To: ALL MEDIA
For immediate release

June 5, 2017

For more information contact:

Bill Brassard
203-426-1320

FMG Publications Accepts Lead Role
in SHOT Show Auction Planning

NEWTOWN, Conn. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has announced that FMG Publications (FMG) has accepted the lead role in coordinating the important SHOT Show Auction program for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 SHOT Shows.

“FMG Publications has been a terrific partner in the coordination of the SHOT Show auctions for the past several years, both in terms of obtaining SHOT Show Auction guns from manufacturers and in publicizing the auction to our trade and consumer media,” commented Chris Dolnack, Senior Vice President & CMO of NSSF. “As we began to develop plans for the 2018-2020 SHOT Show auction campaigns, we looked to FMG to lead the effort, and are delighted that they have accepted,” Dolnack said.

“Among the millions of firearms sold at the SHOT Show over the past 40 years, few have received the attention or done as much to promote and protect our hunting and shooting sports heritage as the elite group of SHOT Show auction guns,” commented Randy Molde, Vice President Business Development for FMG Publications. “In recent years, FMG has welcomed the opportunity to contact manufacturers suggesting potential auction guns and to assist with promotion. We are delighted at this opportunity to step up our involvement and look forward to elevating this already successful program to a higher level in terms of the firearms featured and the exposure generated for the auction’s supporters.”

The SHOT Show auction was launched in 1984 and has since auctioned more than 60 firearms, generating more than $1,300,000 in support of America’s hunting and shooting sports heritage.

In 2008, the NSSF invited the Hunting Heritage Trust to assume coordination of the program. Bob Delfay, President of the Trust, was instrumental in the creation of the auction program in 1984. The Trust will continue to be the overall coordinator of the effort and auction proceeds will continue to benefit programs of the Hunting Heritage Trust.

The expanded 2018-2020 effort will continue to involve important partnership roles by GunBroker.com, Baron Engraving and Blue Book Publications.

GunBroker.com has featured the SHOT Show auction guns on its home page every year since 2004 and has been responsible for a nearly 200 percent increase in the average high bid for featured guns. In addition, GunBroker.com has delivered an average of more than 150,000 online views by potential bidders.

Baron Engraving, led by industry icon David Baron, has engraved more SHOT Show auction guns than any company and has played a key role in the success of the program.

Blue Book Publications and Publisher Steve Fjestad have provided valuable guidance to the program and Fjestad was recently named as a member of the SHOT Show Auction Advisory Committee.

The Advisory Committee’s overall plan calls for the auction of a featured rifle, shotgun, handgun and knife each year through 2020. The Committee is also pursuing the potential of a SHOT Show Auction “Century Edition” which would invite participation by the distributor and retailer segments of the industry. The program would feature a Limited Edition of 100 guns showcased by an appropriately engraved Serial Number One SHOT Show gun plus 99 similarly engraved guns produced through a distributor-manufacturer partnership for sale to retailers.

For additional information regarding the program, manufacturers or distributors may contact Bob Delfay at info@huntingheritagetrust.org.

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About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 12,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.