With less than two weeks to go, excitement is building throughout the industry for the 2010 SHOT Show.
All of our exhibitors have spent considerable time — and money — to be a part of the show, and we at NSSF are working hard to ensure each exhibitor's experience is money well spent.
With that said, anyone who is not a paid exhibitor looking to conduct business at the show should be advised that "suitcasing" is not a welcome practice at the SHOT Show.
Suitcasing is an unethical business practice where companies will gain access to a show and then solicit business in the aisles or other public locations surrounding the show.
An example of suitcasing would be a company choosing not to exhibit at the show, then sending its employees to the show by obtaining attendee badges and trying to solicit business on the show floor or at an off-site restaurant or hospitality suite near the event.
Clearly put: Anyone who solicits at the show is stealing from the exhibitors and all other attendees of the show.
Our policy clearly prohibits any suitcasing or solicitation, and we encourage you to report any such activity to show management.
Revenue from the SHOT Show directly supports NSSF's efforts to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Our exhibitors are not only contributing to their own success by investing in the show, but they are also helping to secure a bright future for our sports and our industry.
Anyone who feels the need to steal from that does not belong at the SHOT Show.
What about soliciting business from only the exhibitors?
They have stuff I want, and I have stuff they want.
I am assuming that the author is talking about someone selling firearms or services to “buyers” at the show rather than speaking directly with the exhibitors as raw-materials or other related sales/solicitation.
For example, someone who runs a gun shop sitting near the booth of a gun shop, then soliciting a customer would be completely unethical.
A fabric manufacturer with experience in digital imaging going to talk to someone at a booth that manufactures or has a product line of Cordura nylon Digital Camo gun gear in order to secure a potential business relationship…that’s kosher in my 15 years spent at trade shows.
Further, a gun dealer who is looking to secure product lines to sell at their shop would also be obliged to stop at a manufactuer’s booth to try to secure a relationship with them.
If buyers/resellers/raw materials people couldn’t talk to people at a booth at a trade show to further each others’ business interests, what the hell would be the point of the trade show?
Pete R.-
The circumstances you describe with the fabric manufacturer or retailer are generally accepted trade show practices. What we are talking about as pertains to the SHOT Show is the unethical business practice of companies to gain access to the show floor with an attendee badge or media badge and then solicit business in the aisles or other public space. This practice skirts the support of NSSF and our programs to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. This does not pertain solely to soliciting the attendees of an event.
NSSF recognizes that suitcasing may also take the form of commercial activity conducted from a hotel guest room or hospitality suite, a restaurant or any other public place in proximity to our event. For the purposes of this policy, suitcasing violations may occur at venues other than the exhibition floor and at other events. It is for this reason NSSF must be informed of any hospitality suites, and expressed consent must be given prior to all such events.
Other examples may include but are not limited to:
– A magazine or television advertising sales representative whose company is not exhibiting in the show visits exhibitors in attempt to sell them advertising, drop off media kits, etc.
– A non-exhibitor sets up a hospitality room off the show floor and invites attendees to leave the show floor and visit their suite.
– A non-exhibitor sends out alerts to potential customers that while they will not be exhibiting this year they will have personnel on site and will be offering a SHOT Show Special. (This would also involve trademark infringement.)
– A non-exhibitor piggybacks on the activities of a third party such as a vendor or partner who is exhibiting.
NSSF owes it to the 1,800 exhibitors who abide by the show rules and support our programs to maintain a zero tolerance policy regarding suitcasing.
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