It all depends on the manufacturer and if you are part of a buy group. Most companies will sell direct though there’s some that won’t and some will only sell direct if you are part of a buying group.
Distributors are also at shot which is a good opportunity to set up programs with them.
For the vast majority of exhibitors at SHOT there really isn’t that much order writing or buying. Those days are gone and the sales pitch and order writing begins well before SHOT. Reps are on the road and many distributors have their own shows with special pricing programs and as a result many dealers have stop attending SHOT as its a better business decision . I look for the whole thing to honestly crash and fade away over the next few years. As an exhibitor its hard to justify the expense of SHOT when you really look at what you write or the new business you actually develop from it these days. How trade is conducted today is very different from the humble beginnings in St. Louis in 79. I have been there pretty much every year since 87.
Honestly SHOT was much cleaner before it became TACTICOOL. Like archery, the MIL/LE stuff that we all love should break away and develop their own show.
I have said for a long time now that SHOT should be open to the public for a few days following the actual industry buying show seeing that more and more manufactures are dealing direct with the actual end user or consumer.
I feel your pain thought as its even getting much harder to get in the damn place when you actually exhibit with a staff of employees. Its end may just be in sight seeing it has become a bit of a carnival any more. Really what needs to be questioned is some of the exhibitors!
Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade with the likes of breaching equipment and handcuffs, NOT SO MUCH! NSSF lost its way and has no idea on how to fix it except for punishing attendees.
I will just wait till the end of April and go to the NRA Show in INDY , as I can pretty much see everything there that I want to see.
I was just about to ask: WHAT is at the SHOT show, that aint at the NRA Convention? I know SHOT is for industry people only…but is there any product there that isnt available at NRA Convention?
Having shilled for Crimson Trace, I enjoyed the show…but it is changing a bit now.
Sad state of affairs.
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Does this mean that professionals / YouTube content creators like LAV, Karl & Ian from InRangeTV, and Phuc Long will no longer be able to attend?
Folks like Mr. Vickers can enter via numerous credentials such as consultant, online vendor, etc.
https://shotshow.org/attendee-admission-requirements/
Online personalities such as Phuc Long, etc. probably enters as “media”.
I’ve always gone as ‘media’ because my site met the requirements.
Haven’t attended the last 4 or 5 years though. Media can play an important role in marketing and getting exposure for new products, which also leads to sales/orders, especially for the less well-known manufacturers.
The thing I miss most about not attending SHOT is meeting up with the manufacturers/designers/reps folk that I’ve formed friendships with over the years.
I’m in the automotive aftermarket industry doing performance work on German cars. They car equivalent to SHOT is SEMA. SEMA is one of Vegas’s largest shows.
Tons of people get into the show that shouldn’t it makes it crazy. I feel for the SHOT show people, sucks having all those extra people there. Sounds like SHOT does much better job than SEMA in keeping the rif raf out.
I enjoyed PRI way more than SEMA. I feel like SHOT show is more like PRI and the NRA show is more like SEMA.
As a guy who has stood in the booth many times (not for this industry), I understand limited attendance based around job function. They are probably also getting pressure from manufacturers who are tired of their products being slagged off on YouTube before the lunch hour the first day.
Most of the time you place the order with the manufacturer, and depending on who you are, the order will probably drop ship directly to the customer / LE agency. Unless you are already a LE distributor /wholesaler and HK stocking dealer, there is no way HK is sending you 100 MP5s.
Lot of good points in there.
As a non-industry guy I always wondered why someone would go through the time and expense to attend a “trade-show” to purchase product when they can pull out their cell phone, send an email/text/fax/etc.? A lot of business now days is conducted via video chat like Skype anyway.
Trade-shows in general seem to justify themselves so dudes have an excuse to get away from the wife and kids, get drunk, go to the titty bar, etc. From the outside looking in IMHO it seems to be an archaic concept. I think the real juice for trade-shows like SHOT and CES (The International Consumer Electronics Show) is marketing for manufacturers to show off the latest greatest widget.
In my experience, holding new products in your hands tells you a lot of things that pictures cannot. Also negotiating purchases, if I’m face to face I can more efficiently arrive at “how does this work for you” than I can on the phone or skype.
I think it’s a step in the right direction, they also need to get rid of the fake news crews while they are at it. Having a YouTube channel doesn’t make you part of the press automatically. Neither does having a blog.
I should point out that M4carbine.net could probably have a legit press team.
So…wanna form the M4C visual journalism department? I’ll teach you how to use photo mechanic if you don’t already use it and what captions/IPTC info fits AP style if you’ll teach me how to light products…
I’d get the better end of the deal.
Outside of catching up with friends, Media day is about the only thing I look forward to any more.
But I can stop counting the number of stuff that disappeared from Crimson Trace booth at ShOT.
Worst was Orlando…
That was ****ed up beyond all measure…
Far worst was New Orleans…
My god was that another hellhole.
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That’s appalling but not surprising.
We once caught one thief…and it turns out he owns a gun shop in the midwest…
He made a rather large order and the free shirts, hats, and other swag wasn’t enough for him so he figured pilfering the display guns enough to wet his whistle.
I don’t know what happened but it involved Las Vegas PD and some misunderstanding that…those display guns was his for the taking of a 10k usd order.
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