January 24, 2011

Vol. 12 No. 4

This Week:

50 Years of NSSF

Government Relations

SHOT Show

Jobs

Record-setting SHOT Show Signals
Good Year Ahead for Industry

BUYER, MEDIA ATTENDANCE HIGHEST EVER . . . The National Shooting Sports Foundation's 2011 SHOT Show soared above expectations by setting records for buyer attendance at 31,769 and media attendance at 2,074. Overall attendance of 57,390, comprising buyers, exhibitors, media and guests, ranked the show as the third largest ever behind the 2008 and 2010 events. In this sluggish economy, the SHOT Show demonstrates the resilience of one of America's oldest industries and the popularity of its products. "The importance of the SHOT Show to the firearms industry cannot be overestimated," said Steve Sanetti, president and CEO of NSSF, which owns the trade show. "The SHOT Show is simply the must-attend business event for all segments of our industry. Based on what we're hearing, industry has every reason to think that 2011 shows promise of being another strong year." Filling the Sands Expo and Convention Center to capacity with 1,600 exhibiting companies covering 630,000 net square feet with their booths, SHOT Show brings together all facets of the $4 billion industry. Many companies use SHOT Show, the largest trade show of its kind in the world, to announce new products and services. Buyers and media members are able to handle and discuss products that include firearms, ammunition, outdoor and tactical clothing, optics, knives, related accessories and law enforcement equipment. Look back at the 2011 SHOT Show: Post-Show News Release | Blog | Photos | Videos | Facebook | Twitter

50 Years of NSSF

    Doug Painter cuts NSSF's 50th anniversary birthday cake at the SHOT Show.

  • NSSF KICKS OFF 50TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR . . . The year 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of NSSF, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. Appropriately, NSSF kicked off the celebration at the SHOT Show. Doug Painter, NSSF senior adviser, cut NSSF’s 50th anniversary birthday cake in the SHOT Show Press Room. Surrounded by outdoor media that have been attending the show for years, NSSF acknowledged the important roll the outdoor press has played in NSSF’s success over the past 50 years. Painter, who has been with the organization for 37 of those years, will be retiring March 31. One of his most recent tasks was to author "The National Shooting Sports Foundation: A History 1961-2011," a publication marking NSSF's golden anniversary and a chronicle of the organization's achievements, many of which Painter witnessed first-hand. NSSF paid tribute to Painter at the show at the State of the Industry dinner. Read more about NSSF’s 50-year history.

  • VIDEO: A WALK THROUGH 50 YEARS OF NSSF HISTORY . . . Take a walk through 50 years of NSSF history with host Alan Sklar, who shares the challenges and successes that have shaped NSSF and have prepared the organization to meet the challenges along the trail for the next 50 years. Produced by NSSF's Dave Miles, this 15-minute video was first shown at the SHOT Show's State of the Industry dinner last week. Play Video

2011 Shooting Sports Summit

    The 2011 Shooting Sports Summit will be held in Louisville, Ky.

  • JOIN US AT THE 2011 SHOOTING SPORTS SUMMIT . . . Registration for NSSF's 2011 Shooting Sports Summit is up and running at nssf.org/summit. The Summit will be held June 7-9 at the Louisville Marriot Downtown in Louisville, Ky. From its beginning in the early 1990s, the Summit has attracted key decision makers from all segments of the firearms industry, conservation community and state wildlife agencies. Today, many programs now exist that were born from an idea, a conversation or a need identified at the Summit. The goal remains the same at next year's Summit: to continue to increase participation in hunting and the shooting sports. Register today for 2011 Summit.

Government Relations

  • MONITORING STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS . . . The president's State of the Union address is tomorrow night, and NSSF, as the trade association for America's firearms industry, will be monitoring it closely for any indication that he will pursue anti-gun legislation. In the wake of the Tucson tragedy, some are speculating that gun control will play a role in the coming Congress. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs hinted today that Obama will talk about gun rights in his address. "I don't doubt that, as a result of the impact -- or the issues of what happened in Tucson -- that there will be a number of proposals that this White House and the Congress will evaluate, and we'll wait until tomorrow to see what's in the State of the Union," he said.

  • NSSF GRANTED MOTION TO INTERVENE IN EPA SUIT . . . The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has granted NSSF's motion to intervene in a suit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and several anti-hunting groups against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The CBD's underlying suit against the EPA seeks to have the court overturn the agency's denial of a CBD petition filed in August of 2010 to have the EPA under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) issue regulations to ban the manufacture, sale and use of traditional ammunition containing lead components, as well as fishing tackle made with lead components. The EPA properly denied the petition to ban traditional ammunition because Congress expressly exempted ammunition from regulation by the EPA. Later, the EPA also denied the petition regarding fishing tackle because the CBD failed to demonstrate a scientific basis for the EPA to act. Read more.

  • RECENTLY FORMED SUNDAY HUNTING COALITION TURNS SIGHTS ON VIRGINIA . . . Less than one week after executives from America's leading conservation, sportsmen's and hunting organizations announced the formation of a new multi-organization coalition to remove bans and restrictions on Sunday hunting, the group turned its sights on the commonwealth of Virginia. A hearing on state Senate Bill 850, legislation to end the ban on Sunday hunting in Virginia will be held on Monday, Jan. 31, in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. NSSF is encouraging all hunters in Virginia to attend this public hearing at 9 a.m. in Senate Room B.

  • CALIF. 'HANDGUN AMMUNITION' REGISTRATION UNCONSTITUTIONAL . . . A California Superior Court in Fresno enjoined enforcement of AB 962, enacted in 2009, that would have required all purchases of "handgun ammunition" to be registered. The statute also would have mandated that firearms retailers fingerprint law-abiding customers like common criminals and would have banned mail-order ammunition sales. The law's definition of "handgun ammunition" was so vague and ill-defined that the court declared the law constitutionally void. Kudos to the National Rifle Association and the California State Rifle and Pistol Association Foundation for this important victory.

  • ATF REMINDS FIREARM MANUFACTURERS TO FILE REPORT BY APRIL 1 . . . The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has issued an important notice to all licensed firearm manufacturers that they must file their annual manufacturing and exportation report by April 1. Read ATF's letter.

More from SHOT Show 2011

Steve Urvan of GunBroker.com accepts the award for Company/Organization of the Year from SHOT Business editor Slaton White. The staff of GunBroker.com joined Urvan in accepting the award.

  • SHOT BUSINESS AWARDS . . . SHOT Business magazine honored six industry leaders with its annual SHOT Business Awards, presented each year at the SHOT Show. The honorees were Retailer of the Year, Richard Sprague, Sprague's Sports; Distributor of the Year, Lipsey's; Manufacturer's Representative of the Year, Mike Gladson, Ruger; Range of the Year, Ed Santos, Center Target Sports; Company/Organization of the Year, Steve Urvan, GunBroker.com; and Person of the Year, David Baron. The purpose of the SHOT Business Award Program is to acknowledge industry leaders who preserve and promote America's hunting and shooting heritage. Watch the awards presentation.

  • WARM WELCOME FROM CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, LOCAL OFFICIALS . . . Las Vegas officials and the area's congressional delegation offered a warm welcome to NSSF and all attending this year's SHOT Show. Both U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), whose district includes Las Vegas, and Steve Sisolak, vice-chairman of the Clark County Board of Commissioners, sent letters to NSSF that we'd like to share with all of our members and SHOT Show attendees and exhibitors. Letter from U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley | Letter from Steve Sisolak, Clark County Board of Commissioners

  • NSSF HONORS GUNBROKER.COM FOR 'PULL THE TRIGGER' EFFORTS . . . NSSF presented GunBroker.com CEO Steve Urvan with a well-deserved thank you at the SHOT Show for his role in helping NSSF launch a new monthly newsletter that targets hunting and shooting sports enthusiasts. The newsletter, appropriately named Pull The Trigger, features links to video tips on shooting and hunting, downloadable targets and informative articles and advice from the experts designed to help the reader fully enjoy their sports and to encourage them to be more active. By working with NSSF to share this information with more than 800,000 subscribers, GunBroker is helping to build interest and enthusiasm in hunting and the shooting sports. Watch the award presentation.

  • BEHN RECEIVES NSSF KEN SEDLECKY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD . . . Forty-one-year industry veteran Bob Behn was presented with the NSSF Ken Sedlecky Achievement Award. Behn's industry service includes 39 years with Marlin Firearms, where he served as president and CEO from 1997 to 2007. He was also NSSF's longest-serving member of its Board of Governors. The award is presented to those that have worked long and hard to advance the causes of our industry, hunting and the shooting sports. Watch the award presentation.

  • SHOT DAILY ONLINE . . . Digital editions of all four issues of SHOT Daily, the magazine printed each day of the SHOT Show, are available online at shotbusiness.com and shotshow.org. SHOT Daily is published for NSSF by Bonnier Corp., publishers of Outdoor Life, Field & Stream and SHOT Business magazines.

  • MORE FROM THE SHOW . . . For more NSSF coverage of the SHOT Show, browse through the SHOT Show Blog and tune in to the SHOT Show YouTube channel. There, you'll find NSSF President Steve Sanetti's State of the Industry address, interviews with show attendees, media and exhibitors, other awards presented at the show and much more.

Jobs

  • NSSF is seeking a qualified individual to manage NSSF's First Shots program. The First Shots program is a nationwide program that provides participants with a comprehensive introduction to shooting by qualified range operators and instructors that includes firearm safety, local ownership requirements, shooting fundamentals, hands-on instruction and how and where to continue. The qualified individual will plan, direct and coordinate the entire operations of the program. In addition, the individual will be responsible for promotional planning and being the industry and range liaison to ensure the sustained growth of the program. Visit nssf.org for more information about NSSF and the First Shots Program. Qualified candidates should forward a resume, cover letter and salary history to HR@nssf.org.

  • INDUSTRY CAREER CONNECTION . . . Visit www.nssf.org/jobs for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. Employers: Log in to post a job opening.


NSSF's Mission

"To promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports."

Click here to visit the NSSF Web site and see how we accomplish this mission.


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COPYRIGHT © 2011 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, Web sites or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged. "Bullet Points®," "National Shooting Sports Foundation®," "NSSF®," and all other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation's prior express written permission. All other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing in this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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