Business Booms in SHOT Show’s 28th Year LAS VEGAS—The annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show set records in its 28th year, posting new highs in exhibit space and attendance. And next year’s show will be even bigger. The 2006 show featured 616,300 square feet of exhibit space, and before the closing bell had rung, exhibitors had already booked 620,000 square feet for next year’s show in Orlando, indicating that this year’s optimistic outlook has been well founded. “The show began and ended on a highly positive note with a wide range of exhibitors noting exceptionally strong interest and sales,” said Doug Painter, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which owns and sponsors the show. “We’re extremely pleased our exhibitors are experiencing a great kickoff to the new year.” The 2006 SHOT Show—held Feb. 9-12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center—attracted more than 1,846 exhibiting companies, surpassing last year's 1,725. Preliminary figures indicate that the show attracted 23,740 buyers, 1,387 members of the press and 14,082 exhibiting personnel for a total attendance of 39,209. The show is the world's largest showcase of firearms, hunting and outdoor products. It provides a forum like no other for the industry to show off its newest products that will adorn the shelves of gun and sporting goods shops this year. Optimism and enthusiasm were prevalent among exhibiting companies and retailers, signaling a positive outlook for the year to come. “Everybody should be looking forward to a very good year,” said Bill Sugg, president of camouflage giant Mossy Oak. “Overall, it was a very good show for us. Everything has been upbeat among retailers and among our licensees. We’ve seen a lot of optimism.” “We’ve been overwhelmed,” said Jeff Pugh, director of sales for Ellett Brothers. “We picked up more dealers than in the past.” Technological advances highlighted many new products on display this year, several hundred of which were showcased in the New Product Section. “Our visibility in the New Product Section drove a lot of traffic to our booth,” said Ric Sidebotham of Kick-Eez, a Washington company that makes firearm recoil pads. Among the new items was a new look for selling products by a leading manufacturer. “There were two things that were very positive for us: attendance and the reception from dealers to our new booth design,” said Matteo Recanatini, director of consumer marketing and communications for Beretta. The company unveiled its “shop in shop” initiative for retailers who want to promote the sporting lifestyle to customers by showcasing Beretta accessories, apparel and firearms in one location. For some manufacturers, the great attendance at this year’s show may require upsizing at the 2007 edition. “We’re trying to get a bigger booth in the law enforcement section next year. We couldn’t put enough people in the booth to handle the crowd,” said Leslie Edelman, president of Kimber. Retailers recognized the increased traffic in the booths and aisles. “I’ve been to many SHOT Shows, and this one was the biggest, with more attendees than ever,” said Bob Strachan, owner of RCS Classic Firearms in Durango, Colo. Aside from the action on the show floor, more than 200 exhibitors were featured in a giant temporary structure in the convention center parking lot. Called the “Campsite,” the area also featured food and music, and attendees showed strong approval of the new feature. A capacity crowd of more than 1,800 attended the show's annual State of the Industry Gala. The night included an upbeat message from Painter, video highlights of NSSF’s efforts over the past year, a concert from Grammy-winning country artist Lee Ann Womack and the presentation of two special awards. A Lifetime Achievement Award was given to renowned outdoor communicator Grits Gresham, recognizing his extraordinary achievements made in support of America’s hunting heritage and firearm freedoms. A new and annually presented award will bear Gresham's name permanently. NSSF and the recently formed Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) will begin presenting the POMA/NSSF Grits Gresham Communicator of the Year Award in 2007. NSSF also presented an award to the National Rifle Association (NRA), recognizing its persistence in helping Congress to pass the historic Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which was signed into law last year by President Bush. The new law protects law-abiding firearms manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits. Capacity crowds also attended the annual Women in the Industry luncheon, which featured an address by Christine Godleski, vice president and general manager of ESPN Outdoors, and the Future Leaders luncheon, which included an address from business growth expert Steven S. Little. The annual SHOT Show Gun and Knife Auction raised $13,175 for Wonders of Wildlife, the new home of National Hunting and Fishing Day. A one-of-a-kind Ruger No. 1 marking the 100th anniversary of the .30-06 sold for $10,425, and a RavenFork Hunter-Skinner package from custom knife maker Ross Tyser sold for $2,750. SHOT Show University—a series of helpful seminars for firearms retailers—was attended by more than 100.

Posted: 2006-02-22 11:59