2006 SHOT SHOW®

Headnote

The Show That Supports Everything You Stand For

InDustRy POiSeD FOR WORLD'S LaRGeSt TRaDe SHOW!

Officials of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) are putting the final touches on the industry's largest trade show: SHOT Show 2006. The foundation's 28th SHOT Show extravaganza is on pace to shatter all previous marks, as the number of exhibitors and attendees continues to climb at a record-setting pace for the event, to be held in Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 9-12.

"There is a 25-percent jump in the number of attendees who have registered for the show, compared to the same time last year (mid-December)," said Jeanette Mannuzza, NSSF's director of SHOT Show operations. "That's huge."

Huge is the operative word when describing SHOT Show 2006. For the first time, the show will exceed the 600,000 square feet of exhibitor floor space available inside the Las Vegas Convention Center. To accommodate 200 new exhibitors, show officials are establishing a "SHOT Show Campsite" in a sprung-structure outside the main entrance to the convention center.

"Remember, these are new exhibitors who, even though they couldn't be inside the convention center, believe so much in the strength of the show, the value of the show, that they had to be there. That speaks to the strength of the industry," said Doug Painter, NSSF president.

SHOT Show officials expect the number of exhibitors to reach 1,850. They will occupy an estimated 613,000 square feet of floor space. That is a 46,000-square-foot increase over the 2005 SHOT Show, also held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Based on early registration, officials expect the number of attendees for SHOT Show 2006 to reach 38,000, including buyers, sellers and media representatives from all 50 states and more than 75 countries. The jump in early registration is encouraging, according to Mannuzza.

"These are the types of early numbers you like to see. More people are using the Web site (www.shotshow.org) to register and SHOT Show Blast, our electronic newsletter, is helping to get the word out and keep the trade-show public aware of what's going on. All of these things are helping people come to a decision earlier."

New exhibitors also attract new attendees, Mannuzza said.

"When you have new exhibitors, those exhibitors bring more...