There are only 181 days until the 2027 SHOT Show.
That’s roughly 26 weeks—or just under six months—which means SHOT is a lot closer than it feels. Considering the speed at which the business year seems to go by, SHOT is right around the corner.
Every year we tell ourselves there's plenty of time. Then suddenly it's October, booth graphics haven't arrived, meetings aren't scheduled, and everyone is scrambling. Here's why now is the time to start preparing.
SHOT has suddenly come front and center in my mind for several reasons.
Best Industry Networking Event
SHOT Show is the one time of year you get to see and visit with almost everybody in the industry. Other than the NASGW Expo taking place this year in Phoenix, Arizona, October 13-15, and the 2027 NRA Show in Georgia, April 23-25, there's simply no better networking event.
SHOT’s industry attendance dwarfs both the NRA Show and NASGW Expo—combined.
This means, for us at the Outdoor Wire Digital Network, there is a lot of inside baseball to be discussed. Plenty of executive insights to be shared. And, of course, a metric ton of rumors to sift through—even if most won't survive scrutiny.
It’s A Job Fair
SHOT Show is the most low-key job fair the industry has. Once companies survive the push to get ready for SHOT they turn their attention to making changes to the very team that helped get them there.
It’s an ugly truth, but a truth nonetheless. There are other staffing changes companies are making around this time, so Vegas gives them the chance to meet face-to-face with everybody from field sales reps to C-suite level executives and their direct reports.
And thanks to the Supplier Showcase, a number of engineers are making the rounds during the show, giving exhibiting companies the perfect opportunity to try and poach the design and manufacturing talent they need to get to the next level.
Even if you aren’t looking to hire—or looking for a new job—it’s good to know which companies are making changes and, if you can glean enough information, why.
You Can See the Big Picture
The rollout of new products before and during SHOT Show helps reveal the larger picture of where the industry is going. The 2024 SHOT Show saw the introduction of several new lever guns ushering in the Year of the Lever-Action.
Lever-action sales remained one of the bright spots of 2024 as NICS background checks returned to more typical levels and both consumers and manufacturers adjusted to the lingering effects of inflation.
The new products—several of which will have been showcased during the NASGW EXPO—will tell us if the trend of compact concealed carry pistols with larger capacities will continue. We’ll see if striker-fired pistols remain the dominant fire-control system or if DA/SA hammer guns see a resurgence.
The same will be true for long guns, ammunition, and optics. The challenge is separating genuine market trends from short-term marketing plays.
The Biggest Media Event
While everybody in the industry will be in Las Vegas, it’s also true that almost everybody in firearms, hunting, and shooting media will be there as well.
There are a staggering number of press credentials handed out for SHOT Show. Naturally, not every member of the media is working during the show, but they are working towards the stories, the hunts, and product reviews that will come later down the road.
There will be a number of digital media teams working throughout the show to give their followers and subscribers the first look at new products. The sheer volume of videos and posts published during SHOT Show itself will be staggering.
The vast numbers of media teams covering the show is great news, not just for the major manufacturers and brands that always grab the spotlight, but for the hundreds of small companies occupying 10x10 booths on the first level.
That first floor is a gold mine for media members willing to grab a pick and pan and head downstairs.
Start Planning Now
While it’s still six months away, now is the time to start planning for SHOT Show.
If your company wants to exhibit and hasn’t yet secured booth space, get all that information in the Exhibitor Inquiries section of the SHOTShow.org website.
For suppliers the process, and schedule, is a bit different. The Supplier Showcase on Monday and Tuesday is already sold out. However, NSSF (the owner and host of SHOT Show) offers the Supplier Showcase: Reloaded, which takes place Wednesday and Thursday.
Interested exhibitors can secure space through the Supplier Showcase Reloaded Application.
If you are attending, book your hotel, or your Airbnb, now. Get it locked in and check it off your to-do list so it’s one less thing to worry about later. Be aware that there are always companies with absolutely no affiliation with NSSF or SHOT Show trying to sell you hotel rooms. These can be scams, so do yourself a favor and book through the SHOT Show website.
Finally, SHOT University has issued a call for presentations. The deadline to submit your presentation is August 3, 2026. Any presentations submitted after the deadline will not be considered. In other words, if you’re so inclined, get your presentation together and submitted for consideration.
It’s early but not too early to start getting your act together for SHOT. The 2027 SHOT Show is 181 days away. And for those attending, you’re only 185 days away from returning home with the infamous SHOT Show Crud.
Sorry to bring up the unpleasantness of the crud, but you know it’s a fact of trade show life for many of us. Just suck it up and get yourself some ginger ale, a box of saltine crackers, and turn on The Price Is Right.
It worked when you were home sick in third grade, and somehow it still works today.
– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network
