Photo courtesy of NSSF

January might seem far away during the heat of the summer, but when it comes to planning for NSSF’s 2025 SHOT Show, now is the time to start.

Here are some tips on what you can do now to ensure a successful event when the SHOT Show doors open in January.

Define Success for Your SHOT Show

Every company has its own definition of a successful trade show. What does a successful SHOT Show look like for your company? Are you looking for sales leads? Media coverage for your products from the show’s 2,200+ credentialed media? Orders written? New vendors from Supplier Showcase? Meeting with your customers? All of the above? Now is the time to create realistic goals of what your company hopes to accomplish and to begin planning how you’ll hit those goals—and what tools and tactics you’ll use to get you there.

Learn from the Pros

From now until January, NSSF is offering a series of free live webinars, all aimed at giving exhibitors the information they need to get the most out of the show. The online SHOT Show Exhibitor Academy kicked off on July 24 with a session called, “Pre-Show Strategy Checklist: The Smart Place to Start Preparing for SHOT 2025.” You can watch the recording of that session and register for upcoming sessions at shotshow.org/exhibitor-academy.

Book Your Travel Early

Be sure to plan travel well in advance for your booth staff. Keep an eye on airfares and secure the best hotel room rates by booking early at shotshow.org/hotel-and-travel. And by early, consider that some of our largest exhibitors book their rooms each year while they’re still on site at the show in January. The hotel room block is structured on tiered pricing, similar to how airlines price airfares. The more seats available, the lower the price. The first segment of hotel rooms is always priced the lowest. The closer to the show, the less inventory there is and the higher the price. Yes, you can sometimes find last minute rooms at a low price through hotel room consolidators (Priceline, Travelocity, etc.), however, if you have to cancel or make changes, you are dealing with the consolidator digitally and not the hotel.

Calendar Your Booth Deadlines

When it comes to your booth needs, make sure to calendar your deadlines and plan early to obtain the best rates available on ordering services for your booth. There are many resources available, including a Deadline Checklist, in the SHOT Show’s Exhibitor Resource Center located at shotshowerc.com.

Photo courtesy of NSSF

Invite Your Customers in Advance

Getting to renew—and create new—relationships is one of the top things that makes SHOT great.

Don’t forget the power of sending an invitation to your customers and prospects to join you at the show. In the show’s Exhibitor Marketing Toolkit and the Supplier Showcase Marketing Toolkit, exhibitors can upload their company name, booth number, logo, and a short message about their products and services. Once you submit the form, an official, complimentary SHOT Show invitation will generate including your company’s information. You can email the invite, mail it, use it on packaging, and more.

Plan to Bring the Right Staff to Attend Supplier Showcase

Who manages your supply chain? They should be at the show. Plan to bring along the personnel who make decisions on your supply chain, as well those who can help your business connect to the best suppliers in the industry.

The 2025 Supplier Showcase will be the SHOT Show’s biggest yet, with more than 600 suppliers exhibiting. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for company owners, CEOs, engineers, R&D specialists and purchasing agents to make new connections at our “show within a show” that is unlike any event you’ll attend anywhere.

We’re Here to Help

Have questions about what you can do to increase your visibility and the get the most out of the show? Contact your SHOT Show sales rep at any time. We’re constantly in contact with our more than 2,500 exhibiting companies and always ready to help with whatever you need.

– Chris Tatulli, NSSF Senior Director of Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales

Next issue of The Supplier Wire will be September 6. Please submit your press release by Wednesday, September 4.