Day one of the 2017 SHOT Show was heralded with a flurry of emailed press releases and event announcements that hit my inbox with a vengeance in the wee hours that morning last month. Meanwhile, in the crowded hallways of the Sands Convention Center, the clock finally struck 8:30, and the impatient pitterpatter of more than 100,000 feet became a thundering roar as dozens of double doors flew wide to admit more than 60,000 of my closest Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade industry friends to the showroom floor.
Yes, the American Shooting Journal was there at the down beat, holding the fort in booth 408, spinning our oversized wheel on the hour, handing out prizes and distributing copies of our expanded January issue to what we hope will become regular readers.
Each year, SHOT Show fills the Las Vegas venue with a vast array of the latest guns, gear and swag, as well as services ranging from helicopter hunting adventures to the latest handgun training techniques. It really is a can’t-miss event for those of us in the industry, and even though it can be a madhouse, it’s our madhouse, and it’s also the best place to connect with company representatives and other members of the industry media. What we see and learn here will help fill our print and virtual pages for the next six to nine months and beyond. It is perhaps the one time a year where what happens in Vegas is broadcast loud and clear to everyone interested in the outdoor industry.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank Team Taurus captain Jessie Duff, the subject of our January cover story, for taking time out of her busy, heavily sponsored show schedule to visit our booth on the outskirts of the show to meet, greet and sign copies of our magazine for all of the guests who stopped by to say hello. –Craig Hodgkins
