Need to be in firearms "business" to attend SHOT show?

[jakk55]

On the attendee registration form it has:
NOTE: Only individuals doing business in the shooting, hunting or outdoor trade or affiliated with the trade mayattend the SHOT Show. Attendees may be required to provide additional verification of their trade-related business or affiliation (e.g., FFL or other supporting documentation) prior to or during the show. Individuals should carefully review the show's exhibitor and attendee rules prior to registering. Registration and subsequent admission constitutes full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of all show rules.

Do you have to be a firearms dealer to attend? Or do many people who aren't attend?

 

[Dave Workman]

Well, "yes"

You have to be somehow connected to the industry. In my case, I'm press (but I also build concealment holsters through D&D GUNLEATHER, but that's just for gas money )

It is NOT open to the general public.

 

[ctdonath]

Does a C&R FFL count?

 

[ke6guj]

Yes, a C&R FFL will get you in.

 

[Acera]

If you know a dealer, he may get you a pass. Plenty of friends legitimately in the industry can't attend and freely give their passes to friends and good customers.

 

[Robert Hairless]

SHOT is a trade show. I've attended a great many trade shows and conventions in a great many trades and professions but none of them has been characterized by the high degree of courtesy shown by the people attending a SHOT show. Remarkable.

 

[10 Ring Tao]

none of them has been characterized by the high degree of courtesy shown by the people attending a SHOT show. Remarkable.

I've found this to be generally true of the 2A and gun related crowd as a whole.

 

[10 Ring Tao]

Yes, a C&R FFL will get you in.

Seriously? Can someone verify this?

 

[Bruce333]

Yes. A C&R will get you into SHOT.

 

[Cacique500]

Keep in mind that people are there to do BUSINESS. If you're not a dealer, please don't go into the show and act like you are - cause it really takes away valuable time from everybody who's there to work.

Nothing like having a large stack of follow-ups from the show that turn out to be the friend of the owners brother's nephew who wanted to sign himself up as a new dealer to get a show promo for himself.

If you're not local to Vegas you may want to make sure you can get lodging...some genius scheduled SHOT in conjunction with SuperBowl weekend so it's gonna be a zoo.

 

[10 Ring Tao]

I seriously would have gone last year if I'd known C&R got you in.

Dammit. Anyone want to carpool this year?

 

[hksw]

I seriously would have gone last year if I'd known C&R got you in.

That's how I got in this year.

Dammit. Anyone want to carpool this year?

I take it you mean next year '08.

I'm passing on next year's as all of the good hotels close by have all been booked up (by attendees for SHOT, other conventions that week and next and the Super Bowl). I'll be back to the FL show in '09 though and will be more quick on the hotel reservations for the LV shows in the future.

 

[Thegungal]

It isnt hard to get in, as has been said, just remember it is not a toy store or a gun show, it is a business trade show. Being Class III and a legitimate dealer to Law Enforcement means I need to see the coolest things...I often have to wait for every friend of every gun shop across the country to take pics and touch everything.

Of course, then it takes 30 minutes to get them to take me seriously, haha. (I know everone now and they will clear the way for me but it was a pain for so long)

 

[Zen21Tao]

Yes, a C&R FFL will get you in.

Seriously? Can someone verify this?

I can also verify this for you.

I went to the 2007 SHOT show in Orlando, FL under a friend's C&R. He listed a friend and I as business partners on the SHOT application. He said that when applying for the SHOT show online it asks for your FFL number. He put in his C&R number and it went through just fine. We printed our verification and took them with us to SHOT. Once there, received our passes at check-in without any problems. Our passes had the yellow "guest" marking at the bottom.

I hope this helps.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have been to SHOT as an "associate" from a local dealer. Anybody you do business with will likely give you credentials to go.
Just remember, there are people and companies who do more than half their year's business at SHOT, so don't get in their way. It is their livelihood, you are a tourist.

I have friends in Florida to crash with, so I have been to SHOT in Orlando twice. I got guest passes for my host and hostess, the least I could do for staying in their Disney World condo. They are nice folks and made a number of friends in the industry. This year there was a beachwear trade show on the other side of the convention center. Pity my SHOT pass wouldn't get me in to bikini country.

I had heard that the original intention was to have SHOT in Las Vegas for the next 8 years, but construction schedules mean it will be back in Orlando for 2009.