We all know SHOT Show is big, but just how big is it?
From January 23-26, mobs of industry professionals occupied the aisles of the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, to look at new hunting and shooting products.
"From our humble beginnings in St. Louis in 1979, to now being one of the leading trade shows in the world, we've come a long way in 40 years," said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
It's hard to believe how far SHOT Show really has come. The inaugural show in 1979 used 51,153 square feet, and attracted 290 exhibitors and 5,600 attendees. The 2018 show used 645,000 square feet, and attracted 1,660 exhibitors and more than 60,000 attendees, which came from a total of 100 different countries.
The steady increase in size correlates with ever-growing popularity of the show, which bodes well for brands who decide to capitalize on the event.
"We had good, reputable media coverage, both print writers and video, and had more time to discuss products with buyers and media," Vista Outdoor's JJ Reich said. "It was a great show all together, with lots of traffic."
A number of exciting firearms made their debuts at SHOT Show, including the magazine-fed Mossberg 590M and the Savage MSR15 Valkyrie. Other smaller products made some big ripples as well, as Federal introduced a new line of long-range ammunition and Primos unveiled a variety of new turkey hunting toys.
If you've never been to SHOT Show, we highly recommend you make the trip, as there's nothing quite like it!
Our SHOT Show 2018 coverage is brought to you in partnership with Federal Premium Ammunition, and will continue during and after the Show, which takes place January 23-26, 2018. Check out our full coverage, including plenty of news and unveilings from Federal Premium, as well as other shooting and outdoor brands, as it happens.
NEXT: WE ASKED FOLKS: "WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT SHOT SHOW?"
