2007 SHOT Show[R]: trends, products and deals highlight mega event!

Officials of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) are putting the finishing touches on the industry's largest trade show: SHOT Show 2007. The 29th annual extravaganza will be held Jan. 11-14 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The event, according to officials, will shatter all previous records, as the number of exhibitors and registered attendees continues to increase.

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"This will be the largest SHOT Show in history," said NSSF President Doug Painter. "It looks as if we will top 650,000 square feet, so we will have more exhibitors from more countries displaying more new and exciting products than ever before." Painter said exhibitors from more than 70 countries will be at the show.

"The foreign edition of the SHOT Show mailing is in 12 languages now," he said. "The SHOT Show is truly an international event that reflects the breadth of our business today, from a huge law enforcement section to an enormous cutlery section. If you're in this business, there is no other show like the SHOT Show."

The trade show industry has taken notice of the continued growth of the SHOT Show.

"Tradeshow Week (TSW), which is the trade journal of trade show business, ranks all of the business-to-business trade shows in North America," said Jeanette Mannuzza, NSSF's director of SHOT Show operations. "There are 13,000 business-to-business shows in the U.S. and Canada and the SHOT Show is ranked the 27th largest, based on the 2005 show."

In addition, among the top 200 shows nationwide, TSW ranks the 50 fastest growing shows in North America.

"We have been on that list three times in the past four years," Mannuzza said. "So we're among the fastest-growing 50 shows of the largest 200 trade shows in North America. The amazing thing is we're a very mature show--in our 29th year. Normally, the shows that make the 'Fastest 50' are new shows. For a show that's as old as ours to continue to grow is phenomenal. In the trade show industry, we're looked at as a premier show."

In honor of the show's growth, the SHOT Show was honored at the Fourth Annual TSW "Fastest 50" black-tie celebration in Boston, Mass., Nov. 10-12. Accepting the award was Painter, Mannuzza and Jim Buckley, vice president/SHOT Show manager for Reed Exhibitions.

"The growth of the show is impressive," Buckley said. "It's an indication of the viability of the firearm and outdoor industry, which hasn't gone unnoticed by the trade show industry."

The Cornerstones

Painter said there are three major reasons firearm dealers should attend the SHOT Show:

* It's not just to see the new products: The show is the one place you can talk to the people who invented and are marketing those new products.

* It's not just to hear all the new, key marketing trends in our business: The show is the one place you can talk to the people who are setting those trends.

* It's not just where you can identify new, key business contacts: The show is the place where you can solidify and cement those relationships.

"To me, those are the three cornerstones of successful, independent retailing today," Painter said. "Dealers need to really know the new products, to really have an in-depth understanding of what the marketing trends are in our industry and to have the key contacts in the business. They need to know where the best deals are and to know what's going on."

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Overall, Painter expects the 2007 SHOT Show in Orlando to provide many opportunities for all segments of the industry to interact and learn from one another.

"Orlando is a great city for the SHOT Show," he said. "The entire community is very hospitable to us and has rolled out the red carpet for our industry. The convention center is a beautiful place and there is lots of housing available at all different price points. It's going to be beautiful weather and it's a great opportunity to bring Mom and the kids so they can enjoy the Disney experience. There are going to be a lot of opportunities from a business and a personal standpoint."

Rapid Check-In--Ensure You're Counted

In the past, retailers attending the SHOT Show had to stand in line to pick up their badge holders before they were permitted to enter the exhibit area. NSSF officials have changed the check-in process to make it faster and easier.

"We've done away with the badge holder pickup and we're going to have big bins of badge holders," Mannuzza said. "Next to each bin will be a station where retailers will turn in the verification stubs for their badges. We want everyone to turn in their verification stub so we can verify they did indeed attend the show. If they don't turn in the stub, they will miss all the pre-show and post-show information we send out that's vital to their businesses."

Show officials stress it is important to get an accurate count of the number of attendees, because it translates into a better future show.

"When I negotiate with a city to get the dates we want for the SHOT Show, convention centers and cities always look for the biggest shows and give them the best dates," Buckley said. "Bigger shows put more heads in beds and put more dollars into the city. I want to be able to say, 'I had 52,000 people at the SHOT Show' so we can get the dates we want."

Do more than 50,000 people attend SHOT Show? Buckley thinks so.

"At the 2006 show, we had 55,000 people pre-registered for the show, but we could only verify that close to 41,000 actually attended. Now, we know there weren't 14,000 people who registered but didn't show up--they just weren't counted. We don't want to go to scanners so there's a big line at the door that annoys people, so we are asking people to drop off their stubs on their way into the show."

Turning in the stub also ensures attendees are placed on the priority list to receive information on SHOT Show 2008, which is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas.

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"If someone doesn't turn in his stub, he's not going to get counted, he's not helping the show and he won't receive all the pre-show literature for next year's show," Buckley said.

A Night To Celebrate

The State of the Industry Dinner-Concert Gala, to be held the first night of the show, Jan. 11, is sponsored by Realtree, ESPN and Ducks Unlimited. The concert by Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert is sure to be a hit, Painter said.

"Both entertainers are very avid hunters, which is a neat thing, especially because they're so young. It's really nice to have two 20-somethings who are a part of the industry and are really thrilled to be there," Painter said.

Blake Shelton has been nominated for several Country Music Awards, including the 2003 CMA Horizon Award and 2003 CMA Vocal Event of the Year. He was named "Radio & Records" Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2001.

Miranda Lambert has been nominated for several Country Music Awards, including the 2006 CMA Horizon Award and 2006 CMA Music Video of the Year for "Kerosene."

The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Following the dinner, there will be a State of the Industry presentation and then the concert. The cost for the evening is $90 per person or $850 for a table of ten. Tickets may be ordered online at www.shotshow.org.

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SHOT Show Auction

The 2007 SHOT Show Auction will feature five one-of-a-kind Smith & Wesson firearms and an original Ross Tyser Gentleman's Folding knife.

Bidding for the items began Dec. 14 and will continue through the SHOT Show, concluding at noon on Jan. 14. The guns and knife will be sold to the highest bidder on www.gunbroker.com.

"The proceeds from this auction will benefit the Wonders of Wildlife National Fish and Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Mo.," said Dave Miles, NSSF promotions and advertising director. "The museum educates and entertains visitors about the value of fish and wildlife, thereby helping them understand and appreciate America's hunting and fishing heritage."

The first auction firearm is the Hunting Heritage gun, a Smith & Wesson classic Model 41 in .22. The pistol features decorative engraved scrolling and serial number, "WWH 0001."

The four additional auction Smith & Wesson firearms are from the North American Big Game Collection. Each revolver features classic hand-engraved scroll accents on the barrel, cylinder, backstrap and frame. The side plates highlight a bust of one of America's big-game species in 24kt gold. Donated custom grips are from the Altamont Co. Each firearm is presented in a custom case provided by Brooks & Thomas.

The models are:

* The Smith & Wesson Model 657 .41 Magnum, North American Big Game -- Big Horn Sheep Model, "WWS 0001,"

* The Smith & Wesson Model 629C .44 Magnum, North American Big Game -- Whitetail Deer Model, "WWD 0001,"

* The Smith & Wesson Model 460 XVR .460 S & W, North American Big Game -- Elk Model, "WWE 0001,"

* The Smith & Wesson Model 500 .500 S & W, North American Big Game -- Moose Model, "WWM 0001."

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Auction Knife

The Gentleman's Folding knife by custom knife maker Ross Tyser features jeweled titanium liners, nickel silver bolsters and black-lip pearl scales secured with 10kt gold screws. The 2 3/4" drop-point blade is hand-hammer-forged 384 layer 1084 and 15n20 Damascus steel in a raindrop pattern. The one-handed folder is actuated by a mother-of-pearl thumb-bob and is 6 1/4" long when open.

The 2007 SHOT Show Guns and Knife will be on display at the NSSF booth on the SHOT Show floor throughout the show. To place a bid, sign onto www.gunbroker.com. Bidding will conclude Jan. 14 at noon, EST.

New Products, New Service

At the New Product Center, handheld scanners will be available for dealers to quickly gather information.

"We usually have between 450 and 500 items in the New Product Center," Buckley said. "In the past, we saw dealers take the New Product Directory and circle all the things they were interested in so they could go to the booths and talk to the exhibitors. So, we decided to provide scanners and put bar codes on all the new products."

Now, when a dealer walks through the New Product Center, he can scan the cards beside the products that attract his attention.

"When he returns the scanner, the information is downloaded and the retailer gets a list of all the products, companies and booth numbers," Buckley said.

This year, the New Product Center will be in Lobby D, just outside the Law Enforcement section.

"We'll open the New Product Center at 8 a.m. so people can walk through it and see new products before the show opens," Buckley said.

Outfitters Post

The Outfitters Post, which will be located on the main SHOT Show floor, is the place to go for information on game ranches, guides, outfitters and other providers of hunting experiences for customers.

"The purpose of the Outfitters Post is to give retailers another way of serving their customers. If you know you have a number of hunters who like to book a Western elk hunt every year, you can contact elk hunt outfitters to find out what products you need to carry for those hunters. In addition, you may be able to partner with an outfitter to offer hunts through your store," Mannuzza said.

An addition to this year's Outfitters Post is a number of taxidermists.

"We're starting to do more marketing to the taxidermy organizations," Mannuzza said. "It's such a natural fit within the show."

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Opportunities For Education

Dealers will be offered a wide variety of educational opportunities at the SHOT Show.

SHOT Show University, sponsored by NSSF's National Association of Firearms Retailers (NAFR), will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007, in the West Building of the Orange County Convention Center. This is the sixth year NAFR has held the university. (See page 47 for schedule.)

The cost to attend the daylong university is $50 for NAFR members and $75 for non-members. To register, call [phone] or visit the NAFR Web site at www.nafr.org.

Free Seminars

A wide range of free seminars will be held on the second and third day of the show, Jan. 12 and 13, at the Orange County Convention Center. Pre-registration is not required for the free seminars. (See page 47.)

The seminar "BATF--Issues and Answers" will be held on Friday only.

The seminar "Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax" will be held on Saturday only.

"This is an important seminar because more retailers are getting involved with imported firearms," said Tom Larson, director of Retailer Partnerships for NSSF.

Federal Express will present a seminar on how dealers can save money on shipping.

"FedEx is a partner to NSSF members. Many retailers ship a lot of guns during the year, so FedEx will present attendees all the ins and outs of shipping firearms. NSSF members are entitled to save up to 26 percent on FedEx shipping," Larson said.

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SHOT SHOW[R] UNIVERSITY[TM]

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007

Orange County Convention Center, West Building * Registration: www.nafr.org

8 a.m. * Welcome: Tom Larson, Retail Partnerships director, NSSF.

8:15 a.m. * Keynote Speaker: Doug Painter, President, NSSF.

8:45 a.m. * NSSF Membership Benefits, Step Outside, National Association of Firearms Retailers.

9:15 a.m. * Break. Sponsored by Mossberg.

9:30 a.m. * Budgeting Process For Your Business.

10:45 a.m. * E-commerce and Web Sites.

11:45 a.m. * Lunch. Sponsored by Armor Holdings.

1 p.m. * Communications--Did You Hear What Your Customer Didn't Say?

2 p.m. * ATF Business Practices and Record-Keeping.

3:15 p.m. * Don't Lie for the Other Guy--Straw Purchase Awareness.

4 p.m. * Break. Sponsored by Winchester Ammunition.

4:15 p.m. * Shooting Range Development.

5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. * Retailer Reception. Sponsored by the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers.

Free SHOT Show Seminars

Orange County Convention Center

Friday, Jan. 12

10 a.m.-Noon, Room 308A/B * BATF--Issues and Answers

Saturday, Jan. 13

8 a.m.-11 a.m., Room 103A * Firearms And Ammunition Excise Tax Seminar

Friday and Saturday

9 a.m.-10 a.m., Room 308C * The ABCs of Co-op Advertising

9:30 a.m.-11 a.m., Room 307C * Developing the Combative Mind--L.E.

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Room 308D * Lead Management for Outdoor Ranges

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Room 308C * Direct Mail

1 p.m.-2 p.m., Room 307C * Loss Prevention

1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Room 308D * Lead Management for Indoor Ranges

2 p.m.-3 p.m., Room 308C * Range Business Development

2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Room 307C * FedEx

3 p.m.-4 p.m., Room 308D * Insurance for the Retail Store