How is it possible that SHOT Show just keeps getting bigger?
The Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, SHOT for short, is already one of the biggest, most exciting trade shows on the planet. But now it's set to get a whole lot bigger.
The show, which has been held at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 2010, draws up to 60,000 outdoors enthusiasts and 2,100 exhibitors every year.
But amazingly, the 650,000 square feet of floor space the show uses isn't enough. Organizers had to turn away more than 1,000 hopeful exhibitors in 2018 because there just wasn't enough room.
"Not only can't we get companies off the waiting list, but we can't let other companies expand their presence," National Shooting Sports Foundation Senior Vice President and CEO Chris Dolnack told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
As a result, the NSSF has signed new three-year contracts, expanding into two phases. It'll first expand into the MGM Grand Conference Center in 2020. Then, in 2021, it'll also expand into Caesars Forum. This will increase the size of the show to nearly 950,000 square feet. Both centers are still under construction with the MGM Grand, and should be ready this year and Caesars in 2020.
The hope is that expanding the show and diversifying it beyond just the shooting sports will help attract more retailers. Dolnack told the Review-Journal they're hoping to get more retailers to be yearly regulars at the show.
"No one ever walks into a show and says 'show me what is old,'" Dolnack said. "This will give retailers the opportunity to see several hundred new companies and pick up some more products."
The show will continue take place at the Sands Convention Center until 2027.
There's also no denying the impact SHOT has on the Las Vegas area. The Review-Journal reports SHOT is the seventh-largest trade show held in Las Vegas every year, generating up to $90 million of revenue during the three-day event.
SHOT Show 2019 is slated to be held Jan. 22-25.
NEXT: WE ASKED FOLKS: "WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT SHOT SHOW?"
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