With a record-setting number of more than 61,000 attendees, the 2012 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show was bigger than ever this year. Held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, January 17-20, the largest trade show of its kind in the world once again affirmed the strength of the firearms industry.
“We have worked hard to make sure SHOT is a great selling and buying experience, and it has resulted in our best show ever,” said Chris Dolnack, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) senior vice president and chief marketing officer. And the show’s 1,600 exhibitors agreed as visitors huddled into booths, hoping to catch glimpses of the latest products, from rifles to fishing gear to footwear.
“Traffic is like we’ve never seen it before,” described Mark Malkowski, president of Stag Arms, maker of modern sporting rifles. “Retailers we’ve talked to are expecting a record year.”
SIG Sauer also enjoyed the thriving show, reporting its best first day at SHOT since the company began keeping sales records. “The market is stimulated,” explained Bud Fini, SIG Sauer vice president of marketing. “First-time buyers, that’s where the expansion is coming from.”
Offering further encouragement, Aimpoint’s Roger Bell noted, “We are selling sights like you can’t believe. … We signed up a lot of new dealers, and that says to me the market is expanding.”
For more highlights from the show, check out the photos below.
(Reporting by NSSF Director of Communications Bill Brassard, Jr. Photos courtesy of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.)
