It’s often said that the waiting is the hardest part. Back in the day Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers climbed to the top of the record charts (real vinyl back then) with a catchy tune lamenting the same. And so do more than 300 fledgling and developing companies that are on the wait list to exhibit at the SHOT Show.
Many of the most iconic brands in our industry started out small and likely would have occupied a 10×10 booth at the SHOT Show were they starting out today. Companies like Browning, Colt, Glock, Hornady, Remington, Ruger and Smith & Wesson started out as small one- or two-person operations. Who knows which of these 300 companies will become the next industry leader given the time and opportunity to grow their business.
To that end, we will begin the process of repurposing he SHOT Show beginning with the 2013 edition. That means that we will focus our exhibit floor on those companies that are involved in our core business — shooting, hunting, outdoor and tactical. Those exhibitors that do not represent core shooting, hunting, outdoor and tactical product segments will be informed that they will not be invited to exhibit in 2013. Letters will be going out to those companies affected beginning in September 2011, and should those companies choose not to exhibit in 2012 as a result, we will offer them a full refund, which is contrary to the terms of their 2012 contract, but only fair under the circumstances.
It’s not that we don’t appreciate their past business or their loyalty, but rather that we must refocus the show in order for it to remain relevant and vibrant, and to ensure that our industry continues to grow and prosper.
The resulting open exhibit space will be reallocated to the remaining exhibitors who wish to relocate their booth based on Priority Points and infuse the SHOT Show with new product offerings that will offer retailers new profit opportunities when waitlist companies are welcomed to the 2013 SHOT Show and begin their journeys to becoming the next generation of iconic brands.