Chairman's Message: Kansas City Here I Come

Yes folks, it is Expo time. I'm sure you are all putting the final touches on your plans for Kansas City, crossing all your Ts and dotting all your Is. We will kick off the Expo with our annual Appreciation Dinner in a few short weeks, and I'm incredibly excited. The Expo has always been the most efficient week of the year for me. I get to meet with all my vendors and get down to business. I'm not fighting big crowds or navigating a massive show floor. I get to see all the key contacts in a short amount of time, all in one place. It's truly the most productive week.

The benefits of the Expo are nothing new for you seasoned veterans who've been attending the Expo for years. This is precisely why we keep coming back year in and year out. This is the most significant value we get through our NASGW membership. But that value is changing and expanding, and NASGW's role in the industry is also. SCOPE is becoming a bigger part of how we talk about results in our regular conversations and the meetings we will have on the show floor.

FEATURED ARTICLES

ATTENTION EXHIBITORS: Please Bring 2023 Products & Pricing

Attention 2022 NASGW Expo exhibitors, as a request from our wholesalers, please be prepared at the Expo to discuss your product line up and pricing for 2023. Many wholesalers are planning marketing and communications and lead time for for some placements is as much as 8 weeks. Distributors are making decisions about the 2023 marketing based on this information, so the earlier you share this information, the better. To help your distributors be as successful as possible promoting your products, please come prepared. 

Once again NASGW is planning a SCOPE update at this year's Expo. The last 12 months has seen some big changes including the recent full launch of SCOPE CLX. Please join us on Thursday during the Expo for a full update which will cover additional categories in DLX, how your business can utilize PLX, and the addition of 500+ retail stores supplying data to SCOPE CLX as well as a market update from NASGW's Senior Data Analyst, Tom Hopper. New for 2023, NASGW will also be making SCOPE more accessible to all members with new levels of access and reporting. NASGW will provide lunch for all pre-registered attendees. Please RSVP by October 19th, to help us determine a headcount for the event. The meeting will be held in a Lobby Level meeting room of the KCCC, directly past the Registration area.

Exhibitor Profile on Expo App & Website

New for 2022, the all-new Expo App will feature a simplified interface, much improved interactive map, and interactive Exhibitor profiles, managed directly by the Exhibitors. Exhibitors are able to manage their business description, add photos & videos, as well as products & services. Exhibitors can access this portal to update their profile by following the instructions on the website below to designate a marketing contact that will be responsible for updating and managing their profile. These updates can be made now and are also reflected in the exhibitor map on the Expo website. This will be a great way for attendees to learn more about exhibitors and their products. 

Decision Time: Establishing a Vision & Gaining Clarity Through Data

It was January 2015. I just started as president of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW). My first official workday was the opening day of the 2015 SHOT Show.

It was impressive. I had to pinch myself a few times during the week to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. It was a bit of a “kid in the candy store” kind of moment. I grew up shooting guns and hunting, so being able to work in the shooting sports industry was a big highlight. I still don’t take it for granted.

As with any new job, there were a lot of “firsts” throughout the first year. My first NRA convention. First-time visits to many industry manufacturing leaders. The first time helping to plan and lead the NASGW Expo and Annual Meeting. 2015, and all these “firsts,” were a blur.

In coordination with the launch of SCOPE CLX, NASGW hosted a webinar last week to provide a brief update on recent updates to DLX and showcase CLX. CLX was recently relaunched with 500+ stores contributing retails sales data from four industry leading point-of-sale platforms, Coreware, Celerant, Orchid, and AIM. To view the recorded webinar please click below. 

Additional Hotel Availability in Kansas City

Our headquarter hotel, Marriott Downtown KC is sold out. If you are still looking for a hotel, there may still be rooms available at the Hotel Phillips. The Hotel Phillips is a part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. The hotel was recently renovated and is conveniently located about a ½ block down from the Marriott. We recommend booking rooms as soon as possible.

SCOPE Q3 Report Coming Soon

Third Quarter numbers should be coming in this week and our team will be working on the Q3 report. Stay tuned for updates as we get the report ready for download and purchase.  

Firearms Shipments

Ammunition Shipments

Optics Shipments

Orchid to Sponsor the NASGW Expo Appreciation Dinner

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) is pleased to announce that Orchid will be sponsoring the NASGW Expo Appreciation Dinner on October 25th in Kansas City.

“Our industry’s distributors play a critical role in the firearm supply chain,” said Jon Rydberg, CEO of Orchid. “We’re proud to continue supporting both NASGW and NASGW SCOPE for their efforts in fulfilling demand while providing FFLs with critical analytics that improve inventory decisions. We look forward to interacting with the association and Expo attendees this October.”

FightLite to Sponsor NASGW Expo Happy Hour

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) is pleased to announce that FightLite will be sponsoring an NASGW Expo Happy Hour on Wednesday, October 26th in Kansas City, MO.

“The NASGW Expo provides attendees a great opportunity to connect with industry decision makers during events like our Happy Hours on the show floor,” said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW President. "The Expo would not be possible without great partners like FightLite sponsoring our Happy Hours. We appreciate their support and look forward to seeing all of our members in Kansas City."

Elite Tactical Systems to Sponsor Happy Hour at the 2022 NASGW Expo

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) is pleased to announce that Elite Tactical Systems (ETS) will be sponsoring an NASGW Expo Happy Hour on Wednesday, October 26th in Kansas City, MO.

“In the last couple years, our Expo Happy Hours have been a big hit, bringing attendees together at the end of a busy day," said NASGW President Kenyon Gleason. "We are looking forward to another great event with the help of our partners like ETS. I truly appreciate all of our sponsors for stepping up to help make this Expo another success.”

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UPCOMING EVENTS

October 26-28, 2022

NASGW Expo

Kansas City, MO

January 17-20, 2023

SHOT Show

Las Vegas, NV

March 27-28, 2023

Shooting Sports Showcase

Talladega, AL

April 14-16, 2023

NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits

Indianapolis, IN