As most of you know the annual meeting will be in Atlanta next year. I've never attended one and wondered if there's a cost involved for entry into the exhibits? I looked everywhere on their website and can't find the information. I'm going either way!

Free for NRA members.  

Don't forget 1 board member is elected at the meeting

Where is it going to be held?

WCC

Thanks for the info guys, I was looking at the floorplan and vendor lists and it looks to be the SHOT show for the common folk!

I actually like NRA better than SHOT.

Dates?

I ain't bringin no date. that's like bringing a cheese sandwich to a banquet.

Why is that?

I went to the NRA meeting in Charlotte in 2010, and I really enjoyed it.  I will be going to SHOT one day hopefully.

Just curious how they are different.

Here's my take on the shot show as someone that has worked a booth in hundreds of trade shows. These included all the big military / government shows, amusement park , PGA etc. Tons of them.

The shot show is one of the last trade shows that's largely unified and where people actually make big deals at the show.

In other industries, trade shows are mostly wining and dining, and booths to meet new customers. While I'm certain deals are made, I have never seen a show like shot where it was specifically geared around buyers signing commitments for the next year. There are offices setup over booths to make deals. Every time someone like me or you asks a sales rep a bunch of questions, we are taking away an opportunity for someone buying a significant order from them. The shot show might be 10% buyers, 60% associates, and 30% folks who figured out a way to get in.

The NRA show is geared around both dealers and consumers. I haven't been to one yet, but I would imagine the sales reps go into it knowing that they are there to answer anybody's questions. It's got to be more relaxing for the vendors.

As a three time attendee of SHOT show as a buyer, and five time attendee of the NRA annual meeting, I can definitely say the NRA show is more fun.

SHOT is industry oriented, you talk to your sales reps and get ducks in a row for the year to come, check out new products and see if you want to place an order for them. It's absolutely enormous, and you have to have a game plan of the booths you need to go to to take care of business. If you don't, the four days aren't enough. It's a big hustle with TONS of walking. Pressure is on as a buyer too..: you have to make all the rounds and spend the business' money carefully, many of the orders will be rather large. Cost is also a big factor - between flights; hotel, food, etc, it usually runs my dad and I $3-$4k.

The NRA show on the other hand is smaller and more manageable, usually all on one floor (SHOT is spread between three floors and different wings on same floors) with better organization. The cities it's held in have so far all been within reasonable driving distance so you don't have to worry about the abysmal flights, and are less expensive than Vegas. You can actually buy stuff to take home with you there, as it's geared toward the public.

A few pro tips:
-Never take the brochures. Your pack will weigh 50 pounds at the end of the day if you do, and you're just gonna throw em away anyways. Take business cards instead.
-Take freebies only if you really want to use em, again pack will be heavy as shit otherwise.
-Use the floor plan guide to route out all the booths you want to see. Having a game plan helps things go smoothly and you won't miss anything you want to see.

Some of this is true. Some of it used to be true. But the most recent 4-5 years things done changed. And I am thinking that your numbers are off a bit. I would put the "guys that figured out how to get in" at a solid 50%.

Here is my take:

SHOT used to be open to the Industry. Manufacturers, Distributors, Dealers, Military and Media. Period. No Gunbunnies (male or female), no bloggers (My mom has instagram too bros, that shouldn't get you a media badge), and no "My buddy/brother in law/ dude I met in a bar last night got me in.

Very few big orders are booked at SHOT any longer. They are either done beforehand (NASGW- which was in KC this past week) or at Distributor Shows (For dealers- Ellett/ Acusport/ Hicks, etc). Distributors are already provided with 2017 products and information in late October every year.  With SHOT being as hectic as it is, good decisions need time and quiet in order to process. Now don't get me wrong, a lot of Manufacturers still do a SHOT SHOW SPECIAL!! which is just something to offset the tremendous cost of booth/hotel/ bar tabs. but not all. Hell, when I was at NF we didn't even take regular orders at SHOT. That might have changed since then.

Even companies waiting until SHOT to release the latest and greatest is dwindling. Ruger, S&W, Springfield, Magpul all release throughout the year now.

Put simply at SHOT I honestly have 0% clue who someone is when they walk into the booth, regardless of name badge. They could be a dealer, an international military contact looking for product, a new distributor, a competitor, or, as is more often that not some dude that has no business there in the first place looking for sponsorship/ free SWAG/ Free Cans, etc. Sorry to sound like an elitist dick, but come talk to me on Friday at SHOT. This post is LITERALLY the sugar coated version.

And the fucking snake oil guys. Oh my God the snake oil guys. Nano technology is not a thing in lube. And you should choke yourself. Although I do like sending them over to see GMFH. It's pretty much my favorite thing to do.

I gladly welcome legitimate FFL dealers (and in my case SOT holders), Mil/LE, Industry types looking for partnerships, REAL media, (and especially anyone from this board )   etc. It's literally why the show is there. It's the chaff that clogs up the system. If NSSF is gonna just let every swinging dick in then just do it already.

Now, as to the question as to why I like NRA more. There I have a 90% certainty that whoever walks in the booth in a god fearing, gun totin', NRA member regular ass Joe that might have the wife and kids with him. It's not some excuse to have party time in Vegas. It's usually a lot lower key and everyone is a helluva lot more down to earth. The so-called "new media" types rarely fly in to NRA as they either blew all their money on a room at Caesar's in January or they feel NRA is beneath them.

Plus for the past 2 years and in 2017 I drove to NRA. FU Delta.

Again, I might be a prick for saying some of this, but ask any "grizzled SHOT veteran" at a bar after hours and they will tell you the same. That is, if you want to hear the truth.

Although not entirely pertinent to NRA vs. SHOT I am reminded of what the great Todd Green once told me- at my first SHOT working as a vendor- "NSSF should REALLY limit SHOT to the first 500 AR-15 rifle manufacturers to apply. It would really open up the rooms a bit more.)

You saved your bacon when you included "especially anyone from this board".  I hate to be the one you put in that other deplorable basket.

That was specifically for you there buddy.  

I wouldn't be able to bear it if you didn't like me any more.

My brother and I have a room at the Hyatt Regency. We'll be there.

I'm gonna go with my local shop owner. His business partner don't like shit like that. Now I'm trying talk my way into the shot!!

It is really not hard , Which is what is killing Shot.



Derek  has spoken the truth about shot and trade shows in general