It’s said over and over that SHOT Show is the place to be for anyone in the industry. Turns out there’s a lot of truth to that phrase.
Melesia Cisneros, Marketing Supervisor with Berger Bullets told us, “It really is about the face to face time that makes business through the rest of the year succeed. You need to sit down, shake someone’s hand, and when you can put a face to a name you’ve been talking to on the phone, that’s what builds the relationships. Also, we introduced a new brand this year, Applied Ballistics Munitions (ABM). Sure, we can do that at other shows, but this is the show to make that kind of introduction.”
Tom Heiser, Sales Executive with Celerant Technologies, a leading company in multi-channel e-commerce solutions and one of NSSF’s Affinity Member Benefits partners, told us “This show really gives us the chance to reconnect with our current customers, as well as introduce ourselves to new ones. We have a unique product, and this show gives us a chance to explain its ins and outs and why it can be such an asset to those in this industry.
Gary Byers, owner of Pro-Defense, tells us that for new products, the SHOT Show is making them a success. “We’re seeing more buyers than before, and they’re looking for not just new products, but unique products, which we have. We’ve been here on and off for 30 years, and this is the best show yet that we’ve attended and very productive for us as we launch these new products.”
Rick Alsen, National Sales Manger for Bevertail, which offers a line of waterfowling boats, blinds and other related equipment, acknowledged the value of the show for a company like Pro-Defense, but noted that there’s more to the show than that. “For many, this show is about showing new products,” Alsen told us. “For us, especially since we’re a brand that’s been around for a while and at this show before, it’s about finalizing details. We love the SHOT Show for that aspect of what we do, and it’s also vital for its connection with our international buyers. We do quite a bit of business with Russia, Finalnd, Sweden and Norway, for example, and if you’re not here and they are, you can quickly be forgotten. But by seeing our booth, our brand as they work the floor, they remember to have the meetings they need to with us.”
The working outdoor press, marketing professionals and associated industry organizations also get much from attending the show.
Mike Capps, Senior Account Executive with Howard Communications, “It’s a chance for us to interact with all the media and put them together with our clients. You can’t beat this kind of show for personal interaction, and despite how useful email and the phone is, you need that personal touch to really make the process works.
Steve Hall, Executive Director International Hunter Education Association-U.S.A., said, “I get a chance to thank all our supporters and sponsors personally, and that’s invaluable to a non-profit like us. Also, NSSF helps get the word out to the industry and retailers about us and helps us engage with them to help them understand the national voice behind the individual state efforts.”
Award-winning author Ron Spomer really summed up the show for us, though, saying, “Obviously, the making and maintaining contacts is integral to the show, but it’s the convenience of having everything and everyone at every level—manufacturers, public relations, marketing, retailers, other media members—that makes this show as productive as it is. It’s kind of like going to the Academy Awards—everyone who is somebody and is effective in the industry is here.”
The staff at NSSF was receiving such positive feedback from the media in the press room, we thought Day No. 2 of the show would be a good time to take the temperature of the show floor and see how our exhibitors were getting along. Here’s what they had to say.