Las Vegas trade show an enlightening experience

This is the first of a two-part series about the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT) held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.

A new attendance record was set at 35th annual event. It is the largest trade show of its kind in the world, and the fifth largest trade show in Las Vegas. This year the overall attendance was 62,371, which includes 1,600 exhibitors, buyers and more than 2,000 media representatives. The booth space covered 630,000 square feet. The show attracts industry professionals from all 50 states and 100 countries.

This is a restricted show, allowing only exhibitors, buyers and media to attend. Only shooting, hunting and outdoor trade and commercial buyers and sellers of military, law enforcement and tactical products are allowed inside the doors. No one under the age of 16 is admitted. This is a working show with a lot of serious business taking place.

Each year my wife, Garnet, and I attend the show as media representatives. This allows us to make contact with firearm and ammunition manufactures, learn what is new in the industry, and what is coming to market in the near future.

This show is so large, it is impossible to visit every booth. I know, as at the first show we attended, Garnet and I tried. We spent nine hours each of the four days following a systemic plan to learn what each booth was about.

The second year we settled down, scheduled appointments, and visited with the booths of interest to us. We are usually up by 5:30 or 6 a.m. the morning of each show. We take a taxi ride to the event, arrive by 7:30 for an 8 a.m. breakfast, and listen to manufactures talk about new products. Following breakfast, we head to the Motorola, Mossberg, Winchester and Remington booths.

Working the floor will wear a person out. So, we look forward to returning to our hotel room for a good night's rest.

The show, which lasted from Tuesday through Friday, is not all work, for sure. We typically arrive in Las Vegas on Sunday. Monday, I headed out to a shooting range for a media day at the range. Firearm and ammunition manufactures have their products at the various firing positions, with media invited to shoot as much as they want.

This year was a bit different from years past. The temperature was in the 20s with a strong wind. Wind chill lowered temperatures into the teens. Several contacts were made, but most of the time was spent in the lunch tent where I was warm and out of the wind.

Parties are another part of the show. In years past we attended two or three per night, but now restrict our participation to two for the week. This year we were invited to the Harris Publication party on Wednesday evening.

Harris publishes many magazines. Some with familiar titles such as Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement, Special Weapons for Military & Police, Combat Handguns, Tactical Weapons, Tactical Knives, Guns of the Old West, and Pocket Pistols.

After our evening meal, I set to find our host, Shirley, and thank her for the invitation. I ask a Harris representative if they had seen Shirley? He pointed her out, but she was talking to others and I didn't want to interrupt.

The representative then pointed out Mr. Harris, the owner and publisher, who was finishing a talk with another person. I walked up to him, introduced myself, thanked him for invitation and handed him my business card.

We talked a bit, he looked at the card and said he wanted to introduce me to Nino Bosaz, the managing editor of their newest magazine, "The New Pioneer."

Nino and I met and we began discussing story ideas. I asked if he would be interested in humor stories.

The idea appealed to him, and he wants me to send a couple along. He promised to send along several copies of the magazine, so I could see the contents of past issues. I found the magazine on a local magazine rack upon returning to Moses Lake.

As Garnet and I entered the press room, we found our friend Ted Nugent giving an impromptu news conference. I mentioned Garnet's birthday to Ted's son, Toby. As Ted was leaving the event he grabbed Garnet and gave her a birthday hug and posed for a photo.

Next week: The Outdoor Channel party and new shooting sport products.