You may have followed the 2010 SHOT Show here at NRAblog. There is something for everyone at this show, and the following piece offers a little on the history and planning of this industry-only event.  This article was written by National Shooting Sports Foundation Senior Vice President Chris Dolnack and posted  on NSSF's blog:

Las Vegas in January  

Eighty-five percent of SHOT Show exhibitors have stressed that holding the industry's largest trade show in January is a must. A January show gives manufacturers plenty of lead time to introduce new products, get a head start on sales and ensure their products are in stores with plenty of time to spare before hunting season.

In 2008, the SHOT Show was held in February, and it turned out to be one of the lowest-rated shows in its history. This was primarily because many companies lost a whole month of sales because they weren't able to introduce new products a month earlier.

To combat this problem, the 2009 show was held in January in Orlando. That show was one of the highest-rated shows ever in our customer feedback surveys.

A majority of exhibitors, however, have continually stressed the importance of holding the show in Las Vegas. According to post-show surveys, 85 percent say the show should be held there "no matter what."

When it comes to trade shows, Las Vegas is a popular place in January. It's the most sought-after month in the trade-show business, with giants like the International Consumer Electronics Show taking first priority with local tourism officials. 

Continue reading here. 

The folks over at NSSF were receiving quite a few questions about the Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show from attendees. Below, their answers:

Answers to your questions about the show

Since the show, we've received feedback in all forms, including social media, the live chat we held last month and surveys we've sent to all of the show's exhibitors and attendees.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be addressing the questions we've received and posting the answers right here on the blog.

Here is the first batch: 

Q: Can there be more staff on the floor? I had a lot of trouble finding vendors I wanted to see.
A: We will have more information staff on the floor and in the lobbies for 2011.   

Q: Will the Sands Convention Center have the roof fixed in case of rain next year? Will dry storage be considered for crates?
A: We have asked the Sands to address this for 2011. The rain we experienced was highly unusual as Las Vegas received nearly a year's worth of rain in a couple of days.

Q: Why must the SHOT Show take place in early January?
A: Because that's when the vast majority of our customers tell us they want the show. In fact, 85 percent say it should be in early January in Las Vegas.

Q: Can the SHOT Show get on a regular schedule every year? The last week of January, first week of February, etc?
A: We are currently scheduled for the third week in January but would certainly move to the second week if it became available.

Continue reading the article.

Stay tuned -- NRAblog will again be on the scene to bring you the freshest news from the 2011 Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. If you missed out, read up on our 2010 SHOT Show coverage. 

If you were in Orlando, the above slideshow may look familiar. Last year's SHOT Show booth was a hopping place, and we predict this year to be no different.

If you're lucky enough to be here in Vegas this week for the industry-only Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, stop by our booth and say hi! We're at booth #11854.

Stay tuned for a photographic comparison to this year's display!

Nicole McMahon sent the following article on what her coworkers will be doing next week at SHOT Show. If you're interested in having your merchandise included in the Friends of NRA banquet program, read this. The selection process is explained in full:

For Friends of NRA, the SHOT Show is the beginning of a several-month process to choose merchandise for banquets taking place throughout the country. Events and Marketing National Manager John da Silva and Merchandise Manager Justin Cross set up appointments and meet with industry leaders in firearms, apparel, outdoor accessories and home décor. In many cases, these industry leaders are conservation specialists, Vice Presidents and Presidents of the companies they represent. Da Silva says that even though they are working long days, they get to meet the “face” of the company, which helps build business relationships.

When da Silva and Cross meet with companies, they discuss their products to see if they would be suited for the Friends of NRA program. Samples and Request for Proposal (RFP) forms are reviewed by a committee for subject, quality, uniqueness, realism/accuracy, fundraising potential, compatibility with The NRA Foundation, Inc.'s and Friends of NRA's ideals, and price point. Additionally, the selection committee takes vendors' history with Friends of NRA (i.e., customer service, adherence to delivery schedules, flexibility, etc.) into consideration. If the companies’ merchandise meets Friends standards, they are invited to participate in the Selection Meeting, which takes place in March. A panel of Senior NRA Field Representatives and headquarters staff decides what products they want to use for banquets the following year. Interested vendors should contact Justin Cross at 1-800-672-3888 x1358 or via email at JCross@nrahq.org.

More...

Our sources tell us the folks at Aimpoint are going to have a pretty exciting demo of a new product Tuesday. (Pictured above is their booth at last year's SHOT Show.)

If you'll be in Vegas for the show, plan on being at their New Product Announcement at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19, in the Level 2 Meeting Room Bassano #2601. Over in the Exhibit Hall, they're in booth #11521. 

A long-time supporter of the programs of NRA, Aimpoint is considered the originator of red dot sight technology. Check out their website, and stay tuned -- NRAblog hopes to snag an interview with Aimpoint President Lennart Ljungfelt.

Last year, NRAblog introduced the 2009 Youth Ambassadors to our readers. We had the chance to catch up with them in the exhibit hall of the 2009 SHOT Show in Florida. Above, two Ambassadors model some of their favorite firearms at  the Smith & Wesson booth.

This year, NRAblog will join forces with coordinator Claudia Olsen at SHOT Show to meet each of the 7 Ambassadors:

• Boy Scouts of America: 19 year-old Ben Hayes, from Delaware, Ohio. Ben is currently attending Ohio State University.
• National High School Rodeo: 16 year-old Jessy Hagey, from Tremont, Illinois. Jessy is a junior in high school.
• Royal Rangers: 18 year-old Michael Carter, from Nampa, Idaho.  Michael is currently attending Idaho State University.
• Venturing: 19 year-old Amy Carter, from Annapolis, Maryland. She attends Anne Arundel Community College.
• National Scholastic Sportsman Program: 16 year-old Kyle Loyd, from Vienna, Illinois. He is a sophomore in high school.
• USA Shooting: 18 year-old Rachael Heiden, resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
• NRA: 18 year-old Collin Wietfeldt, resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Don't go away! SHOT Show is the perfect venue for these talented youth to make their debut, and we'll be there every step of the way. More...

Are you attending SHOT Show as a representative of the industry or a member of the media? Do you wish you were?

NRAblog will be reporting live from Vegas throughout the event, and this is your reminder to bookmark the blog and follow us on Twitter if you aren't already. You won't want to miss any of the action! 

NRA’s Youth Programs Department is pleased to announce the selection of seven young people to serve as the 2010 Brownell’s/NRA National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassadors. During their term, these Ambassadors will provide a young person’s perspective on the shooting sports and serve as youth advisers on shooting sports topics involving young people. 

NRA’s Youth Cooperative Organizations such as Boy Scouts of America, National High School Rodeo Association, Royal Rangers, BSA Venturing, National Scholastic Sportsman Program, and USA Shooting nominated outstanding young people to represent their organization, Brownell’s, and the NRA at national-level events. Not only does the Youth Ambassador program encourage growth of the shooting sports, but it also encourages increased industry support of youth shooting.

“These young people are part of an exciting program that encourages not only the growth of the shooting sports, but increased industry support of young people involved in shooting,” said Larry Quandahl, Manager of NRA’s Youth Programs Department.

Sponsored by Brownell’s, the program offers participants a wide array of benefits, ranging from cash awards and travel opportunities to meeting national shooting celebrities. The 2010 term promises to be a very exciting year for the new Ambassadors, who will attend the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas to represent their organizations and the NRA.

The seven young men and women chosen to serve as Ambassadors in 2010 are:

• Boy Scouts of America: 19 year-old Ben Hayes, from Delaware, Ohio. Ben is currently attending Ohio State University.
• National High School Rodeo: 16 year-old Jessy Hagey, from Tremont, Illinois. Jessy is a junior in high school.
• Royal Rangers: 18 year-old Michael Carter, from Nampa, Idaho.  Michael is currently attending Idaho State University.
• Venturing: 19 year-old Amy Carter, from Annapolis, Maryland. She attends Anne Arundel Community College.
• National Scholastic Sportsman Program: 16 year-old Kyle Loyd, from Vienna, Illinois. He is a sophomore in high school.
• USA Shooting: 18 year-old Rachael Heiden, resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
• NRA: 18 year-old Collin Wietfeldt, resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Congratulations to our new Ambassadors, and stay tuned for more information on these young people, including profiles of each Ambassador, and their trip to SHOT Show.

Woody Arenas, marketing coordinator for NRA Competitive Shooting, met with many NRA sponsors at the SHOT Show. NRA's regional, national, and international competitions feature prizes from a variety of industry folk, and Woody brings us the following update:

NRA competitors will benefit from the generosity of our firearm industry sponsors.

Many companies have stepped up to provide both cash and products to be used at NRA Championships this year. Springfield Armory, Remington, Winchester, Colt, Smith and Wesson, Armalite, DPMS, Safariland, Eley, Lapua, Midway USA, Berger Bullets, Sierra Bullets, Buck Knives, KA-BAR Knives, Sinclair, and Brenzovich Firearms are just a few of NRA’s Competitive Shooting partners.

The NRA Competitive Shooting Division would like to welcome the following 2009 NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championship Sponsors:

• Anshütz
• Cheaper Than Dirt
• LensPen (Parkside Optical)
• Lapua
• Winchester Ammunition
• Bushmaster Firearms

These sponsors have generously provided merchandise and cash to help make the NRA Competitive Shooting events a big success.  Click the links above to learn more about these products and be sure to patronize these companies when meeting all of your shooting needs!

Did you know that there are opportunities at every level for NRA Competitive Shooting Sponsorship? If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the 2009 NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championships or one of our many other NRA Competitive Shooting events, please contact Woody Arenas at WArenas@nrahq.org or visit www.nrasportsponsors.com.

NRAblog.com took a minute after the SHOT Show to catch up with Haley Dunn, who is a world-renowned shotgun competitor. Dunn sits on the Shotgun Committee of the National Rifle Association and was kind enough to answer our questions:

What got you interested in shooting?

My dad is an avid hunter and shooter, and he got me involved at a young age. I learned early how to respect firearms as well as the outdoors. Shooting and hunting is something my entire family did, and still does, together. What really keeps me going now, in shooting, is competition. I love the rush I get while shooting. Not to mention I get to travel all over the world for competitions.

When did you start shooting?

My dad started me off with a BB gun, and then a .22 when I was 6. By the time I was 10 he had built a shooting range at my home in Eddyville, IA where I was shooting sporting clays with a 20ga. It didn’t take me long to decide I needed a bigger gun, and by 12 I was shooting a 12 ga. I went to my first state sporting clays championships at 14, and was the youngest woman to ever win the Ladies’ State Championships. After that, I was hooked! I started shooting International Skeet for the US Team at 15, and won the Junior World championships at 16 in Cairo, Egypt. I have now been on the team for nine years, and won everything there is to win except an Olympic Medal. You can bet I will be there in 2012 at the London games!

Do you have a loyalty to any particular brand or product?

I have a loyalty to Beretta Shotguns, Winchester Ammunition and Bass Pro’s Redhead gear. They have all played a key role in my success as a shooter and hunter. Whether I’m in competition or in the field, it helps to have confidence in my equipment that I can depend on at all times.

What is your proudest competitive shooting accomplishment?

I would have to say that my proudest moment as a competitive shooter was when I won World Cup Finals in Dubai, UAE. That may seem odd to some people that know the sport, because I have several other accomplishments that may seem bigger. For me, though, this was the first overseas competition that I had gone to and said to myself that I was going to win. I could really feel that I was going to win! To feel that, and actually keep everything together and win, to me, is huge. Since then, I have had the feeling more often, and I recognize it. Trust me – it is nice!

Did you see anything neat at SHOT Show 2009 that you’ll look into purchasing?

Actually, there is one product that stands out in my mind, and it has nothing to do with shooting or hunting. I just recently had foot surgery, so I was feeling a little pain as I was walking the aisles of the show. I just happened to walk by the Medi-Rub Corporation booth. They make these amazing foot massagers that literally made me feel like I was floating when I walked after using it. This may seem odd that this product stuck with me, but at the time, it was a lifesaver!

NRA Fold Up Decoys, or FUD, had a display in the NRA booth at this year’s SHOT Show. FUDs are an innovative product created by Australian hunter and NRA member Andrew Hulley, and are an NRA officially licensed product. These unique decoys are designed to help you harvest as many game birds as possible with the least amount of hassle.

FUDs are lightweight, durable, and fold flat for easy storage and carrying. These decoys won’t fade in the sun or be damaged by a stray piece of shot. The multi-posture design and intricate artwork of FUDs creates a realistic look that will have ducks flocking to your pond in no time! The versatility of these decoys makes them a great product to own because they can function in the water, in the shallows or on the ground.

Throughout the show, people were stopping by to talk to members of the FUD team and learn more about the product. In addition to the turkey, there are geese, crow, and eight North American duck species available. Decoys are also available for species found in Europe, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. As the motto says, NRA FUDs are “Game to be different!”

Elizabeth Bush, National Manager of NRA Clubs & Associations and NRA Range Services, attended SHOT Show University the day before the 2009 SHOT Show in Orlando, Florida, and reports to NRAblog.com her findings:

As a first-time participant, I was not sure what to expect from NSSF SHOT Show University. However I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised. NSSF SHOT Show University is a one-day special event designed to provide business skills to today’s firearms retailers.

The entire conference was made up of a series of seminars covering topics such as Marketing, Firearms Compliance Practices, Strategic Communication, Budgeting, Merchandising, and Adding a Shooting Range to your Retail Store, among other topics. These seminars were taught by motivational speakers who were also educated on each of these areas. Participants walked away from SHOT Show University with information they could apply to their everyday business practices.

As a follow-up to this seminar, I would recommend that anyone interested in owning or operating a Shooting Range attend the NRA Range Development and Operations Conference. NRA provides the best training possible for anyone looking to open a Shooting Range. More information can be obtained by contacting NRA at (703) 267-1276 or by visiting our website.

Additionally, NRA hosts Club University, a one-day seminar exclusively for Clubs, providing them with the latest information on NRA programs, grants, range issues, marketing, membership retention and much more. Call us today for more information at (800) NRA CLUB or visit our website.

Thanks, Elizabeth!

Judge Roy Bean, known to folks outside the world of cowboy shooting as Harper Creigh, took a minute to sit down with NRAblog.com during SHOT Show 2009. He is pictured above with NRA Executive Director Kayne Robinson. He insisted he be photographed holding his trademark cigar. "No photograph of me without a cigar exists," the Judge said.

What does it mean to him to be the father of Cowboy Action Shooting? "To me it's not the amount of people, it's the quality of people," he started. "Shooters are the best people in the world, and we have the best of the best.&auot;

"As for what it means, it’s the greatest feeling in the world – like winning the lottery and having your kid elected president all in the same day."

In the winter of 1980, the Judge was joined by six other cowboy action shooters for the very first match. The idea was quick to catch on. The Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) was founded by the Judge in 1987 as an international organization dedicated to the preservation of Cowboy Action Shooting. "We always hoped we could get at least 10,000 members, and here we are 20 years later with over 80,000 members worldwide." More...

Today marks the final day of the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference, commonly referred to as SHOT Show. Owned and operated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, SHOT Show completed its 31st year with this year's Orlando-based Show.

On hand at SHOT Show were several NRA divisions –

• NRA Law Enforcement Activities Division, or LEAD
• NRA Competitive Shooting, with representation from Pistol, High Powered Rifle, and Disabled Shooting departments
• NRA Education and Training, with newly-appointed National Shooting Sports Youth Ambassadors in tow
• NRA Foundation: learn more about supporting the programs of the NRA
• NRA's National Firearms Museum: see "Reel Guns of Real Heroes"
  
• NRAnews.com was be broadcasting live, featuring interviews with NRA President John Sigler, Executive Director Kayne Robinson, and more!
• Membership. Renew or join

– as well as a host of exhibitors.

Thank you for reading our SHOT Show coverage, and don’t go away – plenty more is in the works! Stay tuned to hear an exclusive overview of the Show from NRA Executive Director Kayne Robinson; a report from SHOT Show University from National Clubs and Associations Manager Elizabeth Bush; the National Shooting Sports Youth Ambassadors' perspective on their first Show; and of course more photos from the floor and NRA events.

E-mail GOMedia@nrahq.org with the subject line "SHOT Show" and we'll enter you in a drawing to win one of our fabulous tote bags, modeled by staffer Kerrin Brinkman at left.

The events NRAblog.com covered – the National Youth Ambassador meetings, NRA Competitive Shooting agreements and events, the State of the Industry Dinner – primarily Friday and Saturday, leaving us free to meander the gigantic expanse of exhibits that comprises the SHOT Show.

In some ways, it is best this was saved for the final day of SHOT, as the aisles were not nearly as crowded. On the other hand, some vendors seemed to have packed up, and some booths were not fully manned. The official close of the hall is 4:00 p.m., with tear-down immediately after.

We were able to make our way through much of the hall in about two hours, never stopping any longer than it took to take a photograph. See the slideshow above and let us know if we missed any photo opportunities – I survived my first SHOT Show, and I’m already looking forward to seeing everyone again in Vegas for SHOT Show 2010.