The wrong and right ways to attend the SHOT Show

Shooting Industry, Jan, 2005 by Karl Lee

Hey! It's SHOT Show time! Get ready to rock in Sin City. Four nights of food, drink, gambling and good times!

Just kidding.

If your reason for going to the SHOT Show is to party, you're going for the wrong reasons. You can learn a lot, and do a lot of business at the show if you have the right attitude and are prepared.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't spend some time enjoying Las Vegas, but your focus needs to be on business, and on doing everything to make this your best year possible.

There are some dealers, however, who see the SHOT Show, especially when it's held in Las Vegas, as an opportunity Rock The House. Here's how they handle preparing for, and attending, the SHOT Show. We, in turn, have suggested some alternatives.

Wrong: Toss all the pre-show information in the trash. Why plan ahead? Plus, all that planning just takes up too much time.

Right: Savvy retailers do a lot of planning before they get to the SHOT Show. Whether you're going to see what's new, plan for next year's budget, or combine a buying trip with a bit of a vacation, you need a well-thought-out plan of attack to get the most from the show.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

First, decide what you want to get out of the show. Talk to your employees about what your customers want to see. Go over your store's sales numbers, inventory, product mix and customer input. Review the extensive information in Shooting Industry on new products and trends, and use that data to develop a floor strategy.

Use the show's floor map and Exhibitor's Guide in this issue to plan who you're going to see, and then set appointments, if possible.