2024 SHOT Show Preview

Although the holiday season may be fading into the rearview for the rest of the world, firearms enthusiasts have one last hurrah. I’m talking, of course, about SHOT Show. The National Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, hosted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, kicks off on January 23.

SHOT show is the biggest firearm-related event of the year, drawing manufacturers, vendors, and media alike to Las Vegas for three days. Let’s take a look at some of the things that are already starting to generate some buzz.

2024 SHOT Show Highlights

SHOT Show 2024 is definitely starting off on the right foot. For one, it’s the largest SHOT show ever. At 816,000 square feet, this year’s event is the eighth largest trade show in the US by area, and the third largest trade show held in Vegas. The event expects to draw about 50,000 attendees from 100 countries.

Exhibitors from around the world will show off their new products for the first time, and we’ll finally get an answer to the burning question: will Kalashnnikov USA release the AK-105 they promised us two SHOT Shows ago? I tend to doubt it, but there will be plenty of cool stuff announced regardless.

After-Hours Events

There will still be activities after the doors close for the main event, too. SHOT Show also includes several after-hours parties as part of the “SHOT After Dark” event series.

As a semi-pro musician myself, the after-hours that looks the most interesting to me is the All Star Jam concert. It begins on Wednesday, January 24 right after doors close, and includes performances from Johnny Van Zandt (Lynyrd Skynyrd) and Eddie Montgomery (Montgomery Gentry), as well as a special musical guest. Next year they should book me, although I don’t know how receptive the crowd would be to techno jazz.

It’s not all fun and games, though. There are also some after-hours networking events, too. Tuesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th will both feature happy hours in Cesar’s Plaza. If you’ve ever wanted to break into the firearms industry, that’s your chance.

Final Thoughts

While I’ve never attended SHOT Show specifically, I have been to my fair share of outdoors-related trade shows and I can tell you from experience that they’re a great time. Stay tuned – I’ll keep an eye out on any news coming out of SHOT Show this year and report back!