venetian – SHOT Show Blog

SHOT Show Hotel Rooms Going, Going …

At the Exhibitor Academy we held last month in Las Vegas, our partners at ConvExx tipped us off to the status of hotel rooms available for the 2016 SHOT Show. That tip came down to one fine point: hotel rooms are filling up at an unprecedented rate.

Now, I know many of you will read this and say, “Sure this is what they told us last year, but I got my hotel room booked just fine.” Indeed, that was true for all 65,000 attendees of last year’s show. What you didn’t hear about was the number of people who didn’t get rooms or ended up booking far away from the show because they failed to heed our alerts and tried to book too late.

According to Jeff Pressman, President at ConvExx, the days spanning Jan. 18-22, which cover Industry Day at the Range (held the day before the show) and the entirety of SHOT Show, at least two other trade shows of significant size are also taking place in Las Vegas. This means that, just like last year, literally every hotel room available in the Las Vegas metro area will be spoken for during this time.

Learning this bit of information when we did, we took a quick look at the block of rooms NSSF reserves at various hotels in the area and found that two were already completely booked—in June. Even our headquarter hotels, the Venetian and Palazzo, are more than 50 percent booked, double the booking rate for the same time last year. And we still have more than six months to go before the show. Anyone want to take bets on how many of those reservations were made by those who couldn’t get a room last year?

Bottom line here is that we are strongly encouraging everyone planning on attending the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas to book their rooms now. As we do every year, NSSF has reserved blocks of rooms across various hotels near the Sands Expo Center, including rooms at NSSF’s headquarters hotel, the Venetian and Palazzo. The available hotels represent a wide variety of price points so that everyone’s budget and preferences can be accommodated. A full listing of hotels is available at SHOTShow.org, along with links to the Venetian and Palazzo booking page and those to all other currently available hotels NSSF has negotiated discounted prices with via its housing partner onPeak. You’ll also find a link to Frequently Asked Questions, an online contact form for onPeak and travel discount codes for Delta Airlines and Dollar Rent A Car.

If you have any questions, call Venetian/Palazzo at 866-580-1198 (U.S.) or 702-414-4100 and onPeak at 800-388-8104.

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

Be Wary of SHOT Show Scammers

Over the past several weeks SHOT Show Management has received questions from exhibitors about communications (phone and email) from companies claiming to have “great deals” on hotel rooms for the upcoming 2015 SHOT Show. Here is our advice: don’t buy it!

These companies are NOT affiliated with the SHOT Show in any capacity:

National Travel Associates	Executive Events, PMG
Exhibitor Housing Services	Premier Connections
Global Housing Services Corp.	ETP Housing, Inc.
Room Connections, Inc.	Sojourn Management, Inc.

Although “deals” from these soliciting companies may sound good, we urge caution when they approach. Unofficial vendors cannot provide the same benefits and protection offered by onPeak or directly with The Venetian/Palazzo. The SHOT Show only guarantees hotel room rates or availability during the show dates for reservations made through these two sources.

Don’t let your guard down after you book your rooms. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) scam artists are making more advanced approaches at your destination, including: pretending to be the front desk staff calling for credit card information, distributing phony delivery pizza flyers in hotel rooms, and setting up phony Wi-Fi accounts to steal information. Remember to be alert before, during and after the SHOT Show to ensure a positive, successful experience.

If you have any questions or complaints about suspicious vendors, please contact the SHOT Show Hotline by calling 855-355-7468 or 203-270-2370. You can also visit the SHOT Show website for more information. Don’t be a victim!

To view or book available hotel rooms at the Venetian/Palazzo, you may do so by clicking here or calling 866-580-1198 (U.S.) / 702-414-4100 (international).

To view or book available hotel/travel deals through the onPeak, visit the onPeak website or call 800-388-8104 (U.S.) / 312-527-7300 (international).

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

12 Tips to Get the Most Out of the 2014 SHOT Show

Are you ready? The SHOT Show is almost here! Here’s a list of the top 12 items you can check off. Introduce yourself to the offerings by watching this brief video, first.

1. It’s your last chance to book your travel plans with onPeak, the official housing partner of the SHOT Show. Its hotel rate-guarantee deadline closes tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 11. SHOT Show provides two sources for special hotel room opportunities; one is direct with the Venetian/Palazzo, and the other is through onPeak, the official housing partner of the SHOT Show and the service provider directly linked to the SHOT Show website for all hotels besides the Venetian/Palazzo. To view or book available hotel/travel deals through onPeak, click here or call 800-388-8104. To view or book available hotel rooms at the Venetian/Palazzo, you may do so by clicking here or calling 866-580-1198.

2. Tell us if you are hosting celebrities in January. Log in to the Exhibitor Listing Dashboard and let us know about celebrity appearances or other special events you are planning at your booth. Follow the provided screenshots to inform us of celebrity appearances.

3. Register for SHOT Show University on Monday, Jan. 13. A limited amount of seats are available. Offered each year on the day before the SHOT Show opens, SHOT Show University, with a theme of Aiming for Excellence, is a day of seminars specifically tailored to the needs of those in the firearm retail business. Check out our speaker spotlights from Chip Bell and Dan Mann.

4. Find the retail seminars you need to attend. Retailers, Patrick Shay gives you an inside look at these scheduled sessions. Stay tuned for the follow-up and get the run-down of what should be on your schedule! We are offering a dozen courses (at cost) during the SHOT Show, all designed to increase your retailing expertise, make your operations more profitable and keep our industry strong. You can view the full schedule of speakers and topics here. Seating is limited, and classes are filling up fast. Don’t miss out!

5. Reserve the ultimate dining experience. Check out our “SHOT on a Dime” restaurant guide aimed to help you find quality meals in Las Vegas for $50 or less. If you are dining on a budget, you can even choose from dining options of $25 or less. No matter your cuisine preference or desired location, you’ll find all sorts of selections.

6. Work smarter, not harder! First, download the mobile app, sponsored by ArmaLite. Then, use the My Show Planner online aid to navigate the show floor, keep track of appointments and find new products and services, among other conveniences. You can review the entire SHOT Show layout, search for exhibitors, find specials, search for brands and much more. You can even map out your own planned schedule and route!

7. Learn about the scheduled Law Enforcement Education Seminars (LEEP). NSSF has partnered with Law Officer magazine to present a quality education program for law enforcement professionals at the 2014 SHOT Show®. These are free for our LEEP sponsors.

8. Catch up on all three segments of the SHOT Show Exhibitor Webinar series, available online in the Exhibitor Resource Center under Exhibitor Education and News.

9. Get to know this year’s pinnacle sponsor, Outdoor Channel.

10. Meet the new management team. You can read all of the bios, here. The firearms, exhibition and event industries, as well as the Las Vegas business community, continue to respond positively to the selection of Las Vegas-based ConvExx as our new SHOT Show management company.

11. Become an NSSF member. As the owner of the industry’s largest trade show, NSSF rolls out the red carpet for its members at the SHOT Show. Members receive discounted booth space, five extra booth-priority points when exhibiting, early notification on registration and hotel accommodations, access to the NSSF Member Lounge and Member Business Center and more. NSSF is currently offering a SHOT Show special for range and retailer memberships, starting as low as $50.

12. Get social. Follow us and subscribe to get the latest SHOT Show updates. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@nssfshotshow) and join the official SHOT Show group on LinkedIn. Also, be sure utilize the #SHOTShow hashtag to ensure your social media communications are being seen by all who follow the show online. Another way to keep up-to-date is to subscribe to NSSF’s Bullet Points e-newsletter, which delivers a weekly roundup of industry happenings.

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

Rate-Guarantee Deadline Approaching

2014 SHOT Show^® is less than six weeks away. As you are making travel plans, take advantage of special hotel-room opportunities through onPeak, the official housing partner of the SHOT Show. Its hotel rate-guarantee deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 11.

To view or book available hotel/travel deals through onPeak, click here or call 800-388-8104.

The SHOT Show provides two sources for special hotel room opportunities; one is direct with the Venetian/Palazzo, and the other is through onPeak, the official housing partner of the SHOT Show and the service provider directly linked to the SHOT Show website for all hotels besides the Venetian/Palazzo.

The Venetian/Palazzo and onPeak are the ONLY two entities authorized to contact SHOT attendees regarding hotel rooms, and the SHOT Show requires each communication to be pre-approved and branded with the official SHOT Show logo.

As a reminder, remember that you can be scammed. Click this link to find a list of unofficial vendors that are working hard to take advantage of YOU. This warning also provides you with tips for how to handle yourself if you choose to book with an unofficial vendor. We want to know if you hear from these non-official vendors. Please let me know via email at dcauley@nssf.org.

For your own protection, we ask that you exercise caution when making your hotel and travel arrangements. Unofficial vendors cannot provide the same benefits and protection offered by onPeak or directly with the Venetian/Palazzo. The SHOT Show only guarantees hotel room rates or availability during the show dates for reservations made through the two sources mentioned above.

To view or book available hotel/travel deals through onPeak click here or call 800-388-8104.

To view or book available hotel rooms at the Venetian/Palazzo you may do so by clicking here or calling 866-580-1198.

Beware of Scammers and Poachers

As you are preparing your travel plans for January, remember that you too can be scammed. We have received reports that other companies are posing as official travel vendors for the SHOT Show. They are NOT affiliated with the SHOT Show in any capacity.

Recently, it was brought to our attention that an exhibitor group booked with a poacher, Exhibition Housing Services, back in June and paid upfront for the rooms. The customer followed up with that company and was unable to reach them, so they contacted onPeak, the official housing partner of the SHOT Show, to see if we were that company. Our contact center manager also contacted the company’s number and couldn’t reach them. This is unfortunate, so we urge you to book through our authorized vendors.

Click this link to find a list of unofficial vendors that are working hard to take advantage of YOU. This warning also provides you with tips for how to handle yourself if you choose to book with an unofficial vendor. We want to know if you hear from these non-official vendors. Please let me know via email at dcauley@nssf.org.

To view or book available hotel/travel deals through onPeak click here or call 800-388-8104.

To view or book available hotel rooms at the Venetian/Palazzo you may do so by clicking here or calling 866-580-1198.

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

SHOT on a Dime

All of us have heard the popular slogan of ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’! Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge. So, while you are attending SHOT Show in January, we know you will also want to experience the sights and flavors of Las Vegas. Check out our ‘SHOT on a Dime’ restaurant guide aimed to help you find quality meals in Las Vegas for $50 or less. If you are dining on a budget, you can even choose from dining options of $25 or less. No matter your cuisine preference or desired location, you’ll find all sorts of selections. Whether you are staying in the Venetian/Palazzo, or along the strip, you’ll be able to locate something close to home.

We’ve also included some free Las Vegas attractions. Yes, even in Las Vegas, you can find one-of-a-kind entertainment and beauty for free.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

Book Travel Through SHOT Show’s Official Housing Partner onPeak

Book in the official SHOT Show block — don’t be scammed by third party housing companies.

Through our designated host hotels, The Venetian and The Palazzo and official housing partner, onPeak, the SHOT Show provides reduced hotel rates and travel discounts for your trip to Las Vegas.

Attendees and exhibitors can make their travel arrangements with The Venetian or The Palazzo by calling 866-580-1198 (U.S.) or (702) 414-4100 (international) OR onPeak through the SHOT Show website’s Travel page – or directly through onPeak’s booking agents by calling 800-388-8104 or 312-527-7300 (International).

We have already received several calls and emails from exhibitors who were solicited by a high-pressure salesperson who urged the exhibitors to get their rooms for the SHOT Show while they could. I can assure you that no one affiliated with the SHOT Show will ever solicit you. And if they do, I want to hear from you.

The SHOT Show, in partnership with onPeak, is committed to providing you with the best travel deals around. onPeak is the official travel provider for the SHOT Show.

Don’t be fooled by offers from other parties using the SHOT Show name — they are NOT affiliated with Reed Exhibitions or the SHOT Show. Remember, if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.

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

SHOT Show Update – Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed

Since we last gathered at the Sands Expo in January, it’s been an exciting and challenging year for the industry as a whole, and in particular for your industry’s trade association and its signature event—the SHOT Show. Throughout the process, our focus has been to maintain continuity for our exhibitors and attendees while delivering a continuously improving SHOT Show experience.

In May, NSSF ended its 30-plus-year association with Reed Exhibitions. After a thorough national search involving the trade show industry’s top management companies, we named Las Vegas–based ConvExx as our new show management partner for the next three years. ConvExx is privately held and has produced more than 200 shows and events, including the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. Trade Show Executive magazine ranks the SEMA Show as the fourth-largest trade show in North America (SHOT Show is ranked 16th), with 2,250 exhibitors, 135,000 attendees, and more than 1 million net square feet of exhibit space.

ConvExx offers a unique combination of extensive large-show and Las Vegas experience, which will serve our exhibitors and attendees well. Rest assured that ConvExx is a pro–Second Amendment organization. We wouldn’t have selected them otherwise.

We have also struck a new five-year agreement with our long-time partners at Freeman as the official exposition services contractor for the SHOT Show. This new agreement with Freeman provides our exhibitors with the best-in-class services and cost certainty.

Freeman is the leading global partner for integrated marketing solutions for live engagements. It produces more than 4,300 expositions annually, including 135 of the 250 largest U.S. trade shows, and 11,000 other events worldwide. What’s more, the Freeman family is made up of avid hunters and shooters.

Also in May, NSSF selected CSG Creative as its agency of record for marketing the 2014 SHOT Show. CSG was selected at the conclusion of a national account review that included a number of well-known trade-show marketing agencies. Their experience in the trade-show and face-toface event business is unparalleled, and we have enjoyed working with them to make the 2014 SHOT Show the best event yet.

Based in Alexandria, Virginia, CSG Creative is a strategic marketing and creative agency with unparalleled insight into event promotion, branding, and strategy development. Its award-winning creative staff, stellar service, and innovative approaches have made CSG one of the premier agencies in trade-show, conference, and event promotion. We’re confident that our new SHOT Show website and new attendee promotion campaign, combined with our participation in the U.S. Department of Commerce International Buyer Program, will deliver new qualified buyers for our exhibitors.

We’ve also reached new agreements with our official housing partner onPeak, our registration services provider CompuSystems, and our mobile app developer Sherpa. All have done a great job for us, and we look forward to working with them to make the SHOT Show the industry’s “must-attend” event.

Here’s what’s in store for you. You’ll receive the same outstanding customer service you’ve come to expect from NSSF and the SHOT Show, and enjoy the comfortable familiarity of our registration and housing systems. There will be additional newly designed, high-impact signage to help you find your way around, including arrows pointing to the main hall exits on Level 1 and Level 2.

Retailers will have more opportunities to learn new skills and take innovative ideas back to their stores from SHOT Show University and our expanded retailer education seminars. In addition, select retail buyers will be invited to participate in a hands-on shooting range experience on opening morning.

The Law Enforcement Education Program will begin the day before the show opening, providing LE professionals with the opportunity to earn continuing education unit credits while learning from nationally recognized experts.

Outdoor Channel has returned as the Pinnacle Sponsor of the 2014 SHOT Show and will be providing attendees with amenities such as mobile-device-charging stations and Internet hotspots. State of the Industry Dinner attendees will be treated to a performance by renowned illusionists and Second Amendment supporters Penn and Teller, courtesy of Outdoor Channel.

The 2014 SHOT Show is just too good to miss. I hope to see you in Las Vegas.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

Update Concerning Lodging, Travel Reservations

Every year at about this time, unscrupulous poachers emerge. These poachers are hotel or third-party housing agencies unaffiliated with the SHOT Show and can be very tricky in the way they present themselves. That’s why we caution all SHOT Show attendees and exhibitors to be wary of third-party services when booking your rooms for the show. In past years, we heard reports of hotel room resellers taking payment from SHOT Show attendees and exhibitors without actually booking the rooms, leaving attendees without a place to lay their head in Las Vegas.

In fact, we’ve received word that several companies, including Exhibitor Housing Services (EHS), Room Connections and Wholesale Travel Planners, are all fraudulently soliciting SHOT Show attendees.

Booking with onPeak or Venetian/Palazzo guarantees you a room and guarantees you room rate protection. So you never have to worry about having a room or paying too much for it.

The Venetian/Palazzo and onPeak are the only two entities authorized to contact SHOT attendees regarding hotel rooms, and the SHOT Show requires each communication to be pre-approved and branded with the official SHOT Show logo. Do not respond to any other related communication you may receive.

We want you to have a great experience at the 2014 SHOT Show and the surest way to start down that path is to apply for your credentials and book your rooms early. If you are booking a block of more than 20 rooms, onPeak can help you manage that efficiently.

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

What and Where to Eat During Show Hours

Everybody needs to eat, especially those that are walking for miles each day at the SHOT Show. You’ll need to re-fuel at some point.

Here are a few options for attendees looking to grab a bite to eat during show hours:

The Palazzo and Venetian: Don’t forget that the Sands Expo is connected to both the Venetian and Palazzo hotels. Both offer a ton of amazing dining options. For example, the Grand Luxe Cafe, owned by The Cheesecake Factory, is open 24 hours and the food is great. If you’re looking for the character of a neighborhood diner, minus the kitsch, FIRST Food & Bar is located in the Shoppes at the Palazzo. Another great option is Cafe Presse, which has a convenient location in the Venetian corridor. Click here to see all the casual dining options at both hotels.

NSSF Member Lounge: Yet another perk for members of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the NSSF Member Lounge (sponsored by GunBroker.com) is located in the Lido Ballroom on Level 3 of the Venetian. It’s a convenient place for members to sit down for lunch and take a break from the show floor.

Convention Center: For those that don’t want to stray too far from the show floor, there are a number of places to eat within the convention center area.

The SHOT Show website also lists contact details for complimentary concierge services that are available to you both in advance and onsite.