The Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show begins in Las Vegas, Nevada, today and runs until Friday, January 20. The show is open to the trade only and it’s the place where members of the firearms industry meet to conduct business and discuss the state of the industry. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) sponsors the show.
After eight years of Obama, the industry is good. The National Rifle Association reported that in 2016, more than 27 million guns were sold. Strong gun sales affect not just firearms manufacturers, but all the industries peripheral to the business of guns. Companies that manufacture ammunition, gun parts, hunting gear, tactical accessories and camping equipment are all part of the industry and employees from these companies are the people who attend the SHOT show.
Writes the NSSF:
Over the next four days, the show will attract nearly 65,000 industry professionals from the firearms and outdoor industry, including 2,500 members of the outdoor press-the largest gathering of outdoor media in the world-and showcase new, innovative products used for target shooting, hunting, outdoor recreation and law enforcement purposes.
Tonight the foundation will hold its State of the Industry dinner:
Tonight [NSSF President] Sanetti will speak about industry challenges and opportunities at the annual State of the Industry Dinner. A sold-out crowd of more than 2,100 industry professionals is slated to attend this event, where in addition to the year-in-review presentation and several guest speakers, they’ll be entertained by Mike Rowe, host of the immensely popular television shows Dirty Jobs and Someone’s Gotta Do It, and CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, “a 501(c)(3) public charity that rewards people with a passion to get trained for skilled jobs that actually exist.”
Just to give you a flavor of what it is like here:
There are buyers from all 50 states and more than 100 countries, more than 1,600 exhibiting companies across show floor space that exceeds 630,000 net square feet-equivalent to more than 13 acres. Some 12.5 miles of aisles lead to displays of a wide spectrum of products, including firearms, ammunition, gun safes, locks and cases, optics, shooting range equipment, targets, training and safety equipment, hunting accessories, law enforcement equipment, hearing and eye protection, tree stands, scents and lures, cutlery, GPS systems, holsters, apparel, leather goods, game calls and decoys.
It’s overwhelming. I’ll be here all week reporting from the show. Tune in and follow my dispatches!
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