Wow, the end of July. Can you believe it? The “dog days of summer” are upon us and in Texas, that means hot temperatures, which we’ve had no shortage of in recent weeks. The other day as I was driving back to Waco on another triple-digit day with the AC blasting I passed a billboard that said: “Opportunity Awaits.” It probably said more but that was the part that caught my eye. My immediate thought was an opportunity for a cold front, or even rain would be welcomed right now, but something about that billboard stuck in my head. What opportunity were they referring to and what were they advertising? How would I know when I encounter “the opportunity?” Regardless of what this billboard was selling, it was definitely thought-provoking. 

 A wise man once said that “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” Whether we realize it or not, we encounter opportunities every day. Some you act on and some you don’t recognize.  At NASGW, we are all excited about the incredible opportunities that will be forthcoming from the SCOPE program.  SCOPE will provide our members with the tools to analyze sales and inventory across the distribution channel and provide insight and data, that has never before been aggregated.  This project has come with many challenges, as you would imagine compiling this amount of data, but has been one of the most rewarding projects we’ve ever worked on. Our team is working hard to finalize the data aggregation, and a launch date is on the horizon, so stay tuned.

 Opportunities are also a hot topic when it comes to the 2018 NASGW Expo. As we get closer to October, I want to remind you of the current opportunities that you don’t want to miss. These include sponsorships, the New Product Showcase/Caliber Awards, Range Day and Expo Exclusives. Deadlines to take advantage of these opportunities are getting close so don’t wait to sign up. The deadlines to enter your products for the Caliber Awards and Expo Exclusives are coming up on August 1st. For manufacturers, advertising and sponsorship opportunities at the Convention Center and Range Day can help you expand your brand to the Expo’s audience of wholesale buyers and media members. Make a splash to grow your market share for 2019.

 In general, the NASGW Expo is a massive opportunity for wholesalers and manufacturers to connect and plan out the sales strategy for the next year. It is an excellent opportunity to launch products, form new business partnerships, connect with friends, forecast the sales, and talk business with key decision makers. The Expo is an opportunity in itself. It’s up to you to capitalize on the opportunity in front of you.

I look forward to seeing you all in Pittsburgh in two months.

Until next time,

Brad Burney

NASGW Chairman