What Will Be Covered at the Marketing and Leadership Summit

Get valuable marketing insights and trends, learn from inspirational speakers and subject matter experts, and take advantage of ample networking opportunities.

Agenda is tentative and subject to change.

TUESDAY, MAY 13

Travel Day

2:00–5:00pm: Registration Open – Pre-Function Ballroom

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14

7:30am–4:30pm: Registration Open – Pre-Function Ballroom

7:30–8:30am: Breakfast – Pre-Function Ballroom

8:30–9:00am: Welcome & Introductions | Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President & CEO – Solstice Ballroom

Join us as we kick off the NSSF Marketing and Leadership Summit with some introductory remarks from NSSF’s President and CEO and also get to know your industry peers in attendance.

9:00–10:00am: Trust Matters More Than Ever | David Horsager – Solstice Ballroom

Trust is in short supply. Without it, cultures deteriorate, productivity fades and resources are wasted. Many recognize the current lack of trust, but few know how to address it. David Horsager has been pioneering trust solutions for decades and he will equip you with solutions to your biggest challenges with trust.

10:00–10:45am: Welcome New Shooters! Insights & Tactics to Grow Business | Rob Southwick – Solstice Ballroom

While the numbers of “non-traditional” participants have grown appreciably, this session’s recent research shows upwards of 50 million people from these growing public segments have very high levels of interest in target shooting, but haven’t. What barriers are holding them back? Though their motivations to try target shooting mirror those of current participants, several key points cause them to hesitate. This session will share these latest insights plus tactics you can use to win their business.

10:45–11:15am: Networking Break – Pre-Function Ballroom

11:15am–11:45am: Anecdotes to Data: Black Gun Owner Insights | Salam Fatohi & Brelan Hillman – Solstice Ballroom

Anecdotes to Data – Black Gun Owner Insights
Funded by Multistate Conservation Grant, this project resulted in a toolkit that includes program research, a marketing plan, digital assets such as infographics and social media displays, newsletter templates and supporting imagery to develop firearm ownership and sport shooting R3 Communications for Black Americans. This toolkit will help to better connect with a quickly growing consumer segment.

11:45am–12:15pm: Profitable Partnerships: Working with State Fish and Wildlife Agencies | Bryan Burhans – Solstice Ballroom

Partner with your state fish and wildlife agency and grow your business! State fish and wildlife agencies across the country routinely leverage partnerships to improve their capacity to meet the agency’s mission goals. The shooting sports and hunting are the foundation of their wildlife management tool kit. Creating and keeping people engaged in the shooting sports is a growing priority for state fish and wildlife agencies. We will discuss practical approaches you can implement to partner with your state fish and wildlife agency that helps the agency meet their mission goal yet will help you expand your business.

12:15–1:15pm: Networking Lunch – Pre-Function Ballroom

1:15–2:00pm: The New Rules of the Road: How to Navigate the Rapidly Changing 2A Marketing Landscape | Dan Kahn – Solstice Ballroom

Presented by Dan Kahn, President and CEO of TREAD Agency.
As traditional media continues to contract, traditional marketing tactics like PR and advertising are in a massive state of change. Learn how to design and execute an integrated marketing plan that spans a variety of platforms and modalities to drive both B2B and B2C sales, even in highly regulated industries that make traditional social advertising and even organic content creation challenging. Discuss what changes are on the horizon and the best practices to future proof your marketing including influencer, email and drip campaigns using first party data, search and social marketing, experiential programming, brand building and the power of authority marketing.

2:00–3:00pm: Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With! | David Avrin – Solstice Ballroom

How, when and where we buy has changed dramatically in recent years. Winning in business today is often determined by those who can respond faster, simplify their process and are more convenient for their customers and clients. In this revealing, thought-provoking and very entertaining presentation, popular Customer Experience expert David Avrin, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow, shines a bright light on the profound shift in customer expectations, while showing your team everyone’s role in eliminating friction in the buying process, responding to prospects and customers, and creating Customer Experiences worth sharing.

3:00–3:30pm: Networking Break – Pre-Function Ballroom

3:30–5:00pm: A Day in the Life of Your Customer: Deeply Understanding Your Best Customer So You Can Deliver What They Want, the Way They Want It – Solstice Ballroom

An interactive breakout session with David Avrin.

5:30–7:00pm: Networking Reception – Pool Event Lawn

Kick back, enjoy some refreshments, and build relationships with your fellow NSSF Marketing and Leadership Summit colleagues, sponsors, and speakers.

THURSDAY, MAY 15

8:00am–4:30pm: Registration Open – Pre-Function Ballroom

7:30-8:30am: Breakfast – Pre-Function Ballroom

8:30–9:00am: Making an Impact: How Colt is Redefining Marketing’s Success | Mike Robinson – Solstice Ballroom

With over 18 years of experience leading marketing for industry leading brands, Colt Head of Marketing Mike Robinson shares valuable insights on the future of brand marketing within the firearm industry. Stemming from the recent success of the groundbreaking Colt “Safety Impact Award,” Robinson will demonstrate the strategy in program conceptualization and highlight the success found in leveraging unconventional platforms. The session will conclude with a discussion around elevating your marketing vision to challenge industry boundaries and redefine success.

9:00–10:00am: Navigating Social Media, Firearm Content, and Meta’s Reduction of Over-Enforcement | Chuck Rossi – Solstice Ballroom

We’re seeing the beginning of a shift to less restrictive content policies on some social media platforms and to be successful, marketers and leaders need to know what this means for the industry. Chuck Rossi has given a number of industry talks on the social media landscape, focusing on Meta’s platforms. Chuck is now working again at Meta, specifically on reducing over-enforcement of “regulated goods”, and will share updates on Meta’s plans to simplify policies and focus on reducing mistakes on their platforms.

10:00–11:00am: Marketing Roundtable Sessions – Solstice Ballroom

Focused conversations on marketing trends to watch and challenges within the industry.

• E-Commerce, Data & Personalization – Adam Fabian, Crimson Agility
• Advertising Tactics That Work – Nick Morrissey, Armanet
• Text Marketing – Logan Carrigan, OtterText
• Social Media Best Practices & Policies Q&A – Chuck Rossi, OpenSource Defense
• Working with Influencers – Dan Kahn, TREAD Agency
• Everyday Automations & AI Use Cases – Justin Morrissey, NSSF

11:00–11:15am – Networking Break–Conference Center Lobby

11:15am–12:15pm: Radical Next: The Operating System For The Future | Sam Rad – Solstice Ballroom

We are living during a unique moment in human history – and what’s coming next is radically different. Socio-cultural paradigm shifts, technological advancements, and evolving geopolitics are fundamentally reshaping our societal backbones – or “operating systems.” The convergence of exponential technologies such as artificial intelligence, immersive realities, and quantum computing are accelerating towards “the singularity” and we find ourselves on the cusp of a new era: The Age of Acceleration. This history-defining moment of radical evolution will restructure our societies for the decades to come. So what does this mean for you? Your organization? Your industry? Your entire reality? Embark on a revelatory odyssey with Sam Rad, as she navigates the tides of time, illuminating the legacies of the past, realities of the present, and potentials of the future.

12:15–1:15pm: Lunch – Pre-Function Ballroom

1:15–1:30pm: Marketing’s Biggest Challenge: Educating Gun Owners About Preventing Suicide | Joe Bartozzi; Dr. Russell Lemle; Dr. Matt Miller – Solstice Ballroom
An introduction to the afternoon’s important topic of discussion: suicide prevention

Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO | Welcoming remarks—Industry’s role in educating the firearm community about dealing with mental health struggles and suicide prevention.
Dr. Russell Lemle, Former Chief Psychologist at VA San Francisco | The changing national landscape of suicide prevention, the firearm industry’s prominent role in it and the value of being part of these lifesaving efforts.
(tentative) Dr. Matt Miller, Executive Director, Dept. Veteran Affairs Suicide Prevention | We can’t do it without you. What the VA-NSSF partnership means to saving veterans’ lives.

1:30–2:15pm: Panel Discussion: Community, Collaboration and Culture Change | Dr. Emmy Betz; Jacquelyn Clark; Caleb Morse – Solstice Ballroom
Personal and business stories about suicide and how our work is saving lives

Dr. Emmy Betz, Emergency Room Physician and Researcher, Univ. of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus | What we know about suicide and prevention: science and consultations.
FFLs Jacquelyn Clark, Bristlecone Training Center, Lakewood, CO, and Caleb Morse, Rustic Renegade, Lafayette, LA | Our stores are leading the charge on suicide prevention, and our customers are cheering us on.

2:15–3:00pm: Panel Discussion: Suicide Prevention and Brand Value | Waco Hoover; Bill Brassard – Solstice Ballroom

Waco Hoover, Chair, American Legion “Be the One” suicide prevention program and brand strategy advisor | Suicide prevention and brand value—really? How marketers and companies benefit by taking bold steps.

Bill Brassard, NSSF Senior Director, Communications, and lead for NSSF suicide prevention programs | Tools to promote education about suicide prevention, secure storage and reaching out. Easy lifts: 988 and “Make Sure It’s Secure.”

3:00–3:15pm: Networking Break – Pre-Function Ballroom

3:15–4:00pm: Call-to-Action: ‘No One Can Do Everything, But Everyone Can Do Something.’ – Solstice Ballroom

Moderated by Joe Bartozzi, NSSF, President & CEO and Bill Brassard, NSSF, Senior Director of Communications.

4:30–5:30pm: Closing Networking Reception – Pool Event Lawn

Enjoy some refreshments and network with your fellow NSSF Marketing & Leadership Summit colleagues, sponsors and speakers.

FRIDAY, MAY 16

Travel Day