SHOT 2021 Cancelled

[fatdog]

This is not a big surprise based on other large events that are canceling through Q1.

Now what will be really interesting to see is how the folks planning new product introductions and announcements go about it. It represents a chance for all of them to fail and be more lost than a fart in the middle of a hurricane, or succeed beyond what they could have accomplished in terms of the attention they would get at a live shot show event.

I think a lot of the better marketers already understood that introducing new products outside the avalanche of stuff at Shot or the NRA show is always a chance to get the better share of the spotlight directly for consumers. But they are all losing that density of buyers (especially distributors and dealers) and press that Shot always gives them.

Let loose the hounds of marketing....

[ranger]

Back in April, Microsoft made all of their events—and they were legion—virtual through the end of 2021. Now that they're letting more people work from home permanently, I wouldn't be surprised to see that extended through 2022 or beyond.

Event-dependent companies are in a bad way right now.


Okie John

Event dependent "communities" are in a bad way. Orlando, Las Vegas, etc. must be hurting. I went to Orlando at least twice per year for trade shows.

[HeavyDuty]

Event-dependent companies are in a bad way right now.

My partner lost her business over this - custom baking for weddings and other large events. Fifteen years down the tubes.

[fatdog]

Event-dependent companies are in a bad way right now.

Truly, I have a big event at work that we do every year with Gaylord at one of their venues, and we got out of our contract this year with no $500K cancelation penalty, due to Force Majeure provisions because of COVID. I am worried they are going Chapter 11 or worse before next year's event. They have been absolutely crushed. One of the Destination Management Companies we were working with on the off site events just went away completely. Bankruptcies could see some truly big/huge convention and event driven properties get to be like abandoned empty malls before this time next year.

[okie john]

This is not a big surprise based on other large events that are canceling through Q1.

Now what will be really interesting to see is how the folks planning new product introductions and announcements go about it. It represents a chance for all of them to fail and be more lost than a fart in the middle of a hurricane, or succeed beyond what they could have accomplished in terms of the attention they would get at a live shot show event.

I think a lot of the better marketers already understood that introducing new products outside the avalanche of stuff at Shot or the NRA show is always a chance to get the better share of the spotlight directly for consumers. But they are all losing that density of buyers (especially distributors and dealers) and press that Shot always gives them.

Let loose the hounds of marketing....

As a hound of marketing, I’ll say that this isn’t a big deal for us. Our goal is to find the right audience, then get them the right message through the channels they prefer at a time when they’re looking to buy. High-visibility trade shows aren't important as a channel for reaching consumers. Their real value is how they draw people who will spread the word on their own dime. For instance, all of those moronic YouTube vloggers who talk ad nauseum about the most mundane aspects of a new Glock are reaching audiences that Glock may not know that they have.

If I can't go to trade shows, then I take trade shows to the influencers who matter for that product’s audience. In other words, don’t send duck guns to Larry Vickers or G19 variants to Steven Rinella. They'll form opinions and share them with their audiences. Then I'll find ways to help those people share their content with actual users via social and other media. Maybe I host a video shoot, then they share that footage with their audiences through their channels. While they do that, I share some of that content under my brand via email, Twitter, etc. with targeted email lists. That’s where data from Google and Amazon tells me who really, really digs duck guns, G19 variants, or whatever else I need to sell.

When it’s time to show a product to consumers, I send sales guys to regional and state outdoor shows to rub elbows with hunting guides, boot salesmen, camper manufacturers, etc.

Speaking of sales guys, the loss of trade shows is far worse for them than it is for marketers. They hand out a lot of cigars and buy a lot of drinks to land orders and close deals. A lot of that needs to happen face-to-face away from prying eyes, and trade shows are a pretty good venue for that.


Okie John

[Seven_Sicks_Two]

Speaking of sales guys, the loss of trade shows is far worse for them than it is for marketers. They hand out a lot of cigars and buy a lot of drinks to land orders and close deals. A lot of that needs to happen face-to-face away from prying eyes, and trade shows are a pretty good venue for that.

Lots of the BIG deals happen at smaller, less well-known shows like NASGW and the buy group shows. I suspect that lots of those sorts of deals are still going to happen, but the reps are going to be racking up the airline and hotel points to get it done if those shows are also canceled.

[TheNewbie]

Event dependent "communities" are in a bad way. Orlando, Las Vegas, etc. must be hurting. I went to Orlando at least twice per year for trade shows.

It’s heartbreak to see all the suffering the lockdown has caused.

I hate events, not because of covid, but because crowds annoy me. Yet I would be more tempted than ever to go to SHOT, or something similar, as a statement of sanity and a statement against panic.