SHOT Show Expanding its Exhibit Space

August 15, 2018 By Dave Young (YoungBuckDave)

Every year, in January, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) hosts an annual four-day trade show known by many as SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor, Trade) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Companies from all around the world come to showcase their current products as well as new products they are planning to release. The very first SHOT Show was held in St. Louis, Missouri in 1979 and had a small group of 290 exhibitors and around 5,600 attendees. In 2010, SHOT Show found its home at the SANDS Convention Center. Every year the show grows immensely and, with companies wanting to expand their booth space and new companies wanting to add to the already growing wait list for booth space, they started to run out of room. Compared to when SHOT Show first debuted in 1979, the 2017 show held 1,850 exhibitors and 64,000 attendees. The show occupied 640,000 square feet in 2017 and added another 10,000 square feet in 2018. SHOT Show is the 7th largest event in Las Vegas and generates almost $90 million each year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Every year frustrated potential exhibitors are turned away because the available floor space is not increasing to accommodate the increase in exhibitors, their product lines, and the number of attendees. With the industry doubling over the last decade, a solution had to be made to accommodate the growing number of attendees and exhibitors.

SHOT Show will still be held in the SANDS Convention Center through 2027, but in 2020, it will be expanding into the MGM Grand Conference Center. In 2021, SHOT Show will be adding another expansion into the Caesars Forum. So, in 2021, SHOT Show will be held in three locations, which means more exhibitors can set up booths and other companies can expand their booth space. In 2021, SHOT Show is estimated to grow from 650,000 square feet (in 2018) to 950,000 square feet to accommodate the hundreds, if not thousands, of exhibitors that are currently turned down due to the lack of space in the SANDS Convention Center. This is very exciting to see how much the industry is growing with companies worldwide wanting to come to Las Vegas to showcase their products at the SHOT Show. So be prepared and get some comfortable shoes because in 2021 SHOT Show is about to grow even more!