To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. 2008 2008 playing cards.” If you beat the dealer at Blackjack, you receive the deck of playing cards and a 30th anniversary camouflage backpack. “That will be going on throughout the show,” Mannuzza said. “At the end of the show, we’re raffling off a 50-inch high-definition TV, donated by the Outdoor Channel.” honor of Leatherman’s 25th anniversary. “Then there’s a complete 2009 SHOT Show package, which includes hotel, airfare and the State of the Industry Gala,” Mannuzza said. “Some of the firearms are fantastic. They include Brownings and Winchesters and Smith & Wessons. Ruger is giving us a 50th anniversary set of matched revolvers. We also have a Taurus. There’s also an incredible ‘Hunt of a Lifetime.’” Dealers who are still not sure they should be there on the last day may want to consider “The Last Blast’s” biggest prize. “The Grand Prize is a Yamaha Rhino 4x4 that’s worth in excess of $13,000,” Mannuzza said, who explained why NSSF is putting so much effort into “The Last Blast.” “At NSSF, we understand that part of our job is to do our best to keep customers coming to the show and to have qualified buyers on the show floor. Once we have them there, we want to keep them there. So this is part of what we’re doing to drive traffic to the entire show,” Mannuzza said. The Last Blast SHOT Show attendees who stay until the last day of the show, Tuesday, Feb. 5, will have an opportunity to participate in “The Last Blast.” Like the 2006 “Grand Shopping Spree,” this raffle is open only to buyers. “Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the last day, buyers need to go to the central lobby to have their badge scanned,” Mannuzza said. “Once your badge is scanned, you’re entered; you don’t have to be present to win. Then, at 2 p.m. at the “Go for the Gold” booth in the Gold Hall, we’ll do the drawing.” Prizes in “The Last Blast” include high-end firearms, $1,500 Leupold scope and a sterling silver Leatherman tool in Getting The Most From The Show T o better serve the show’s exhibitors, the NSSF has created a CD titled “Secrets to a Successful SHOT Show.” The idea, Mannuzza said, is to help exhibitors make the most of visits by retailers. Contact NSSF at (203) 426-1320 to request a copy. “Plus, our management company, Reed Exhibition, puts on free exhibitor seminars all over the country,” she said. “It’s a one-day course that’s free. Exhibitors come in and learn about preshow and post-show marketing, and what you can do at the show. They also have some educational ‘Webinars’ and CDs.” Not only is this important for first-time exhibitors, Mannuzza said, it’s equally important for exhibitors who have been to the SHOT Show many times. “We’re in partnership with our exhibitors, and we want to be sure that they reach out to their key buyers with proper marketing tools to get them to come to the show,” she said. “How they do that has changed as technology has changed, and there’s a tremendous amount of information available for exhibitors and attendees alike.” For instance, the SHOT Show Blast, an e-mail newsletter that reaches about 60,000 people, is a valuable NSSF tool that provides important SHOT Show news in advance of the show. To receive SHOT Show Blast, visit www.shotshow.org. Register For SHOT 2008 The registration procedure for those attending the show also has changed. “We have been tracking our registration for the past two years, and more than 90 percent of our attendees register online now,” Mannuzza said. “Very few people register on the phone or by paper any more. We all understand that we’re in the 21st Century and that we’re using 21st Century technology to help grow and maintain our businesses.” To r e g i s t e r o n l i n e , v i s i t www.shotshow.org. 9 CIRCLE NO. 226 ON INQUIRY CARD 54 www.shootingindustry.com • SHOT SHOW SUPER ISSUE 2008