Sig Sauer to Donate $500,000 to NSSF for Industry Support
Company Says it Supports SHOT COVID Decision, “Disappointed that We Will not be Able to Meet at SHOT Show”
Today Sig Sauer, Inc. announced the donation of $500,000 to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to support the important work the NSSF is doing on behalf of the entire shooting, hunting, and outdoor industry. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSSF was instrumental in defending the industry and insuring retailers and manufacturers alike were declared essential to personal safety and the defense of America and kept our respective businesses open.
“It’s disappointing that we will not be able to gather as an industry in 2021 at SHOT Show. However, given the recent rise in COVID-19 cases throughout the world we fully support the difficult decision of the National Shooting Sports Foundation to cancel SHOT Show,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales. “The NSSF, and its staff, are truly remarkable and all of us at Sig Sauer are thankful for their continued efforts. In the absence of SHOT Show, SIG is pleased to announce a $500,000 donation to support the NSSF’s ongoing work in education, safety initiatives, compliance and security resources, import/export guidance, consumer activation initiatives, government relations, and operational needs for 2021.”
To learn more about the National Shooting Sports Foundation visit nssf.org.
NSSF Announces 2021 SHOT Show is CANCELLED!
Despite earlier statements that everything was going smoothly, nobody had anything to worry about, and acres of mask material with tanker ships full of hand sanitizer to keep everyone safe and healthy, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) announced today that the 43rd Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trades show – a/k/a SHOT Show – has been cancelled.
Whether it was due to legitimate health concerns at the show itself, or vendor pull-out based on coronavirus worries, the 2021 gathering of the firearms industry in Las Vegas this January is no more.
Despite what NSSF President & CEO Joe Bartozzi called remarkable work by SHOT Show staff to “work around the clock to plan our largest show in history while keeping the health and safety of all involved” at the top of the list, he made the announcement this morning. Continue reading
NSSF: 2021 SHOT Show Moving Forward
The Show Must Go On
In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has been shutting down businesses and grinding trade shows to a halt (I have missed exhibiting at two and attending another two already), firearms industry trade organization National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has announced that the 2021 SHOT Show will go on as planned.
The Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trades Show, scheduled for January 19-22, is the largest show of its kind. With the expansion into the brand new Caesars Forum, this 43rd iteration of the SHOT Show will be the biggest one yet – featuring nearly three-quarters of a million square feet (nearly 17 acres) of exhibit space.
Despite rumors that several big names are already pulling back from the show over Coronavirus concerns, NSSF said that the SHOT Show team has spent the past month working with industry manufacturers and suppliers to confirm exhibitors and plans to have nearly 3,000 booths on display.
“The health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, media, and our employees is a foremost priority,” noted NSSF Senior VP, Chris Dolnack. “We are in constant contact with our partners monitoring the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as clarifying important safety protocols and guidelines for large events.”
Dolnack said that, although the 2021 SHOT Show may feel a bit different thanks to health and safety precautions (likely meaning mask requirements, lower attendance, social distancing guidelines, and so on), the critical buying and networking opportunities should be very much the same.
From the opening shots of the invite-only SHOT Show Range Day to the 17 acres of exhibit floor, the GunLink team will be at the show to bring you the latest news, product releases, and reviews as we celebrate our 10th year of SHOT Show coverage.
Stay tuned to the GunLink Blog and GunLink Forums for full coverage and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for live updates before, during, and after the show.
Mantis Upgrades Training Tool with New X10 Elite Device
When we first heard of the Mantis training aid several years ago, it was easy to see its value for shooters wanting to improve their skills without spending a lot of time or money at the range. And we weren’t let down when we got our hands on it. In our review of the original Mantis X model, we were quite tickled with the immediate feedback with both live fire and dry fire. It was no wonder that the device was awarded Best Accessory of 2018 by NASGW and POMA. We were impressed with the user support and continued growth of the MantisX – from quick responses from the company to frequent updates with new features and any bug fixes.
This is why we were so excited to hear about the new models being released at SHOT Show 2020 earlier this year. The company has continued to pour tons of development effort into the product, which has grown from just the original model into a handful of new models including the $99 X2 dry-fire-only model, the X3 for live-fire of both pistols and rifles, the X7 shotgun trainer, X8 archery model, and the top of the line X10 Elite model, which covers all of the bases for live fire and dry fire for pistols, rifles, and shotguns as well as archery. Yeah, they’ve been keeping busy.
Austin was kind enough to arrange for a Mantis X10 Elite unit to be sent to us to review and we had the chance to put it through its paces. Once again, we were not disappointed in the slightest! Continue reading
NSSF’s SHOT Show Receives Creative Award
The Davey Awards has recognized the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s SHOT Show with a Gold Davey Award in its Design/Print category for the SHOT Show’s “Fully Loaded” print advertising. The award recognizes NSSF and CSG Creative, NSSF’s SHOT Show creative agency, for the recent 2020 show’s print ad creative.
The Davey Awards are sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising and marketing firms. AIVA members include executives from organizations such as Condé Nast, Disney, GE, Microsoft, MTV, Yahoo! and many more.
The Gold Davey is the Davey Awards’ top honor.
NSSF’s SHOT Show is the largest trade show of its kind in the world, attracting attendees from 115 countries in addition to all 50 states. More than 55,000 industry professionals attended the 2020 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, with the number of exhibiting companies exceeding 2,500.
The show is held each year at Las Vegas’ Sands Expo Center and is the venue’s largest event. Next year, the SHOT Show is adding even more exhibits, education, meetings and experiences in the all-new Caesars Forum. Just steps away from the Sands Expo via a custom-built skybridge for SHOT Show attendees, Caesars Forum will provide more space for manufacturers and distributors to display their product lines, as well as new exhibitors from even more product categories.
Born to Protect: USCCA Launches Rebrand at SHOT Show 2020
For SHOT Show 2020, the United States Concealed Carry Association will unveil a dramatic update to its brand and messaging. The change marks a milestone in the company’s history after nearly 16 years of dynamic growth that saw USCCA memberships soar to more than 330,000 in 2019, with additional expansion of its training and partnership programs.
The rebranding includes a major upgrade to the brand’s look, now “safety gold,” and the introduction of a new brand slogan, “Born to Protect.” Continue reading
