In mid-February 2023, NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation) announced the creation of the Archery Business Pavilion, a new exhibit area for the archery industry at NSSF’s annual SHOT Show. The Pavilion is an exciting collaboration between NSSF and Grand View Outdoors, a leading provider of outdoor content. (Archery Business and Bowhunting World magazines are part of the Grand View Outdoors family of brands.)
Fast-forward to January 2024 — and specifically the 46th SHOT Show, which set new benchmarks for industry innovation, collaboration and engagement. With an expanded show floor, a record-high number of exhibitors, and an array of new features and networking opportunities, the 2024 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, was the largest to date. More than 55,400 industry professionals packed the 13.9 miles of aisles over four days at The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum — including the Archery Business Pavilion — eager to view new, innovative products used for hunting, shooting and outdoor recreation.
“The energy on the SHOT Show floor in 2024 was off the charts,” said Chris Dolnack, SVP & Chief Customer Officer for the NSSF. “The feedback we’ve received from our exhibitors and attendees has been amazing, and we can’t thank them all enough for helping us make the show what it is: the greatest trade show in the world.”
2024 Archery Business Pavilion Takeaways
The 2024 Archery Business Pavilion (located in Caesars Forum) featured exhibits from leading manufacturers and suppliers in the archery industry. The new area of the show provided a focused environment for archery retailers and industry professionals to explore the latest trends, products, and business opportunities in the archery sector. So, what was the feedback from 2024?
“I spent a good amount of my time each day in the Archery Business Pavilion,” said Archery Business Editor Dave Maas. “Of course, because I have ‘skin the game,’ I wanted the new space to be a success. I must say I was impressed. The NSSF team did an outstanding job of making it easy for Show goers to find the new Pavilion. The space was clearly marked on the SHOT Show overview map, and special lime-green carpet runways (think shortcut) across the floors of Levels 1 and 2 in the Venetian Expo (the two main exhibit spaces) helped direct traffic to the SHOT Bridge, the path to Caesars Forum and the Pavilion. NSSF even had Show workers standing with signs directing people to the SHOT Bridge and the Pavilion; nice!
“The Pavilion space itself was big and bright, in a word — outstanding. In my opinion, traffic in the Pavilion was good. Yes, it would take a bit to get busy in the mornings, but I attribute that to the fact the Pavilion and all other booths in Caesars Forum are a bit of a hike from the SHOT Show entrances.”
Looking Ahead to 2025
The 2025 Archery Business Pavilion will feature exhibits from leading manufacturers and suppliers in the archery industry, offering attendees the opportunity to see and experience the latest in archery technology and products. Looking ahead to the next SHOT Show, here are thoughts from some industry veterans regarding the Pavilion:
Derrick Nawrocki — President/Publisher, Grand View Outdoors
“Time flies as they say, this time last year the concept of the Archery Business Pavilion was just getting formulated. We might have had three early adopters in the room. Come full circle 1 year later, and we have more than 20 confirmed exhibitors, which takes up nearly 50% of the room floor, and I feel like we are just getting going for the 2025 SHOT Show. Our biggest success story from the first year is most of the significant archery/hunting 2024 Pavilion exhibitors renewed in the room, for the 2025 show, and we recently added ARCUS (whose brands include Dead Down Wind, Trophy Taker, Ramcat, and Tinks), NASP, and Viper Archery/Koola Buck, with several 2024 exhibitors increasing their booth footprint for 2025. The SHOT Show has long been a destination for outdoor/archery/hunting companies to exhibit at; several that come to mind include Mossy Oak, Realtree, ALPS OutdoorZ, True Timber, GSM, Under Armour, a handful of trail camera companies, and a fair number of others. So, even if not in the Archery Business Pavilion, it's long been known that SHOT Show delivers for this segment. The ability to secure space in the Archery Business Pavilion, in the very HOT Caesar's Forum area, makes it all that more sensible to join us in 2025.”
Chris Dolnack — SVP & Chief Customer Officer, NSSF
“Since the 2022 SHOT Show, our post-show surveys revealed that 24% of the retail buyers had an interest in the archery and bowhunting category, and the growth in the Archery Business Pavilion reflects that growing interest. More traditional firearm retailers are looking to expand their offerings, and there is a lot of cross-over between archery hunters and firearm hunters. And in many cases, those retailers are 10-15 years younger than those who are not interested in the archery and bowhunting space. Any way you slice it, nearly 5,000 retail buyers who are attending the 2025 SHOT Show will be looking for information with intent to purchase, and to build long-term relationships with archery exhibitors.”
Tommy Floyd Ed.D. — President, National Archery in the Schools Program
“NASP was honored to have participated in the 2024 NSSF SHOT Show, and we are looking forward to continuing our participation in 2025. We love to tell the NASP story, and we believe our decision to join the Archery Business Pavilion is a great way to enhance that story. We're thrilled to unite with fellow enthusiasts at SHOT as we propel our sport forward.”
Mark Olis — Senior Brand Relations Manager, Moultrie Mobile
“The Archery Business Pavilion drew us back to SHOT Show after being absent for the past few years. The idea of having archery and hunting-related-only companies all in one place, in front of a highly-qualified crowd, was appealing to us. We signed up early with the Grand View Outdoors team and they went above and beyond everywhere they could during the entire process. There was a lot of positive buzz at the show regarding the future of the Pavilion, too. I think foot traffic will only increase in future years as the Pavilion becomes a go-to destination for hunting goods.”
Teri Quinn, Director of Marketing, Arcus Hunting
“It's been a few years since our brands have attended the SHOT Show. We are excited to be bringing Tink's and Dead Down Wind back to the Show and joining other exhibitors in the Archery Business Pavillion. We look forward to building on past connections and cultivating fresh opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor sports community!”
Kris Christensen, Marketing Manager, Spot-Hogg Archery
“The 2024 Shot Show was our first time attending. While we expected to see mainly firearm retailers, we noticed a growing interest in archery. We do hope to see more archery vendors in the future as we believe there is a prime opportunity to reach new retailers and show them the value in adding archery to their existing lineup. Looking forward to 2025!”
Ryan Busbice, CEO, Barnett Outdoors
“It was refreshing to have a hall dedicated to archery as I felt it brought newness and energy to the Show. We launched some new pistol crossbows and some exciting new crossbows, as well as a brand new optics technology called BUK OPS Primetime Vision with Buck Commander that was very well received.”
Archery Business Pavilion Specifics
- It will be located within the upcoming SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Jan. 21 through Jan. 24, 2025. You’ll find the Pavilion in Caesars Forum in the Academy Ballroom.
- Any manufacturer of outdoor, hunting and archery-related products can exhibit in the Pavilion.
- Exhibit space is limited; first come, first served. Those who exhibit in 2025 will have first choice for space for 2026.
- The Archery Business team, including editors and key staff, will be in the Pavilion working on best ways to cover and promote companies that exhibit.
- Additional coverage about the Pavilion will appear in SHOT Daily during the show and within the pages of other B2B brands such as Archery Business, Hunting Retailer and Shooting Sports Retailer as we get closer to SHOT Show.
Booking Your Space
Preparations have already begun for next year’s 47th SHOT Show, January 21-24, 2025, in Las Vegas. To learn more about exhibiting in the Archery Business Pavilion, visit www.SHOTShow.org/archeryexhibit. Note: Booth space will not be final until this application is completed and the initial deposit is made.
