WATCH: 2014 SHOT Show Recap
I wanted to get this post out sooner, but alas, I became one of the many victims of the SHOT Show plague. If there was a t-shirt that said, “I met Patient Zero at SHOT Show,” I would be wearing it.
Last year at SHOT Show I was big-bellied and not-so-gracefully waddled to and from my appearances. Fast forward one year later, I can honestly say, that NOT being pregnant at SHOT is quite a bit more comfortable. My feet still hurt but, well, they still looked like feet at the end of each day. Being more mobile meant I got to do and see a lot more too!
Since SHOT Show is an industry-only event for dealers, distributors, exhibitors and media, I wanted to do a better job of bringing the show to those who couldn’t make it. I connected all my accounts to my Instagram and posted photo and video updates throughout the show. I have to say the videos were a lot of fun. For my 15-second updates, I channeled the Micro Machines Guy and borrowed from this hilarious Jimmy Fallon/Justin Timberlake hashtag happiness clip.
I met so many awesome people at SHOT, like NRA Commentators Billy Johnson, Colion Noir, Dom Raso and Austin Weiss. Montana House of Representatives Republican Rep Austin Knudsen stopped by the Smith & Wesson booth to say hello and it was great to meet him. I met hunting superstars Michael Waddell, Jim Shockey, Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo, and Don and Kandi Kisky. I have met him before, but Michael Rooker was walking the show floor. It’s always great to see pro-gun actors at SHOT Show.
Oh and the amazing Katie Pavlich. First of all Katie’s dad came by the S&W booth, introduced himself and brought one of my books to sign. He is such sweet gentleman and wow, did he do an amazing job raising his daughter who has become a no-nonsense political voice for young women. Katie’s writing can be read at Townhall.com and this pro-gun Gunsite grad is often seen on Fox News. She is the author of Fast and Furious: Barack Obama’s Bloodiest Scandal and the Shameless Cover-Up (Amazon affiliate link) and serves as an inspiration to so many.
As for Katie, she and I had been Twitter messaging about meeting at the show. I was hopeful, but the SHOT Show is certainly hectic. It all worked out though and I had a great informal conversation with her about guns, the Second Amendment and the role of women in preserving our rights. Here are the links on Townhall.com to Part 1 and Part 2.
I still haven’t officially met Kim Rhode, shotgunner extraordinaire, Olympic phenom and mom. I was racing to an appointment when I saw her at the Otis Booth. It was all I could do not to push through the line of people and get all crazy fan girl on her. I took this instead. I didn’t want her to think I was creepy. That and I couldn’t be late. Maybe next year though!
Prois announced the 2013 Prois Award recipient, Rachel Ahtila. Once again I had the honor of being one of the judges for the contest. To say that Rachel is quite a huntress is an understatement. I am so glad I had a chance to meet her and pose with other members of the Prois staff in the booth.
I attended my first NSSF State of the Industry Dinner. The speeches were extremely informative and motivating, the food was yummy and the entertainment? I have never seen a magic show and it was such a treat to watch Penn & Teller do their thing live.
Immediately after the dinner, I ended up going to the emergency room with a good friend. Out of respect for his privacy, I won’t go into the details, but I am simply amazed at all the kind words and support from all who heard about it. It further solidifies what I have said for years, that the people in our industry are truly wonderful. My friend has a tough road to recovery ahead of him, but the outpouring of prayers and well wishes has been simply astounding. Thank you so much and I know he, his family and his friends truly appreciate it.
Wednesday night was SHOT Show’s ladies’ night. Britney Starr and Jacqueline Kelly organized the second annual Women’s Outdoor Industry Dinner. This year’s theme was all about glamour. What fun! It was lovely chatting with talented women from the many segments of the outdoor industry. Cameron Gray of NRA News was there conducting interviews and there was even a red carpet!
I am so thankful to the NSSF for having me be a part of the Marketing to Women Seminar. Being on a panel with such influential women of the industry was an amazing experience. A shout out to Tisma Juett and Patrick Shay of NSSF for putting it all together as well. We spoke to a packed house and there were so many great questions from the audience.
The Smith & Wesson booth was hoppin’ and in addition to hosting many shooting and hunting superstars, they also had live, streaming video coverage of the show. I had the chance to sit down with Gary Guidice of Blue Heron Communications to chat about the upcoming competition season. I also had a great time with John Scoutten and Mike Irvine for a fun episode of the Shooting USA Podcast.
A huge thank you to my sponsors for having me be a part of their booths at the show. Thank you also to Skyhorse Publishing for setting up another awesome book signing at Rumpf Outdoor Titles and to all who came by to say hello! Being able to represent top-notch companies is an honor and I truly enjoy the opportunity to represent iconic brands like Smith & Wesson, Benelli USA, and Safariland.
Earlier this year I shared a new partnership with RAND Innovations. I had a great time hanging out with the guys from RAND CLP. Here’s a clip from my time in the booth by The Shooter’s Mindset.
