Trade Show Attitudes—Beyond the “Power of Positive” Platitudes

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During the recent 2015 Exhibitors Academy in Las Vegas, we were treated to one of the most engaging keynote addresses one could hope to have. Presented by Jefferson Davis—better known as the “Tradeshow Turnaround Artist”—his hour-long address had the nearly 100 Academy attendees furiously taking notes and competing for attention during the Q&A session.

There were more than a few highlights to Davis’ talk, and we’ll cover those as time and space allow here, but the core of his presentation, and the concept that everyone talked about continually throughout the Academy’s two-and-half days of learning sessions and roundtables, was that of how exhibitors perceive their time at a trade show—and how those perceptions can either swing your profits and growth in the aftermath to the black or sink your time and investment in just being at a show firmly into the red.

Without a doubt, attending a tradeshow as big as SHOT Show entails a tremendous amount of work, especially for exhibitors who have to deal with the logistics of getting their display to the show, staffing their booth during the event and then getting it all packed up and moving on to the home warehouse or the next show on the calendar. This causes many to feel trade shows are something that have to be merely endured. But, according to Davis, it’s just that attitude, that a show is something you have to get through and nothing more, that will absolutely prevent you from profiting all those days, weeks and months after the show. Why? Because working a trade show as an exhibitor is an investment—both in time and money—and investments are something from which you should expect a return.

Davis presented a very simple model for focusing on the investment and return, rather than the logistics. It looks like this:

CP + ESP = MTR

Correct Perspective
+ Execution of Strategic Practices
= Maximum Tradeshow Results

I’m going to break down this formula over several news posts to SHOTShow.org, so let’s start with the first part of this equation, the CP, or Correct Perspective.

Lest you think this is going to be a speech about putting on your “happy face,” CP is anything but those so easily issued platitudes of “If you just think positive, it will be positive.”

CP, according to Davis, actually has a number of tangible components. The first is that you, as an exhibitor, must be clear with yourself (and likely your accountant) about just what it is you think you’re buying when you invest in exhibiting at SHOT.

Too many think they have to be at SHOT because not being there means they’ll be forgotten; in other words, the show becomes nothing more than making an appearance. Others think they’re buying floor space or opportunity or chance. While any of these could be considered the reason you write that check each year, if that’s what you limit your thinking to, there’s not much for you to focus on in the way of returns and increased profitability over the rest of the year.

I bet “profitability” caught your attention. Good thing, because that’s what you should be thinking of when you think about the investment you make in attending SHOT each year. In that light, according to Davis, what you’re really buying, then, is face-to-face contact that results in:

  • Placement and building of your company, staff and product identity. This is your brand and reputation, and there’s no better or easier way to establish and then remind everyone else of both than when you have the captive, trade-dedicated audience that is SHOT Show.
  • Face-to-face contact with the right.  Getting your product to the consumer is a team effort between you and dozens of people within our industry—from manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer and, yes, the members of the press who will be telling your story through hundreds of magazines, blogs, You-Tube channels and other media platforms throughout the year. Uninhibited by consumer relations, SHOT Show is your primary opportunity to fine-tune your network of inter-industry relations, something you won’t have the opportunity to do throughout the rest of the year without racking up thousands of frequent flier miles.
  • An exchange of information relevant and timely to all those in your supply chain, a direct result of the face-to-face time afforded by your show attendance. This, in turn, drives …
  • A commitment to action. In other words, because of your decision to exhibit at SHOT, you have better established your company brand and identity, which leads to improved interaction with the people most likely to help your business grow. With those “right” people and the ability to arrange face-to-face time with them, you have exchanged all the right and necessary information regarding your company and products, and it is that exchange of information that will prompt all those “right” people to commit to action—buy your product and move it along to the consumer.

All of this is really no more than a way to see the forest despite the trees. If you can see the forest—the building of a network that commits to your product and helps you sell it all year ‘round—then setting up shop at SHOT quickly becomes the thing you most look forward to each year. And isn’t that always a much better attitude to have?

 

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

2016 SHOT Show Selected for International Buyer Program

For the third year in a row, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s® (NSSF’s®) SHOT Show® has been selected by the federal government’s International Trade Administration (ITA) as one of just 23 trade events chosen to participate in the ITA’s International Buyer Program (IBP) in 2016. U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Stefan M. Selig made the announcement in a press release Monday.

The IBP is a joint effort between the U.S. government and industry to bring thousands of international buyers to the United States for business-to-business matchmaking with U.S. firms exhibiting at major industry trade shows. An integral component of SHOT Show, the IBP serves as a value-added service to U.S. exhibitors at the show. The IBP recruited more than 420 international buyers representing 28 countries to the 2015 SHOT Show, where they participated in defined networking opportunities geared to maximize import/export potential with U.S-based manufacturers. Those opportunities included:

  • Showtime Program: U.S. exhibitors have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with U.S. Department of Commerce industry specialists from its overseas embassies. During these meetings, these specialists will brief attendees on individual market opportunities as well as discuss the challenges related to the safety/security and textile/sporting goods sectors and market potential for SHOT Show exhibitor products and services.
  • B2B Matchmaking Program: This focused business-to-business program allows the IBP to promote U.S. businesses to overseas delegates before and during the show. Exhibitors who register for this service have their company profile shared with pre-screened international buyers recruited to attend the 2015 SHOT Show by U.S. Department of Commerce industry specialists. More than 300 SHOT Show exhibitors participated in this service.
  • Export Counseling: At the International Trade Center, exhibitors to SHOT Show can visit and receive expert trade counseling from Department of Commerce trade specialists who help U.S.-based SHOT Show exhibitors identify the best markets for their products and introduce those companies to those international delegates seeking goods from these makers.

“We are extremely pleased that the ITA has recognized once again the potential for expansion SHOT Show provides its American exhibitors through the connections they make in the IBP program,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “This program grew 30 percent from its inaugural event in 2014 to its second gathering last year, simply enormous growth, and growth that plainly shows the firearms industry is fully engaged in capturing new markets and exploring new opportunities for profitability. Thanks to the continued support from the ITA and the renewal of the IBP program, we expect the expansion of this program to continue its strong, upward trend in the years to come.”

The 2016 SHOT Show will be held Jan. 19-22 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Sands Expo. More information on the 2016 SHOT Show and the IBP program can be found at shotshow.org. Registration is expected to open in August.

Melissa Schilling is the Director of  Conferences and Exhibitions for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

2015 SHOT Show ‘Tremendously Valuable,’ Satisfaction High

The 2015 SHOT Show, held this past January at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, has proven itself to be one of the best across the collective spectrum of exhibitors, buyers, law enforcement personnel and media members of the show, according to a recent survey conducted by NSSF.

While attendance was down slightly from the record-setting number of 2014 that reduction was due to a concerted effort by NSSF to purge the attendance roster of 2,200 non-qualified buyers, an effort those admitted greatly appreciated. Many comments we received indicated both exhibitors and attendees noticed that the crowd quality was higher, leading directly to a more productive show for everyone.

“The show was beyond expectations,” Arthur Grant of Packin’ Fur Defense told us. “We found several suppliers willing to work with us despite our being a small start-up in the restricted Southern California concealed carry market space. We were able to find a distributor to work with, as well as a half-dozen vendors who are new themselves to distributing to retailers.”

It wasn’t just the show floor that got rave reviews. Every one of NSSF’s dozen Retailer Seminars was sold out to capacity, as was SHOT Show University, while many press conferences were filled to standing room only. NSSF’s press conference announcing our research department’s newest report, “Women Gun Owners: Purchasing, Perceptions and Participation,” was still turning people away at the door 20 minutes into the presentation.

Several other areas of the show displayed remarkable growth. The New Product Center had more than 600 products on exhibit, double that from 2014, but the real boost there came in the product scans: 28,000 versus 8,500 from last year. Our International Buyer’s Program was also another event that doubled its participation. Overall, the 2015 SHOT Show was a tremendous success, as you can see below, and that’s something that prompts us to make next year’s show even better.

I’d love to hear your SHOT Show success story. Email me at cdolnack@nssf.org. Contributors will be randomly selected to receive SHOT Show swag.

SSsurveyresults

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

SHOT Show® Opens at Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas

SHOT ShowThe 37th Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade ShowSM (SHOT Show®) opened this morning at the Sands Expo Center for a four-day run, January 20-23, welcoming an expected 60,000 industry professionals eager to see the latest products offered by the firearms and outdoor industry.

Owned and sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation®, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, the SHOT Show is the largest trade show of its kind in the world. The show provides buyers and media a first look at new equipment and services used for target shooting, hunting, outdoor and law enforcement purposes. The show is open to trade members only and not to the public; consumers will see the products unveiled here on retailers’ shelves during the course of the year.

Though firearm sales last year were less than in red-hot 2013, the $8 billion industry nevertheless posted one of its strongest showings ever. Background checks, which serve as an indicator of firearm sales, totaled more in 2014 more than in any year except record-setting 2013. The market for firearms, ammunition and accessories remains strong, with statistics showing more people going target shooting and hunting.

Women continue to pursue owning firearms, motivated by interests in personal and home protection as well as recreational shooting. During the show, NSSF will release a new report on “Women Gun Owners: Purchasing, Perceptions and Participation.” One of the report’s findings reveals that more than half of women (55.6 percent) who participated in the study saying they intend to purchase at least one firearm in the next 12 months.

The industry notes that violent crime continues to decline even as Americans purchase firearms in record numbers, underscoring that more guns do not lead to more crime, as anti-gun groups inaccurately claim.

“Our industry continues to see new and different customers embrace firearms ownership and the shooting sports,” said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti. “New gun owners—someone who has purchased their first firearm in the last five years—represent about a quarter of the total, and they are younger, female, urban/suburban-based and from many ethnic backgrounds.

“These new participants,” added Sanetti, “are altering people’s perceptions of who firearm owners are and what they look like. It’s very gratifying to see the broad-based appeal of our sports and culture. As an industry, we are determined not only to provide people with excellent gear to enjoy recreational shooting but also to deter legislation intended to burden law-abiding gun owners and provide appropriate safety and educational materials to help deter unauthorized access to firearms.”

For the sixth year in a row, SHOT Show will take place at the Sands Expo Center, whose many improvements—including a remodeled, natural light-filled lobby to additional food courts and Wi-Fi hotspots—have drawn widespread approval from attendees. The show is the largest event hosted at Sands Expo Center, and during its run injects $90 million in non-gaming revenue to the Las Vegas economy.

SHOT Show attracts buyers from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Hosting more than 1,600 exhibiting companies, the show floor exceeds 630,000 net square feet—equivalent to more than 13 acres or the area covered by the Great Pyramid at Giza. Some 12.5 miles of aisles lead to displays of a wide range of products, including firearms, ammunition, gun safes, locks and cases, optics, shooting range equipment, targets, training and safety equipment, hunting accessories, law enforcement equipment, hearing and eye protection, tree stands, scents and lures, cutlery, GPS systems, holsters, apparel, leather goods, game calls and decoys.

“We’re coming off our largest and most successful show last year—a bar we welcome and hope to exceed with the 2015 SHOT Show. Our goal each year is to provide our customers with their finest SHOT Show experience ever,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.

On the first evening of the show, NSSF will present its State of the Industry Dinner, where an audience of more than 2,000 will learn about NSSF achievements in the past year and be entertained by Las Vegas headliner Bill Engvall.

Major sponsors of the 2015 SHOT Show include Outdoor Channel, Daniel Defense, GunBroker.com, Brownell’s, Gamo Outdoor USA, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Mossy Oak, Trijicon, Smith & Wesson and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, among others. Ram Truck Brand is the official truck of the SHOT Show. Nissan is sponsor of the show’s press room.

The show brings together all segments of one of America’s oldest and most storied industries–manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, shooting range operators, outdoor media and representatives from wildlife conservation groups.

Outdoor media turns out in force to cover the introduction of products and to report on the firearms and outdoor industry. NSSF has credentialed 2,500 media members for the show. On the day prior to SHOT Show, Industry Day at the Range provides invited media and buyers an opportunity to test and learn more about new products. SHOT Show will again feature Radio Row, where major conservative radio hosts broadcast live.

In a longstanding tradition, SHOT Show provides a full lineup of professional development opportunities for attendees. Sold out is SHOT Show University, where firearm retailers can learn about new marketing strategies and compliance with federal regulations. Law enforcement professionals have their own series of education seminars.

SHOT Show is the year’s “must-attend” event for industry professionals. Anyone with an interest in the show and new industry products can learn more www.shotshow.org or by following the show’s news on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and YouTube.

SHOT Show Facts and Figures

openingday5The SHOT Show® (SHOTSM stands for Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade) is the once-a-year gathering place for the shooting, hunting and outdoors industry—manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, publishers and wildlife conservation organizations. It’s where a passion for firearms, ammunition and outdoors equipment, plus the industry’s unified support for the Second Amendment, are on display.

The SHOT Show is owned and sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation®, trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. The show is produced and managed by ConvExx. The show generates millions of the dollars in revenue that funds NSSF programs and services that help “promote, protect and preserve” hunting and the shooting sports. Among those programs are Project ChildSafe, the industry’s firearm safety education program; Don’t Lie for the Other Guy, which works to help prevent illegal straw purchases; and First Shots, which provides introductions to target shooting. See nssf.org for more information on NSSF programs and member services.

  • The 2015 SHOT Show runs Tuesday, January 20, through Friday, January 23, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. The SHOT Show exhibition floor opens at 8:30 a.m. each day and closes at 5:30 p.m. except for the last day when the show closes at 4 p.m. (Law enforcement booths located in Venetian ballrooms open at 8 a.m. daily.) See complete show floor hours. The Press Room is located in the Venetian Murano Ballroom on Level 3. The Press Room opens at 7:30 a.m. each day. See complete Press Room hoursSHOT Show Industry Day at the Range, slated for Monday, January 19, at the Boulder City Rifle & Pistol Club, is for exhibitor-invited media and buyers.
  • This is the 37th annual SHOT Show. The first SHOT Show was in 1979 in St. Louis, Missouri. The SHOT Show has been held 16 times in Las Vegas, more than in any other host city, including consecutively since 2010. SHOT Show will be presented at the Sands Expo and Convention Center through 2020, under the latest agreement.
  • SHOT is the largest event held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Total exhibit space for the 2015 show is expected to be more than 630,000 net square feet—equivalent to more than 13 acres, the area covered by the New Orleans Superdome or the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
  • The SHOT Show boasts 12.5 miles of aisles—just a little less than the distance of half a marathon. Exhibitors, buyers, media and other industry professionals hail from all 50 states and 100 countries.
  • Nearly 70,000 professionals in the shooting, hunting and outdoors industry attended SHOT Show in 2014. The show is for trade only and is not open to the general public.
  • The 2015 SHOT Show will have more than 1,600 exhibitors and more than 2,400 members of the outdoor and mainstream media, including international media, cover the show and promote the products they see at SHOT in their print, Internet, radio and television stories.
  • The total weight of the exhibits for the 2014 SHOT Show brought in by Freeman, the SHOT Show’s general service contractor, exceeded 6,400,000 pounds, the heaviest show ever held at the Sands Expo Center.
  • Over 100 buses are hired by the SHOT Show to accommodate SHOT Show attendees staying at partner hotels along the Las Vegas Strip for complimentary rides to the Sands Expo Center.
  • It took 250 concessionaires to accommodate the food and beverage bistros inside the Sands Expo Center during the 2014 SHOT Show.
  • The Law Enforcement section remains the fastest growing segment of the SHOT Show. To illustrate this growth, law enforcement was started 12 years ago, covering 7,000 square feet; today it covers more than 170,000 square feet of the show.
  • Over 2,100 people attended the opening night NSSF State of the Industry Dinner at the 2014 SHOT Show.
  • Over 10,000 scans for more information were made by media and buyers of the products located in the New Product Center of the 2014 SHOT Show.
  • There were over 340,000 visits by attendees at the 2014 SHOT Show to the 2014 SHOT Show mobile app.
  • 98% of all exhibitors at the 2014 SHOT Show renewed their booth space for the 2015 SHOT Show before the 2014 SHOT Show even concluded.
  • The 2014 SHOT Show brought over $89.6 million in non-gaming revenue to the Las Vegas economy. Firearms and ammunition are a $8 billion industry. The total economic impact of the industry is nearly $38 billion, which supports more than 245,000 jobs.

The SHOT Show’s website is shotshow.org. Follow SHOT Show on Twitter @NSSFSHOTShow and #SHOTShow, and on Facebook.

Nation’s Passion for Firearms Reflected in Record-Setting SHOT Show

After four days, miles of walking, countless face-to-face meetings and more of our industry’s products in one place than anywhere on earth, the 2012 SHOT Show is in the books — and it’s officially a record-breaker.

Here is NSSF’s wrap-up news release:

Nation’s Passion for Firearms Reflected in Record-Setting SHOT Show®

Video: 2012 SHOT Show

LAS VEGAS–Energized by unprecedented gun sales nationwide, firearms industry professionals turned out in record numbers to the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade ShowSM (SHOT Show®), and many made a point of saying “the best is yet to come.”

“It’s a wonderful time to be in our industry,” said Sandy Chisholm of North American Arms, a handgun manufacturer. “We’ve seen tremendous enthusiasm on the part of sellers and buyers, and we see the prospect of a very good year ahead.” Many agreed with that assessment of the market and of the SHOT Show.

The largest trade show of its kind in the world and the fifth largest trade show in Las Vegas, a city of trade shows, the SHOT Show set an overall attendance record of more than 61,000, including new highs for buyers at 36,383 and media at 2,466. Though show organizers deliberately reduced the size of the show to better accommodate attendees at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, still some 1,600 exhibitors filled booth space covering 630,000 net square feet. The show attracted industry professionals from all 50 states and 100 countries.

The SHOT Show is owned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. Revenues from the show support NSSF’s many programs that carry out its mission of promoting, protecting and preserving hunting and the shooting sports. “The SHOT Show allows NSSF to do many good things for industry, shooting and hunting,” said NSSF President and Steve Sanetti. Added Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior vice president and chief marketing officer, “We have worked hard to make sure SHOT is a great selling and buying experience, and it has resulted in our best show ever.”

Thanks to Americans’ passion for firearms, the $4 billion firearms and ammunition industry has been a bright spot in the down economy. The industry supports many small businesses and helps preserve the 180,000 jobs associated with the shooting sports. In 2011, company executives saw records set for background checks, a reliable indicator of sales, including the most ever in a single month (December) and single day (Black Friday). Many in the industry believe, however, that Americans’ interest in owning firearms will continue to grow in 2012, fueling their unabashed optimism about the year ahead. Many also said they would not be surprised to see supporters of the Second Amendment react as they did before the last presidential election when their fears over candidates who were unfriendly toward firearms ignited a sales surge.

From the opening bell, buyers filled the aisles to review products, many of them new offerings that will make their way to retail stores during the year. “Traffic is like we’ve never seen it before,” said Mark Malkowski, president of Stag Arms, maker of modern sporting rifles (AR-style rifles), a big seller over the past several years. “Retailers we’ve talked to are expecting a record year.”

One firearms retailer, Todd Vance of Vance Outdoors in Columbus, Ohio, agreed. “We had our best-ever year in 2011, and we’ve started off this year great and expect to be up.” In his store, Vance said buyers are interested in concealable handguns, home-defense firearms, ammunition and tactical rifles, particularly new .22 caliber models.

Another handgun manufacturer, Sig Sauer, reported having its best first day at SHOT since the company began keeping sales records. “The market is stimulated,” said Bud Fini, vice president of marketing, who added that the company’s shooting academy is seeing many new gun owners. “First-time buyers, that’s where the expansion is coming from,” Fini said.

Accessories, from holsters to rifle slings to optics, are an important part of the SHOT Show. “We are selling sights like you can’t believe,” said Aimpoint’s Roger Bell of the company’s pro staff. “We signed up a lot of new dealers, and that says to me the market is expanding.”

In the Mossberg booth, Tom Taylor, vice president of marketing, said, “This is about as much excitement as I’ve seen at a SHOT Show. People are buying optimistically, and we’re going to build optimistically.”

For first-time exhibitors, the SHOT Show can provide a big lift. “When you are a start-up company without a big marketing budget, the SHOT Show helps put you in front of the right audience,” said Jeane Stewart of U.S. RAC, maker of firearm safety products for law enforcement. Stewart said her company great valued the show’s New Products Center.

Any SHOT attendee will tell you the show is more than about selling and buying; it’s a powerful display of industry unity and its resolve to meet any challenge affecting the right to make, sell and own firearms. At the NSSF State of the Industry Dinner, NSSF President Steve Sanetti said, “I have never seen us so unified and united in our purpose.” As evidence, he pointed to NSSF’s fast-growing membership, which now tops 7,000, an all-time high.

More than 2,000 NSSF supporters filled the sold-out hall for the State of the Industry Dinner, which was sponsored by Outdoor Channel and included a review of NSSF’s accomplishment from the past year and entertainment from hugely popular comedian Larry the Cable Guy.

Opportunities abound at the SHOT Show, and some who attend are selling more than products. At South Dakota’s booth, representatives had a goal of convincing manufacturers they should be making products in the state. “Last year South Dakota connected with more than 50 companies. Within four months, two of those companies expanded their operations to South Dakota,” said economic development commissioner J. Pat Costello.

Many awards are presented at the show. NSSF presented Larry Potterfield of Midway USA with its Ken Sedlecky Achievement Award for his generous and longstanding contributions to programs that promote youth target shooting. The Professional Outdoor Media Association and NSSF honored veteran communicator and best-selling author S.P. Fjestad with the prestigious POMA/NSSF Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator Award. Fjestad publishes “The Blue Book of Gun Values,” a widely consulted database.

The show continues to benefit from the broadbased press contingent that lavishes attention on newly released products. The media, of course, are usually the first to spot celebrities, who this year included American Idol judge and rock star Steven Tyler, and NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann. A big success was SHOT Show Media Day at the Range on the day prior to the show, where credentialed press reviewed and tested products. More than 1,100 press and 100 exhibitors attended Media Day–more than ever before.

NSSF ramped up its use of social media to keep its members and consumers informed about the show, making frequent posts to the SHOT Show Blog and providing Twitter updates that showgoers followed on “Twitterfall” screens placed throughout the venue. An expanded NSSF press room sponsored by Budweiser accommodated the record number of press with free Wi-Fi, a large working press area and other amenities.

In conjunction with the SHOT Show, NSSF sponsored the PGA Charities’ Birdies for the Brave golf tournament that raised funds for injured armed service veterans.

The SHOT Show will return to the Sands Expo & Convention Center next year January 15-18.

SHOT Show to Stay at Las Vegas Sands Through 2014

NSSF and Reed Exhibitions are pleased to announce that we’ve reached an agreement with Las Vegas Sands Corp. to present the SHOT Show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center through 2014. The move was approved by the NSSF Board of Governors at its annual meeting in late February.

Attendees have made it loud and clear that Las Vegas is where they want the show to be. The Sands has made some great improvements since our first show there, and improvements will continue over the next three years — including enhanced cellular service, newly renovated lobby areas and rest rooms and other enhancements to ensure the SHOT Show remains second to none.

The fact that so many in our industry want the show to be held in Las Vegas is understandable. Las Vegas is a first-rate entertainment destination. And the Sands is centrally located on the Las Vegas Strip with more than 40,000 hotel rooms within walking distance.

Many feel the SHOT Show is at its best when it’s in Las Vegas, and, judging by booth traffic and sales at last year’s show, we certainly agree.

The dates for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 shows are:

January 17-20, 2012
January 15-18, 2013
January 14-17, 2014

Read NSSF’s press release on the agreement.