October 14, 2009	Vol. 5 Ed. 9

In This Edition: State of the Industry Dinner | Warnings to Exhibitors | Media Registration | Webinars | Working with Press at Your Booth | Freeman Award | Travel

State of the Industry Ticket Sales Open to All

Comedy great caps evening of celebration

Dennis Miller will be giving an exclusive performance to State of the Industry attendees. Miller is a celebrated comedian who first received national acclaim as the "Weekend Update" correspondent on Saturday Night Live. He went on to earn five Emmy Awards for his own talk show, "Dennis Miller Live." In addition to that and other television accomplishments, including two years in "the booth" with Al Michaels and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts on "Monday Night Football," Miller has authored four New York Times best sellers. Here's what "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote about Miller, after a televised special: ". . . topical, scathing brilliance that helps cement Miller's status as the Lenny Bruce of the new millennium . . . the most cerebral, astute standup ever to put mouth to microphone."

An unforgettable evening of food, drink, fine company, the premier of the "report to members" video and important updates from industry leaders will be capped by an exclusive performance by comedy great, Dennis Miller, when the NSSF State of the Industry Dinner unfolds after the doors close on the opening day of the SHOT Show.

On Tues., Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m., more than a thousand industry members will gather for this special event. Yet as vast as the Palazzo Ballroom of the Venetian Hotel and Casino may seem, seats will go fast, and tickets will be in great demand. Online ticket sales are open to all SHOT Show attendees, exhibitors and media representatives starting today.

Ticket prices are being held to the previous year's cost of $90, or $850 for a table of 10.

Warnings to Exhibitors

Heed these helpful notices

Notice regarding non-officials

Show Management carefully considers the selection of SHOT Show Official Contractors based on quality of service, variety of products, price and reputation. These contractors value the business of our customers and provide quality products and services. Some companies may misrepresent themselves as being an official contractor, so be sure to check the list in the exhibitor manual. Some things to watch for if you are considering the services of a non-official contractor are hidden charges for material handling, labor and shipping that you might not pay otherwise, control over delivery time, availability during move-in and leverage if something goes wrong. Also be advised that non-official contractors will need to abide by the SHOT Show Exhibitor Designated Contractor (EDC) procedures, provide insurance certificates, etc. in order to gain access to the SHOT Show floor.

More Information can be found under Section 6.1 Exhibitor Designated Contractors (EDC) of the Online Exhibitor Manual. The EDC On-Line Commitment Form is Section 6.3.

Notice regarding 'The World Business Guide'

The International Association of Exhibitions and Events warns exhibitors of The World Business Guide, a product of International Directories Group, Ltd. of Madrid, Spain. The company invites businesses to list themselves in its database. The form used to gather contact information says in part, "(Updating is Free of Charge)" in boldface type.

However, embedded in a lengthy paragraph labeled "Order" - in very small type - is a binding three-year agreement that automatically renews every year for another year at a cost of € 995 (about $1,455). Dating and signing the Data Control form will bind you to the agreement.

The pitch is remarkably similar to the methodology that has been employed by companies like Construct Data/Fairguide and Expoguide Mexico, who have plagued exhibitors and others in the exhibitions and events industry throughout the world.

Sign The World Business Guide Data Control form only if you wish to purchase a database listing that will cost you a minimum of $1,455 a year for at least three years.

Media Registration Is Up and Running

Process can be quick and easy

The SHOT Show hosts the largest gathering of outdoor press in the world, and for good reason. Story opportunities are in every aisle, and editors and writers, program hosts and sponsors, and manufacturers and reporters meet throughout the run of the show. If you are a member of the outdoor media, this is truly a show you should not miss.

Media registration for the 2010 SHOT Show is now open. Review the Media Registration Guidelines before filling out the registration form to be sure you request the correct type of media badge (Press, Publisher, Broadcast or Internet) and to understand the "proof of eligibility" documents you will need to provide in order to be approved for a media badge.

There is no registration fee for the working press. However, advertising, sales, marketing and public relations representatives are not eligible for media badges and must register as regular show attendees by using this form.

Your media badge authorizes you access to the show floor. There is no need to wait in a will-call or registration line in the Sands Expo & Convention Center once you've received your badge.

Note that, like all SHOT Show attendees, media must be at least 16 years of age.

Don't wait. Register now!

SHOT Show Webcasts Online, Free and on Demand

Trio of presentations are aimed at increasing exhibitors' return on investment

In a big show like SHOT Show, you cannot just rent space, show up and hope things work out. To get results you must address critical strategic issues in the months and weeks leading up to the show. In these "must-view" free Webcasts SHOT Show staff and tradeshow expert Jefferson Davis of Competitive Edge share important information about SHOT Show and walk you through pre-show planning and marketing skills critical to your exhibiting success. Click here for details.

One of the excellent tools presented in the first Webinar is a checklist for success, a "16 Week Exhibitor Action List." We are well into that 16-week countdown, so find out what you should have done that perhaps you haven't, and learn what you need to be doing in the weeks ahead.

How to Work with the Press at Your Booth

A public relations pro offers exhibitors sound advice

By Sherry Kerr, Outdoor Media Resources, www.OutdoorMediaResources.com

For many manufacturers, meeting with the press is one of the most important reasons to attend the SHOT Show. Do it right, and it will pay dividends all year with editorial coverage and ongoing press relationships. Enter the show unprepared, however, and it will be a missed opportunity you can't get back.

The SHOT show presents many opportunities to meet with, demonstrate your wares to, entertain, host and inform writers and editors. None is more important than meetings you hold in the booth. Here are some ways you can prepare for press meetings in your SHOT Show booth:

• Have a designated person to meet with the press. If you don't have a public relations person, either in-house or an agency, designate a marketing person or executive who knows your products intimately and can present them. That person must also know your company's policies regarding product samples for review by the press. Make sure everyone working in the booth knows who the press contact is and refers writers and editors to him or her.

• Have a designated space in the booth for press meetings. Ideally, this would be a conference room reserved for media, but if your booth won't accommodate that, a small table and chairs in a corner work well. Make writers comfortable; they're more likely to have a favorable visit and want to stay for your presentation.

• Prepare a concise new-product presentation, and have a set of new product samples handy for demonstration. Remember, the press is primarily at the show to see what's new. Expand as time allows and concentrate on their areas of interest. Expect to talk about specific projects and possibly product samples. Remember that not every product is applicable to every writer. Learn what you can about their publications and subject matter, then focus on what they need to know, not necessarily on what you had wanted to talk about.

• Have electronic press kits ready to hand to those who want to take one with them, but offer to mail them (or provide download information) to those who don't. Given a choice, most writers and editors will prefer that you mail them or e-mail a link for download.

• Respect their time. If anything is harder to manage at the SHOT Show than footwear that will help your feet hold out, it's time. Working press will need to cover every possible square inch of the show, and they won't likely have much time to spend with you. Be available and be prepared. Don't waste their time by showing them your hunting photos unless they ask.

• Contact writers in advance to invite them to visit your booth. Offer to set appointments but understand if they prefer to stop by when they're in the neighborhood. Give them a preview of what you have to show them.

• Be understanding if writers don't meet appointments or are late. Most take their appointments seriously, but sometimes they simply get stuck somewhere else and can't get to the next meeting on time. The SHOT Show is, by necessity, held in a huge facility, and traveling from Point A to Point B can be like driving across the city during rush hour. When I set appointments, I provide my cell phone number in case they need to make changes or are running late.

• Approach writer meetings with the right attitude. Writers and editors are not intruders in your booth, nor are they there with their hands out. They are professionals with a job to do; your job is to help them do it.

• Before the meeting is over, prepare for the next step. Are you the ongoing contact for follow-up calls? Whether you exchange business cards or bump iPhones, make sure they know whom to contact afterward and how to reach that person. Ask for permission to add them to your contact list for press-release distribution. Take notes on what interests them, and follow up after the show.

One final bit of advice: Some of the writers you'll meet at the SHOT Show will likely be bloggers and Web site owners. Don't know what to do with them? Show interest, learn what you can from them and check out their blogs and sites afterward. If you don't know how to evaluate digital media, use online tools to learn. The days of all writers and editors representing print magazines or newspapers are over.

Regardless of what other writer events you may be hosting, nothing is more important than the one-on-one time you spend with writers in your booth. Be prepared, and your business will benefit all year.

Sherry Kerr, the author of this article, has been the name and face of Outdoor Media Resources for 20 years. OMR provides public relations and marketing communications for the outdoor industry. She represents several companies that exhibit at the SHOT Show. To learn more about the services of Outdoor Media Resources, visit www.outdoormediaresources.com, or e-mail SherryOMR@cs.com.

Service Provider to SHOT Show Wins Prestigious Company Award

Linda Pilgrim receives 2009 Buck Freeman Award

Freeman has provided the highest level of service to SHOT Show exhibitors, and driving that professionalism has been Linda Pilgrim, Freeman's account manager for the SHOT Show. Recognition of that professionalism came from within recently when Pilgrim was presented with the 2009 Buck Freeman Award during the company's Employee Summit in Chicago.

It was noted by the company's chairman, Don Freeman, shown at right with Pilgrim, when making the presentation that Pilgrim, who is vice president of national accounts, exposition services, for Freeman's national sales group, had "established benchmarks by which all other Freeman account managers have come to be measured. During her more than 32 years with Freeman, Linda has consistently produced shows that are efficient, effective and profitable."

Registered Yet? Made Hotel and Flight Reservations?

www.shotshow.org is the place to go for SHOT Show arrangements

If you haven't registered for the SHOT Show yet, or made your lodging and travel arrangements, it's time to get on the stick or, more accurately, on the Web. Go to the official SHOT Show Web site, www.shotshow.org, where exhibitors, attendees and media can register, and where, at the SHOT Show Travel Desk, any SHOT Show participant may secure lodging, air travel and car rental reservations, as well as take advantage of a host of other travel services.

Don't wait. Hotel blocks are filling fast, registration is more expensive at the door and airline rates are likely to go up as the holidays approach.