Enjoyed the video. Nice to see it fresh through your eyes. I agree with almost all of it, especially the swag and packing all that stuff around. First time I went I needed one of those bags to put all my bags in. And this year I got a sample of about 10 lbs of pellets, and had to ship it home because I got tired of carrying it.
In years past, seems like there were more of the mechanical engineers and such, so you could get more deeply into design issues and ask about why something was done a particular way, etc. Now, it's pretty much salespeople, at least amongst the big boys. Too bad.
I have mixed feelings on encouraging non-industry people to attend. It's become so popular that credentials and proof may now be required. This show is really intended for buyers and media. By buyers, I mean, yes you can buy at the Shot Show. You can buy 20,000 tins of pellets, but you can't buy 1. My neighbor has been a casual attendee in the past, coming with his gunsmith buddy, but couldn't get approved this year without proof of employment with a FFL business, like a w-2. Some exhibitors don't mind individuals, others complain. The complainers are getting their way.
Foreign exhibitors in particular may be less able to distinguish between industry v. casual attendee, as they are trying to get their products into the US and are often trying to find an importer. A few years back, when Calibrgun came out with the Hummingbird, word got out to the forums that it could be purchased for $900. Well, not really, that was the price to an importer, not the public. Caused a bit of a fuss when a few people came to the booth looking to plunk down $900 and take one home.
What I'm saying is that if a person attends the show, just be aware that it isn't really intended for individuals, and act accordingly. If you make a video about how to get approved, I'd suggest you hammer away on this point. Not a criticism, just a suggestion.
