Want to know a secret? The best place to start your after-hours networking is NSSF’s State of the Industry Reception.

If you’ve been in years past, you know there will be a top-notch selection of hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, something everyone digesting the booth traffic, meetings and order writing of the first day of the show can appreciate. Too, everyone who’s anyone in the firearms industry is there — heads of industry, publishers, writers, leading retailers and range owners, wholesaler and distributor principals. If you were wondering where the best place is at SHOT Show to meet and greet and make those connections so necessary to doing business all year long, this is it, bar none (and that’s why this event always sells out).

Good food, drinks and friends all in one place are enough to draw a crowd, but we want to make sure this event offers more for you.

First, this event starts immediately after the show closes on its first day, Tuesday, Jan. 21, and this year we’ve moved it to the Sands Showroom located right at the end of the Expo Center hallway leading to the restaurants of the Venetian and Palazzo — no more traipsing all the way through the Palazzo Casino to get to us.

Second, the State of the Industry Reception’s short-format design delivers a great early evening event and still gives you time for dinner meetings. The cocktail hour starts at 5:30. At 6:10, NSSF President Joe Bartozzi takes the stage to give you all the information you need to know about where our industry is headed in 2020 — and you will not want to miss this if you’re looking to make your best, most-informed business decisions in the coming year.

We’ll have a brief intermission at 6:30, and then at 6:45 comedian Henry Cho grabs the microphone. Many of you will be familiar with Henry from his many appearances on “The Tonight Show” and “The Late Late Show,” as well as numerous comedy radio stations including “Blue Collar Radio” on Sirius, but if you’re not, I have to tell you that we were bowled over by his comedy when we were talking about bringing him to SHOT Show. If you’ve appreciated all the laughs provided in years past by Jeff Foxworthy and Mike Rowe, I promise, you will add this guy to your roster of “Best Shows Ever!”

Tickets are available now, and with SHOT Show just a month away, sales are picking up speed. Tickets are just $125 each, and we think what you’ll get in return is exponentially more valuable. Don’t miss out. We’d genuinely love to see you there.

The post You’re Invited—to SHOT Show’s BEST Party! appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.

Rates go up after midnight Thursday, Dec. 19, and for most badge categories, registration fees will double after that deadline. Please head to SHOTShow.org and click on the “Register” tab at the right of the brown bar at the top of the page. A new page will open containing the categories available for registration. There’s also a selection called “Join NSSF,” and it’s not too late to do just that and take advantage of additional savings provided to NSSF members attending the 2020 SHOT Show, including discounted registration fees.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas in just a few short weeks. In the meantime, take care of your registration before the early-bird deadline of Dec. 19 and put those savings toward the things that mean the most to you: family and friends and all the joy the Christmas holidays have in store.

The post SHOT Show Early-Bird Registration Rates Drawing Near appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.

To help everyone exhibiting at SHOT Show realize their potential, but especially for those who didn’t get a chance to attend the Academy, we’ve gathered some of the highlights on the topics presented there. Here, in Part II of this three-part series, we’re highlighting insights from Cristie Gates, Michael Kinn and Michele Salerno, three panelists from the June Academy who each provide three great tips for those manning the booths in 2020.

Cristie Gates — Senior Marketing Manager, Benelli

“As a veteran exhibitor, I can tell you that if you use an exhibit house for set-up of your booth, be sure to order your services rather than have that exhibit house order them for you. This can be a savings of up to 30-percent, the exhibit house markup, for something you can do yourself — and that can be a huge saving depending on the size of your booth. For a booth the size of mine — 4,000 square feet — I can save an estimated $50,000, and that’s well worth the time spent ordering services and Benelli paying them directly.

“My second tip is to never forget to estimate your drayage. This “small” item can be a huge cost, depending on what you’re bringing into the hall. In fact, it can totally bust your budget if you don’t estimate this correctly.

“Finally, make sure your staff is prepared for the long days. Knowing to wear comfortable shoes, not new ones or heels is critical, as well as taking care of themselves. They need to know that a late night on the town does not constitute being late for the show the next day. If you have a small booth, you may not have the luxury of having a big staff to cover if you have folks missing, so you are counting on everyone, so set these ground rules with your staff before anyone gets on a plane for Vegas.”

Michael Kinn — Director, Events, Vista Outdoor

“My first piece of advice to any exhibitor would be to account for all show costs in order to generate an accurate show budget. Those budget items should include:

• Booth space
• Carpet
• Electricity
• Rigging (if applicable)
• Forklift and/or scissor-lift fees
• Material Handling/drayage
• Interior and design labor
• Hotel (be aware of room attrition)
• Booth staff
• Swag/giveaways
• Catering

“After budget considerations, I’d say that educating your booth staff on how to properly work a show is of top importance. Let them know not to ‘bunch up’ and visit among themselves, for instance, because they are there to serve the attendees. They need to really know the products and stress the product benefits as well as their features. At the same time, they’ll usually want to keep technical speak to a minimum and use relatable phrasing and words. Your booth staff should be easily identifiable (via team shirts or some other method), and they need to keep enthusiasm up throughout the entire run of the show.

“My last tip would be to never underestimate the value of the outdoor press. Leverage the media members at the show by scheduling short meetings well in advance and have your “pitch” perfected and product readily available for demonstration. Pre-written press releases also help writers by packaging up product details and technical points.”

Michele Salerno — Director of Marketing, Asst. Vice President, Celerant Technology Corp. & CAM Commerce

“I’ll echo what Michael said as my top piece of advice. Plan ahead in terms of media preparation. For me that means:

• Having pre-show announcements planned out and scheduled months in advance. We typically start in early November or even late October.
• Having several new feature announcements and/or new partnerships/integrations that can be sent out as press releases via “The Outdoor Wire,” as well as through email marketing to prospects and customers.
• Taking advantage of the New Product Showcase. Put a new product in with flyers and it will draw many potential buyers and media to your booth.

“Time management, as you might imagine, is critical to having a successful show. Make the most of the show while you’re there by scheduling your time wisely. That means not just bringing enough team members to staff your booth and handle the traffic, but also planning time to spend with your partners. Everyone is at the SHOT Show, and there is so much opportunity for networking. That includes scheduling media briefings prior to the show, so that you can have coverage throughout the event. We actually bring a film crew and schedule meetings with our partners to get them on camera for partner videos during the show, which we can then use as marketing tools all year long, and we also shoot B-roll footage and a SHOT Show recap video every year.

“One more thing I’d say to put at the top of your list is package and freight management. You don’t want to have to ask, “Did my packages arrive?” We do not ship anything UPS. We use a freight carrier so we know they will wait in line properly at the show site and get our packages there according to the show schedule. We also get confirmations as soon as everything arrives. As long as your packages arrive to show site, any other issue can be resolved before the show opens by leaning on show services.”

Michele had one other piece of advice for SHOT Show exhibitors.

“It’s important that you don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s inevitable that something will go wrong. No show is ever perfect, especially considering all the moving parts. Each year you’ll learn something new and what not to do next year. For instance, when you try to cut costs too much, you often end up spending more money after the fact. The good news is that if something does go wrong, it can almost always be sorted out at show site. Yes, it might just cost a bit more, but nine times out of 10 your problem can be resolved before the shows opens.”

The post 10 Great SHOT Show Tips from Veteran Exhibitors appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.

Reason 1: Networking and Lead-generation

The SHOT Show provides a networking and lead-generation opportunity like no other for our industry and that just can't happen without accurate and up to date information for all people attending the show. Having valid and unique information — including job titles — for your registrants will ensure your company's ability to connect with potential customers and vice-vera.

Reason 2: Future Registrations Will Pre-populate

We want to make your registration process as seamless as possible and providing accurate information this year will make your future registrations a breeze. The information you input during registration this year will pre-populate in the future, making your registrations quicker and easier.

Reason 3: Emergency Alerts

Your safety at the show is paramount but so too is preparedness. It’s very important that we have accurate cell phone numbers for everyone in attendance. Should there be an emergency during show hours we will alert you.

That said, we take the protection of your information very seriously. Your information is never sold, and no one will be spammed. Our focus is to ensure communications are sent to proper individuals and to make the show more valuable for all who participate.

REGISTER TODAY

If you need any assistance in registering your staff or updating registration information, please contact our SHOT Show customer service team, and they will be happy to assist you with anything you need.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas this January.

The post Exhibitors: 3 Reasons Why Accurate Information Maximizes Your Investment appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.

The 15th annual Industry Day at the Range will take place at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club in Boulder City, Nevada, on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — one day prior to SHOT Show. The remaining exhibitor opportunities for Industry Day at the Range include: rifle shooting space, archery, airgun, less-lethal products, ATV/truck demo, show trailer and non-shooting space.

Give Hands-on Access to Buyers and Media

This is an invitation-only event for press members and buyers, those invitations being extended by exhibitors in coordination with the event’s owners, CMG Marketing & Events and Triple Curl PR & Advertising. Sponsors and exhibitors begin to receive media coverage the moment Industry Day at the Range begins and builds momentum for your products both during the show and throughout the year. The event allows media and buyers to see and handle products before SHOT Show begins. For press members, this puts your products and brand at the top of their story and review list. For buyers, the firsthand experience handling your products has proven to greatly enhance their ability to sell them.

Last year’s Industry Day at the Range garnered over 125 million impressions for exhibitors through the first three months of the year. It is truly a value-added proposition for all who exhibit at SHOT Show. For more information on Industry Day at the Range or to register, visit SHOTShowRangeDay.com.

The post Industry Day at the Range is Exposure Boost for Exhibitors appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.

Capture more industry knowledge than ever before in just one week at the SHOT Show. 

You’ll find the people, the passion and the answers you need to stay successful, competitive and knowledgeable. 

Book Your Rooms Early The SHOT Show’s Headquarters Hotel.

Book rooms in top resorts along the Las Vegas Strip. Many hotels contracted for the 2020 SHOT Show have discounted rates, designed to accommodate varying travel budgets. 

Learn more about how SHOT Show serves the firearms industry's retailers, wholesalers and distributors.

The post Serving Retailers, Wholesalers, Distributors and More appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.

More than 4,000 law enforcement, private security and armed forces professionals attend the SHOT Show from agencies all over the world. This is a forum to share critical successes, discuss hot issues and identify solutions that increase public safety.

Come and find the people, the passion and the solutions your team needs to secure your officers and your communities. Learn more about how SHOT Show serves Law Enforcement and Armed Forces.

The post The Best Minds in Law Enforcement appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.

Robyn has also graciously offered to provide a set number of one-on-one consulting sessions on these topics with SHOT exhibitors. If interested, simply check that box when registering for these webinars. We hope you’ll take advantage of these awesome opportunities.

SEPTEMBER 26:

Quick Tips for a Better (More Strategic) SHOT Show Booth Design

At a trade show, like the SHOT Show, you only have seven seconds to capture the attention of your event-specific target audience. Your booth design should attract more of the right professionals, but it should also give the wrong professionals the confidence they need to keep walking (without wasting your time) and it should support your team in their efforts to provide a consistently positive experience to every booth visitor. Learn quick tips for strategic booth design and get answers to your biggest questions. REGISTER HERE

OCTOBER 23:

Quick Tips for Improving Your Pre-Show Marketing Efforts for the SHOT Show

Believe it or not, one of the easiest ways to ensure you can engage with enough of the right professionals during the SHOT Show to accomplish your event-specific goals is to perfect your pre-show marketing. Effective pre-show marketing isn’t really about you – it’s about empowering your audience to choose to make time to meet with you, despite all of the other choices available to them, and equipping them to ensure your interactions are as productive as possible. Learn quick tips for strategic pre-show marketing and get answers to your biggest questions. REGISTER HERE

NOVEMBER 21:

Quick Tips for Training Your Entire SHOT Show Team Properly

Once you arrive in Las Vegas for the SHOT Show, your team will have the power to influence your reputation and results, above all of your other efforts. That’s a very big deal, especially if you aren’t confident they’re properly prepared to represent you well. Trade shows are different from long-term sales and marketing, but most professionals don’t realize or act upon this, so their on-site efforts aren’t as effective as they could be. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way for you. Learn quick tips for strategic training and get answers to your biggest questions. REGISTER HERE

The post 3 Webinars to Help Boost (and Better) Booth Traffic appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.

Here are 5 need-to-know tips for trade show exhibitors taken straight from attendees of the National Shooting Sports Foundation^®’s annual SHOT Show Exhibitor Academy”

1. Bookmark the “Exhibitor Resource Center” to keep on top of all your To-Do’s.
   
   “Make sure you have looked through the exhibitor kit when you get it, keep track of all the deadlines [and] make sure you know everything because you can save a little extra money there too. There are big savings if you follow those early-bird deadlines.”
   — Christie Gates, Benelli USA
   
   
2. Pre-plan your marketing goals
   
   “Make sure you have all of your pre-show promotion and post-show promotion planned way before the show. The show is obviously in January and we start our planning in the summer leading up to the fall.” — Michele Salerno, Celerant Technology
   
   
3. Start creating a buzz about your company before SHOT Show. Here’s how to catch the eye of the media with your press kit:
   
   “If you want to get my attention you have to tell me what it is you're doing right off the bat, clearly, and make sure to take an image at least one or two megs on a simple background.” — Roy Huntington, FMG Publications
   
   
4. First impressions count when it comes to booth design.
   
   “Data has shown that in a trade show environment — people walking past your booth — it’s typically 7 sec that they look at your booth and evaluate if it’s interesting enough to enter.” — Michael Kinn, Vista Outdoor
   
   “What we offer is very unique so that's what we are going to focus on what differentiates us from everybody else and making the booth clean and inviting and just smooth.” — Jason Baker, Uintah Precision
   
   
5. Staff your booth with people who will represent you well and draw buyers into your booth with your opening statement.
   
   “‘Hey are you interested in?’ or ‘Would you consider?’ That's much better of an opening than ‘How's your day going?’ because everyone is going to say the exact same thing.” — Caitlin Ortiz, Ergo
   
   “We want to be welcomed into your booth we want to be taught how to sell your product if we decide to carry it, the more information we have the better decisions we can make.” — Jeanelle Westrom, Davenport Guns & Shooting Club

Get ready to make your mark at SHOT Show.

The post 5 Need-to-Know Tips for Trade Show Exhibitors appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.

I was asked to participate in the media panel and joined popular editors Roy Huntington and Slaton White. Huntington is the editor of American Handgunner magazine and publisher at FMG Publications. White has his finger on the pulse of all news pertaining to NSSF as the editor for SHOT Business and SHOT Daily, and he is a contributing editor at Field and Stream. I publish Women’s Outdoor News and contribute to SHOT Business and SHOT Daily, as well as other outdoor and firearms publications. Here are our tips to exhibitors looking to maximize exposure of their products and brands through their relationships with members of the press.

Roy Huntington

Huntington wants exhibitors to focus on honing marketing skills before arriving at the show. He advised:

• Marketing is difficult, time consuming and can eat resources, but if you don’t do it, you don’t succeed. Be prepared to work with media members attending the show by having an up-to-date website, hand-out thumb drives with clean images and information on what you do and be prepared to send out test and evaluation samples as appropriate.
• Learn to write and send press releases that are timely, focused and easy to understand. Attach a simple, clean image to each one. Don’t make someone go to a website or link to find an image. Take advantage of the various online news services such as the Outdoor Wire and use them for your releases.
• Work your booth aggressively and watch for important media members who stop by. Smile, thank them for stopping by and follow up with them after the show. Make their job as easy as possible and you will be included in the publications they write for. At the same time, be aware of self-proclaimed “influencers” who are a waste of your time and money.

Slaton White

During SHOT Show, White can be found in the back pressroom of the Bonnier suite, meeting daily deadlines with his team for the print version of SHOT Daily. The publication begins the process of pulling together the show’s four issues long before the January. In fact, by fall of the year before the show, most of the content has been submitted and layouts designed. White stressed several points exhibitors should key on in gaining exposure in the official SHOT Show publications.

• Since everyone, and I mean everyone, is on deadline at SHOT Show, it’s important to respond quickly to any request from the press for new product information. The exhibitors that do this greatly increase the possibility of coverage. At SHOT Daily, we will make more than one attempt to access necessary information, but given the time constraints, late responders often lose out. To avoid this, make sure you have a person on your staff responsible for responding to media requests and ensure their email will accept messages from someone they don’t know. That email access if critical. When asked after a show why SHOT Daily never ran a company’s new product release, I tell them, “We got it. We asked for a hi-res image, but never got a response.” Turns out, in most cases the person responsible for sending out press releases had a spam filter that filtered out our request.
• Press releases need to be to the point and limited to one page. Explain what the product is and what it’s expected to do. Include relevant specs, especially pricing, and both hi-res and low-res images. If you make a writer or editor search for the relevant information, your release will, in many cases, be thrown into the trash.
• Press release copy needs to be in a format that can be easily copied and pasted. Use standard punctuation, and do not end sentences with triple exclamation marks. A release written in all capital letters requires the writer to re-type it. Guess what? They won’t.
• If your press releases reside on your company’s website, make sure they are easily accessible to the press. Do not password-protect it. (If company policy requires such protection, you need to put in place a system that makes getting your releases fast and simple. In other words, don’t expect the press to remember a password.) Anything that slows down the information-gathering process hurts you.
• Not every staffer has the skill or patience to deal with the press. Pick someone with the right temperament and skill set to do this. Every staffer in your booth should know the name, phone number, and email of the press contact for your company, and if you promise to get back to the writer and editor with the requested information, make sure you do.

Barbara Baird

I am on the floor doing at least 20,000 steps a day and visiting booths on behalf of several companies (including my own) I work for during this amazing show. One thing exhibitors should keep in mind is that people who cannot attend the show still want to see what’s taking place at the show and they want to see it while it’s taking place. Media attending the show are key to making that happen, so here’s what I added to the stellar advice given by Huntington and White.

• Exhibitors should identify which publications are likely to provide the best coverage of your product. Do your homework, make a “Top 10” list and contact the editors regarding an appointment at your booth or an invitation to a lunch or dinner. If it’s lunch, make it near the exhibitor hall in one of the many restaurants found in the Venetian or Palazzo and make a reservation well in advance. (In fact, always make reservations for all your meals in advance. I use the Open Table app well before the show starts.)
• Plan a media event at your booth or at an approved Sands Expo room away from the floor. Offer food, drink and an opportunity for press members to meet with your experts such as engineers, designers and ambassadors. Give something away for attending. Make it worth their time to attend and reveal something new they will want to talk about.
• In your booth, designate or hire someone who can ably explain what your products will do, any new products you are touting.
• Take advantage of apps such as InShot and photo services such as Canva for making quick videos, collages and attractive photos (from your smartphone) to post what’s happening at your booth during the show. These social media updates and videos (which should be organic, short and to the point) should be pushed out on your social media platforms immediately.

The post Getting Noticed: SHOT Show Exhibitors and the Outdoor Media appeared first on NSSF SHOT Show 2020.