Slowly, but surely, the world is coming back to normal. As much as normal can be called normal I guess. But at the NASGW, we’re very excited that the Annual Expo is in fact going to take place this year. So it is indeed… GO TIME!

As you’ll read later in this InSight, registration for the 2021 NASGW Expo and Annual Meeting is going live any day. Our team is just buttoning up the final details. We’re excited to see you all in Columbus, OH, on October 26-29. It’s going to be a great reunion for many of us and I absolutely can’t wait.

Our show floor is filling up fast, in fact, we’re very close to sold out. If you don’t have a space, or you’ve been thinking about getting one, I’d encourage you to act fast. Folks are eager to get back to business and I’m certain we will run out of booth space. In that same vein, it’s never too early to start talking to your distributor partners and getting time on their calendar during that week. The week is literally back-to-back meetings with very little room for breaks. Spend a little extra time now planning so you can hit the ground running onsite in Columbus.

Think back to when you were a kid. I surely can’t remember saying to my parents that I can’t wait to go to the doctor to get a shot. I surely can’t remember a time as an adult saying it either – until now. I’ve never been so excited in all my life. I’ve received my double vaccine dose, I’ve laminated my COVID card, and I can finally rid myself of those awkward elbow bumps and start hugging and handshaking again.

NSSF’s Government Relations Team dedicates its time and resources to supporting legislation beneficial to our industry and fighting those bills that infringe on our rights to legally conduct business and compromise everyone’s Second Amendment rights. Team members attend legislative hearings on the federal, state and local levels year-round across the nation, keeping their finger on the pulse of those issues affecting us.

As I’m writing this, I’ve just returned from the first ever Shooting Sports Showcase held in Talladega, Alabama on March 8. The event was sponsored by the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA) and the NASGW. We began talking about this venture before Christmas. All of us were weary and concerned about the impacts COVID was having on the industry because of our inability to get together, network and review products.

Brrrrrr, can someone turn up the heat? The last few weeks have brought record cold and devastation to the American south. The struggles with the Texas power grid were unprecedented, and it will take months for many families across the south to overcome the damage to their homes due to frozen pipes and other damage. For those states impacted, it’s easy to understand just how unprepared they were to handle that type of weather. They just don’t experience those types of cold spells, so they don’t have the equipment, knowledge, or infrastructure to prepare for those conditions. They just weren’t ready for the fight.

NSSF’s Government Relations Team dedicates its time and resources to supporting legislation beneficial to our industry and fighting those bills that infringe on our rights to legally conduct business and compromise everyone’s Second Amendment rights. Team members attend legislative hearings on the federal, state and local levels year-round across the nation, keeping their finger on the pulse of those issues affecting us.

Latest on the Vaccine Eligibility and Essential Services 

As you all know all too well, the federal government deferred much of the decision-making on administration and eligibility of the COVID vaccine to the states and localities, making it very difficult for companies deemed essential last year to ensure that their employees are eligible to get the vaccine.  While we have not found a way to streamline the process, we hope these resources will help you navigate the maze.

Clarity.

I guess you could say this is a January unlike any other. We have seen much hatred spewed in our nation’s capital and politics have become messy. But there’s also much ado about a man who is a constant winner and an overachiever, and that's what the people who support him like about him. Yes, he's been caught in some lies and maybe twisted the truth a little but he's still out there proving his haters wrong time after time. Some people are just jealous of someone who is successful and has money. Throw in a beautiful foreign lingerie model at his side and they hate him even more. You may or may not have wanted him in his role, but he was there and there's nothing you can do about it. I know it’s possibly going to get more heated over the next few weeks, but like him or not, Tom Brady has turned things around in Tampa and now they are headed to the Super Bowl.

First of all, Happy New Year! I am thrilled to welcome the year 2021. I know for certain we have a lot of challenges and changes ahead, but I’m going to use all the grit I have to grind out a successful year, and when and where I struggle, I’ll grin and bear it.

I know you’ve all heard the saying from the Greek philosopher Epictetus, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” Well, years ago (in 2008 to be exact), I received a calendar from a local charity that had these sorts of phrases on each daily calendar page. It was filled with inspirational quotes and sayings designed to keep you motivated throughout the year.