To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Education Opportunities Galore S eeing new products and meeting with exhibitors aren’t the only positive aspects of the show, according to Sanetti. Education also is a big draw for dealers. “From a retailer’s perspective, coming to the SHOT Show gives you a chance to learn how to better conduct your business,” Sanetti said. “There are all sorts of seminars you can’t find anywhere else in the country. Learn how to increase your profits, how to handle inventory, how to take care of security issues in your store, what the BATF expects in the way of record keeping, crime prevention tips in the ‘Don’t Lie For The Other Guy’ seminar — all in the company of other retail dealers.” Interest in the law enforcement side of the industry continues to increase, resulting in more options for L.E.-minded attendees. “The SHOT Show is now the secondlargest law-enforcement show in the country,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior vice president. “It’s second only to IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police) in terms of exhibit space and attendance. So this year, we’re also trying to provide more educational opportunities for law-enforcement attendees.” SHOT Show University will be held Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009, the day before the show opens. “The SHOT Show University has really taken off,” Mannuzza said. “At the 2008 show, we had almost 250 retailers.” (See page 52 for schedule.) Attendees can register for SHOT Show University online at www.shotshow.org. The university’s registration fee, for NSSF members, is $50; non-members pay $75. Dealers who cannot make it to SHOT Show University can take advantage of free seminars during the show. For 2009, Mannuzza said, there will be both standard retailer seminars and law enforcement seminars. Also, the seminars will be held multiple times during the SHOT Show, rather than just at lunchtime. “The lunch schedule didn’t work out too well,” Mannuzza said. “So we’re going back to offering seminars multiple times during the show.” As this story was being prepared, NSSF staffers were still working to put together one of “the most far-reaching and innovative seminar series ever held at a SHOT Show.” SHOT Show University “We know we’re going to do the ATF/ NICS seminar, which is always the best attended,” said Dolnack. “We’re also talking to several manufacturers about seminars. This year we’re making a real effort to reach out to the law-enforcement market with seminars geared toward instructors and tactical officers now that SHOT is such a large law enforcement show. All the seminars will be led by nationally renowned experts.” No registration is required to attend the series of free seminars. (See the January 2009 issue of Shooting Industry for the schedule.) Showcasing New Products I n keeping with longstanding tradition, the SHOT Show will feature a New Products Showcase. This year, the Showcase will be located in Lobby B of the Convention Center. Also in the lobby areas will be all the booths of nonprofit organizations and many state agencies. “Right now, we have about 25 exhibitors in these categories,” Mannuzza said. “They’ll be between Lobby A and Lobby B. This is a great opportunity for these groups to see their constituencies, and a good opportunity for people attending the show to get more information on all these hunting and shooting groups.” This year, the Retail Services Pavilion will contain all the NSSF Affinity Partners, which include insurance companies, store security companies, shipping services, pointof-sale companies and others that help retailers grow and maintain their businesses. Exhibitors: Secrets Of A Great Show o better serve their exhibitors, NSSF created a CD titled “Secrets to a Successful SHOT Show,” which helps in the development of a marketing plan to ensure exhibitors get all the important buyers into their booths at the show. “This CD helps exhibitors give their buyers a reason to come to SHOT, because it’s only at SHOT that you’re going to see this special or get these prices,” Mannuzza said. “It also has information about how to follow up, which is where many people fall down on their marketing. We know that if you contact someone who’s come to your booth within a week to 10 days of the close of the SHOT Show, your response rate is much higher.” This is important for first-time exhibitors and those who have been to the SHOT 48 T Show many times, Mannuzza said. “We’re in partnership with our exhibitors, and we want to be sure 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.” Contact NSSF at (203) 426-1320 to request a copy of “Secrets to a Successful SHOT Show.” The SHOT Show Blast, an e-mail newsletter that reaches about 60,000 exhibitors and attendees, is another tool NSSF uses to distribute SHOT Show news prior to the show. Internet Resource To subscribe SHOT Show Blast, visit www.shotshow.org. • SHOT SHOW SUPER ISSUE 2009 Read SI SI DIGITAL DIGITAL Read www.shootingindustry.com