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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14

7:30am–4:30pm: Registration Open

7:30–8:30am: Breakfast

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

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

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

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

11:15am–11:45am: Anecdotes to Data: Black Gun Owner Insights | Salam Fatohi & JMI

Presented by NSSF Research Director Salam Fatohi and representatives from brand strategy and consulting firm JMI.

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

Recent research shows that new participants look to their state fish and wildlife agencies as a trusted resource in getting started in hunting and the shooting sports. Join Bryan Burhans, a trusted resource himself as an executive and industry thought leader within the nonprofit and state government sectors, as he provides actionable strategies for effective partnerships with your state fish and wildlife agency to promote and expand your business.

12:15–1:15pm: Networking Lunch

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

Presented by Dan Kahn, President and CEO of Kahn Media.

2:15–3:15pm: Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With! | David Avrin

How, when and where we buy has changed dramatically in recent years. Winning 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, GSF 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.

3:15–3:45pm: Networking Break–Conference Center Lobby

3:45–5:15pm: 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 

An interactive breakout session with David Arvin.

5:30–7:00pm: Networking Reception

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

8:00–8:45am: Breakfast

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

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.

9:30–10:45am–Marketing Roundtable Sessions

Focused conversations on marketing trends to watch and challenges within the industry. (6-8 current topics)

10:45–11:15am – Networking Break–Conference Center Lobby

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

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

1:15–1:30pm: Marketing’s Biggest Challenge: Educating Gun Owners About Preventing Suicide | Joe Bartozzi; Dr. Russell Lemle; Dr. Matt Miller
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
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, Lakeland, 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

Waco Hoover, Director, American Legion “Be the One” suicide prevention program and business consultant | 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

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

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

5:00–6:00pm: Closing Networking Reception

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

FRIDAY, MAY 16

Travel Day