Every January and February the outdoor industry and affili ated conservation organizations gather in crowded conference halls across the U.S. There are concerts, banquets, golf tourna- ments, raffles, parties, and etc.
all celebrating the great outdoors. It is a testament to the success of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, wildlife populations appeared headed for decimation.
But, in 1937 the Pittman-Roberts Act and later the Dingell Johnson Act assured that along with sportsmen’s licenses, permit dollars, and science based on common animal husband- ry; federal excise taxes on fire - arms and ammo would benefit wildlife populations for coming generations. It is an 85-year-old practice that still delivers real results. It is a story of triumph.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is the outdoor industry’s trade organization enjoying the membership of many conservation groups, product manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, law enforcement, and media that includes print, internet, television, and radio. The NSSF’s SHOT Show is held annually in Las Vegas. It is the largest assemblage for the outdoor industry in the world. The 2023 show was held in the Venetian Expo Conference Center, and via a sky bridge, including the Caesar’s Forum. More than 2500 vendors scattered up and down four floors of 816,000 square feet of exhibit space. Fifty thousand business people with two thousand media hounds registered to attend. This included international representatives from 115 countries.
The NSSF has also developed and runs the largest gun safety program, “Project Child Safe”. NSSF Vice President of Marketing Bill Dunn says, “We’ve distributed millions of safety kits that include gun locks but most important is the gun safety education that we deliver. There’s information about storage and handling, and I encourage everyone to learn about it. It’s an extremely good program. We partner with cities and law enforcement. We’re in more than 15,000 locations across the U.S. So, there’s a pretty good chance that if you want a gun safety kit your local police department may be able to provide one that comes from us.”
Dunn went on to mention NSTF’s suicide prevention program. “We’ve partnered for numerous years with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It helps gun owners and gun store owners in identifying signs when someone is contemplating suicide. Many of our members own shooting ranges and stores. It’s essential for them to know what questions to ask and what to watch for. All of our members have access to this information.
Also, we work with the Veterans Administration (VA).”
The Suppliers Showcase is a new aspect of the SHOT Show.
“There were 540 vendors in the new area. These are the guys that supply the plastics, metals, and whatever materials are necessary for the manufacturers in the industry. The manufacturers love it. There’s no other place where they may visit aisle after aisle of vendors offering supplies for their manufacturing needs. Today’s supply chain woes demand that we have this showcase available,” says Dunn.
The SHOT Show is the largest but is only one of many functions happening during “Show Season”. The public may also enjoy the conventions held by the Dallas Safari Club, Houston Safari Club, Safari Club International, the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania show, the Archery Trade Association show, The Houston Boat Show, and countless more. These shows offer the public opportunities to meet hunting and fishing outfitters, as well as, find the garb and need ed tools to relish their preferred outdoor experiences.
