While you’re planning appointments, make sure to utilize the Show Special tab under the SHOT Show Planner. There are nearly 100 brands offering show-only specials, with more added every week.
  • SHOT Show University—This year’s lineup of topics and speakers is better than ever. Literally something for everyone from new store owner to veteran entrepreneur, this year’s University will also be open to exhibitors to encourage better communication and understanding of the manufacturer-to-consumer production chain. See the full course and speaker listing here and apply today—seating is limited!
  • The 2015 New Product Center should be on every buyer’s must-see list. Greatly expanded in size this year, you’ll find booth and company contact information for each product so that you may go directly to the floor for additional information.
  • This year NSSF will host more than a dozen Retail Seminars throughout the week with topics ranging from understanding key profit centers to compliance, as well as a special session on straw purchase prevention. Sessions are just $20 each, but worth their weight in gold. See the full schedule here.

Media

  • Press Room—As always, this is the place to be. Remember that the press room has a number of amenities press members need, such as free Wi-fi, electronic device charging stations, multiple PC and Mac work stations with printers, coat check and more. You can also find hot coffee and bottled water there throughout the day.
  • Press conferences will be held in Room 3401, Level 3, San Polo Ballroom of the Venetian, near the press room. A finalized list of available conferences will be posted here before the show begins.
  • NSSF Media Members have access to the Member’s Lounge during the show. The Member’s Lounge provides a quiet place to have a meeting, catch up on emails or just take a breather in between booth visits. A free lunch is also provided each day of the show.
  • Keep up with NSSF’s Twitter board during the show. Follow @NSSFSHOTShow now for announcements and of course search for and use #SHOTshow to follow the excitement of the show.
  • A full list of room numbers, phone numbers and websites important to our media members is available here.

EVERYONE!

  • The SHOT Show Mobile App is available now for Apple, Android and Blackberry smartphones and tablets. Simply go to shotmobile.com to link directly to the appropriate stores from your mobile device, or click here if opening from a web browser for more information or visit the app store for your mobile device and search for “2015 SHOT Show.”
  • Business cards—double what you think you need. It’s not worth running out mid-show.
  • Need to know where to go after show hours? Visit SHOT on a Dime to find dozens of restaurants on and near the strip that offer dining below $50, plus a list of local attractions.
  • Did you know SHOT Show has a concierge service? Traveler can help you with show tickets, tours, restaurant reservations and more.

This will be the last SHOT Blog post before the Christmas celebration. On behalf of everyone at NSSF, may all of you and yours have a safe and wonderful holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas.

 

Diedra Cauley is the Director of Exhibitions and Conferences for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow her on Twitter at @dcauley.

SHOT Show on Your Mobile Device

SHOT Mobile appWe’re excited to announce that the 2013 SHOT Mobile app presented by ArmaLite is now available for download on the iTunes App Store, Android Market and at shotmobile.com.

While test driving SHOT Mobile with the rest of the NSSF and Reed Exhibitions team it was readily apparent that the Reed Touch developers took your feedback and packed even more features into the 2013 version.

It is hard to pick a personal favorite feature. With just a tap of your finger you can see what fellow attendees are saying via Twitter and read all the latest SHOT Show news through the SHOT Show Blog feed without leaving the app. You can fully customize your agenda and view the SHOT Show floor plan to plan your strategy. The app gives you the ability to pinpoint your location and show what’s happening nearby in which you may be interested.

To help make using the 2013 SHOT Mobile app easier, the Sands Expo has ensured the broadband width will accommodate the signal reaching into the far corners of the exhibit hall, allowing greater use of the navigation feature. You will also notice wi-fi hotspots on the show floor that will allow you to rest your feet while you check your email or update the new and improved My Show Planner feature.

SHOT Mobile is compatible with iPhone, iPad, Android and available in a web mobile version for other devices.

All-in-all I’m confident that you’ll like the 2013 SHOT Mobile app. We encourage you to download it and begin familiarizing yourself with it.

FAQ: Using the SHOT Mobile App and Syncing My Show Planner

As of today, about 5,000 SHOT Show attendees have downloaded the SHOT Mobile app sponsored by ArmaLite. That number is already above the total for last year’s app.

We’ve received a lot of positive feedback so far about the app. We’ve also helped some people with questions about how to log in to the app.

Here are a few important things to make sure of:

1. If you downloaded last year’s SHOT Show app, please make sure it’s been removed from your device. The old app will not work. This year’s app is completely different, so you’ll need to download SHOT Mobile from the App Store and Android Market.

2. Be sure to use the zip code/postal code that was used with your SHOT Show registration.

3. Make sure you enter your badge number correctly. Some people have misplaced a number here or there, so they weren’t able to log in.

4. If you would like to sync your information from My Show Planner to the app, be sure the email address you use to log into the Planner is the same as the one provided with your SHOT Show registration.

If you have any trouble or have any other questions about using the app, we’re here for you. Please contact Brian Ordway, product manager at Reed Exhibitions, at bordway@reedexpo.com. He’ll be happy to help you out.