Jan 21–24, 2025
Venetian Expo + Caesars Forum
Las Vegas

Insider: Venetian Renovations, Exhibitor Education, and More

A New Look for the Venetian When We Return in January

Just last week, The Venetian Resort reopened the second level of the conference center with a completely refreshed look, and the SHOT Show team was one of the first to get a preview. Needless to say, that walk down the infamous Venetian Hallway will not be the same come this January, and those exhibiting in the ballrooms on Level 2 will have a completely different color palette and lighting in those rooms. Above is just one picture of what you can expect as The Venetian begins its $1.5 billion transformation. — Jeff Pressman, ConvExx

Exhibitor Academy Webinar Series Has Launched

Last month, over 150 of your fellow exhibitors attended our first 2025 SHOT Show Exhibitor Academy session, titled “Pre-Show Strategy Checklist: The Smart Place to Start Preparing for SHOT 2025.” If you missed the session, you can re-watch the entire session from start to finish in the Exhibitor Resource Center — the password is available in your Exhibitor Dashboard. And, while you’re in your dashboard, don’t forget to confirm you’ve registered for our next session on September 19, a Deep Dive Into the Show Planner,” with Baylee from Community Brands. — Erik Scarpati, NSSF

Reach Your Target Audiences with Education Sponsorships

Planning for SHOT Show education is in full swing. SHOT University, a series of sessions throughout the show, is geared toward helping retailers improve their business and stay up to date on emerging trends and tools. Also, the show’s Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP) consists of hands-on training and sessions for LE attendees. Exhibitors can sponsor these programs and present themselves as an industry leader to their target audiences who attend these sessions. Interested? More information can be found here. — Chris Tatulli

Adjusted Opening Hours for Exhibit Halls This Year

We know SHOT Week is exhausting, and we are trying to help. Over the past several years, we have had an earlier opening of the ballrooms by 30 minutes in The Venetian, which meant ballrooms opened at 8 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. It caused significant confusion throughout the expo halls, so we are simplifying it, and now all exhibit areas will be opening at 8:30 a.m. each morning of the show (Tuesday to Friday). — Melissa Schilling, NSSF

Help Support NSSF’s #GUNVOTE Auction

In every election since 2000, NSSF has run a nationwide voter registration, education and mobilization campaign. The #GUNVOTE campaign works to encourage gun owners to register to vote, to educate themselves on where their candidates stand, and on Election Day to #GUNVOTE. As we like to say, “Don’t Risk Your Rights – #GUNVOTE.” To help fuel the future of this effort, we’ll be holding an online auction that will kick off in November and run through the SHOT Show. All funds raised will support #GUNVOTE. We are asking industry companies to donate high-value products and experiences to the auction, which will be open to the public. Some of the items donated so far include one-of-a-kind firearms from industry manufacturers and unique experiences like a safari for two who will be featured in a Petersen’s Hunting magazine article, a factory tour with the winning bidder seeing their custom gun being built, and a Las Vegas VIP weekend getaway.

Please consider donating a special product or experience to our #GUNVOTE Auction. We look forward to answering any questions or further discussing any ideas you or your team may have. Thank you in advance for your support of this critical effort. If you’re interested, please reach out to us at shotshowinsider@nssf.org. — Chris Dolnack, NSSF

Scooter Rental Reservations Now Available

Are your feet already getting tired thinking of the SHOT Show? We’ve partnered with a new company this year to assist with scooter rentals, and reservations are now available by using this link: https://scootaround.com/en/shotshow.  It will be located on Level 1 of The Venetian Expo by the Business Center behind registration. — Jennifer Carr, ConvExx

Planning to Have a Vehicle in Your Booth?

The Clark County Fire Department requires a “Liquid or Gas-Fueled Vehicles or Equip in Assembly Area” permit for all booth vehiclesSHOT Show management will apply for a “Blanket Permit” for all exhibitors that want to display a vehicle in their booth, free of charge. To be part of the Blanket Permit, please submit the Vehicle Display Formby the November 15.If exhibitors do not make the deadline, they must apply for the permit directly with Clark County Fire Department and pay the fees. For more information, contact Exhibitor Services at permits@shotshow.org or call 702-216-5846. — Jennifer Carr, ConvExx

It's That Time of Year: Be Wary of Solicitors!

Unfortunately, exhibitors are oftentimes contacted by companies to offer them “better deals” on items and services at the SHOT Show. Please know that the SHOT Show only contracts with and endorses the Official Service Contractors listed in the Exhibitor Resource Center Contact List. These contractors are held accountable to provide the best possible customer service and ensure consistent and negotiated rates to all exhibitors at the SHOT Show. You can find more information here. Services oftentimes promoted as part of the SHOT Show are hotel rooms, attendee lists, show directories, and booth builds, but please know these companies soliciting you for these services obtained your information through web mining and not from SHOT Show, and they are not affiliated with the SHOT Show unless they are found in the Contact List. — Chris Dolnack, NSSF

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Authors

NSSF
Chris Dolnack
Chris Dolnack
SVP & Chief Customer Officer, NSSF
Bill Dunn
Bill Dunn
Vice President, Marketing, NSSF
Quinn Cassidy
Quinn Cassidy
Manager, Exhibition & Sponsorship, NSSF
Colleen Leonard
Colleen Leonard
Manager, Conferences & Events, NSSF
Zachary Maddox
Zachary Maddox
Manager, Exhibit & Sponsorship Sales, NSSF
Melissa Shilling
Melissa Schilling
Managing Director, Exhibitions & Conferences, NSSF
Tammy McIntyre
Tammy McIntyre
Manager, Member Services, NSSF
Chris Tatulli
Chris Tatulli
Director, Exhibit & Sponsorship Sales, NSSF
ConvExx
Jeff Pressman
Jeff Pressman
President & CEO, ConvExx
Jennifer Carr
Jennifer Carr
Vice President, Trade Show & Event Operations, ConvExx
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
Vice President, Sales, ConvExx
Casie Stock
Casie Stock
Vice President, Attendee Services & Registration, ConvExx
Regina Clark
Regina Clark
Director, Exhibitor Services, ConvExx
Kathryn Rae
Kathryn Rae
Projects Administrator, ConvExx