By James Lint, Faculty Member, School of Business at American Military University
The annual SHOT Show will celebrate its 40th anniversary on January 23-26, 2018, at the Las Vegas Sands Expo Center.
Hosted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the SHOT Show is for all professionals involved with the shooting sports, hunting and law enforcement industries. It is the largest, most comprehensive trade show of its kind and showcases the evolution of firearms technology.
High Attendance Expected at SHOT Show
The SHOT Show is the industry’s signature event, bringing together more than 1,700 exhibitors and 65,000 attendees. It is held in cooperation with local police and federal agencies, because the new technologies unveiled at the SHOT Show are ripe targets for foreign espionage.
SHOT Show Attendees Are Both Professional and Recreational Gun Users
Shooters, shooting sports retail business owners and safety personnel are a large part of the attendees to the show. For example, there are military attendees who come to see new shooting enhancements, safety improvements, and new methods to keep weapons clean and usable in combat. Law enforcement officers attend SHOT Show for the same reason.
Similarly, weapon retailers and recreational shooters come from around the world to see new methods and capabilities from the firearms industries.
Special Law Enforcement Program Focuses On Protection Measures and Tactical Execution
One of the features of the SHOT Show is the Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP), which gives members the opportunity to learn from leading industry training organizations, such as the National Tactical Officers Association and industry product authorities.
Upon completion, LEEP participants receive a Certificate of Attendance, which is used to document training. These training sessions do not allow recordings, but they include frank exchanges between the presenters and the audience that pertain to equipment and tactics.
SHOT Show University Offers Additional Education
Another feature is SHOT Show University, the premier education event for the shooting sports and hunting industries. This day-long program will feature two keynote speakers: Julie Golob talking about “Leadership through Influence” and John O’Leary discussing “On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life.”
In addition, there are four education tracks: Retailing 101, Master’s Class, Range Operation and Compliance, offering 16 different courses. These courses are designed to meet the needs of every range or retail operator, regardless of experience.
Executive Management Seminar
The National Shooting Sports Foundation will again host an Executive Management Seminar, which offers specialized training to address the needs of industry professionals from up-and-coming managers to presidents and CEOs. This seminar, which takes place the Monday before the show opens, allows senior management to attend training with their peers.
Attendance Restrictions at SHOT Show
The SHOT Show is not open to the general public due to the hazardous nature of the products and the featured discussions. It is not for anyone under age 16 or for people with little understanding of safety requirements.
Attendance is restricted to shooting, hunting and outdoor trade and commercial buyers and sellers of military, law enforcement and tactical products and services.
The SHOT Show provides a wealth of information on recent technological changes to equipment and tools, all conveniently displayed in a single location.
About the Author: James R. Lint recently retired as the (GG-15) civilian director for intelligence and security, G2, U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command. He is an adjunct professor at AMU. James has been involved in cyberespionage events from just after the turn of the century in Korea supporting 1st Signal Brigade to the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis as the first government cyber intelligence analyst. He has 38 years of experience in military intelligence with the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, government contracting and civil service.
Additionally, James started the Lint Center for National Security Studies, a nonprofit charity that recently awarded its 49th scholarship for national security students and professionals. James was also elected as the 2015 national vice president for the Military Intelligence Corps Association. He has also served in the Department of Energy’s S&S Security Office after his active military career in the Marine Corps for seven years and 14 years in the Army. His military assignments include South Korea, Germany and Cuba, in addition to numerous CONUS locations. In 2017, he was appointed to the position of Adjutant for The American Legion, China Post 1. James has authored a book published in 2013, “Leadership and Management Lessons Learned,” a book published in 2016 “8 Eyes on Korea, A Travel Perspective of Seoul, Korea,” and a new book in 2017 “Secrets to Getting a Federal Government Job.”
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