Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Story & photos: Russ Thurman Mega Trade Show Busts Records, Boosts Business! S HOT Show 2008 in Las Vegas was an overwhelming success, setting new records, boosting business and announcing that the industry is robust. It was a fitting tribute to the show, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in grand style. “What better way to celebrate the SHOT Show’s 30th anniversary than with a turnout that not only broke, but shattered, all previous records for attendance and exhibit space,” said Doug Painter, NSSF president. The 30th anniversary show, Feb. 2-5, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, covered 715,000 square feet of exhibit space. This included two “sprung structures” across the street from the convention center, dubbed the “Gold Hall.” The amount of exhibit space was nearly 60,000 square feet more than last year’s record-setting Orlando, Fla., event. For 2008, there were 1,950 exhibiting companies, up from last year’s 1,870. NSSF reports that the total registered attendance of 58,769 dwarfs last year’s record-setting attendance of 42,216. There were 30,686 buyers at the show, along with 1,725 members of the media, 25,854 exhibiting personnel and 504 guests. Exhibitors were impressed with the attendance and buying enthusiasm. “The first day was probably the best day Legacy has ever had at the SHOT Show,” said Gene Lumsden, Legacy International president and CEO. “We’re very happy with the reaction to our products. We’re on track to have another very strong year.” “This is a fantastic year for us. The SHOT Show is our show of the year. This is our 30th SHOT Show and we are very proud to be here. Hunting, in general, has been taking more and more importance in the company’s business, and the reaction to our products has been fantastic,” said Brian Lisankie, Aimpoint vice president www.shootingindustry.com of marketing and sales. “Traffic was the strongest we’ve ever seen. Customers were very receptive to our new and standard products. All in all, a very positive show,” said Jason Hornady, Hornady vice president. “Our best show ever. Saturday was the busiest day. The owner actually cancelled his appointments to work the booth. An amazing show. We wrote a record amount of business,” said Scott Pasquale, Amchar Wholesale director of sales. Dealers were equally enthusiastic about the show. “The biggest benefit of the show has been the many contacts I’ve made. Plus, entire lines of products are on display, so we get to touch the products, not just look at them online or in a catalog,” said Chris Dunn, owner of Chevlon Canyon Guns Co., Queen Creek, Ariz. “What I especially like about the show are the contacts I make. Where else can you meet all of the CEOs and other executives? I also can’t say enough about the New Product Center. It offered some tip-offs to some new products that have real potential for my business,” said Bill Powell, owner of World of Sports, Florence, S.C. “There’s no question that the greatest benefit is finding new companies and new products that will sell. I come here to find innovation,” said Doc Blanchard, owner of Doc’s Gun Barn in Pocatello, Idaho. “When we opened the doors of the first SHOT Show, we didn’t know who was going to show up,” Painter said. “But these companies were on hand to form the building blocks of what has become the modern SHOT Show, and year in and year out, we could count on these 80 committed companies to be there to greet the ever-growing, record-setting crowds of attendees.” One of the 80 companies is FMG Publications, publisher of Shooting Industry, American Handgunner, GUNS Magazine and American COP. “We’re proud to have been a part of this since the beginning,” said Tom von Rosen, FMG Publications president. “Contributing to this show’s growth, witnessing the industry’s expansion over the last 30 years At part of the 30th anniversary, NSSF honored 80 companies that have exhibited at every SHOT Show since 1979. Two hundred ninety exhibitors participated in the first show Bob Morrison, Taurus president and CEO, says The Judge is the company’s best-selling handgun. in St. Louis. APRIL 2008 25 Honoring The 80