After visiting the Supplier Showcase during the 2024 SHOT Show I was convinced that it was NSSF’s best addition to SHOT Show. And that says a lot considering SHOT Show University has been a valuable addition. And the Governors’ and AGs’ forums are incredibly important in light of NSSF’s growing role in advocating politically for the industry.

But the Supplier Showcase is a whole other level of importance. Last year there were 564 exhibitors, give or take, and this year NSSF says they have 605, along with a waiting list. To accommodate those on the wait list NSSF has given them space in the new SHOT Show eXtra which will be held in the same fifth floor ballroom Wednesday and Thursday of SHOT. It will also house the many small companies that populated the upper hallways as part of SHOT Show Next.

Clearly demand for the Supplier Showcase continues to grow, and after talking to some of the exhibitors it’s obvious as to why.

The Showcase doesn’t have the kick-the-tires feel of the main floors where attendees handle (in most cases fondle) new products while also grabbing up copious amounts of swag, with the occasional dealer order placed here and there, of course.

Up on the fifth floor those walking the Supplier Showcase are shopping for manufacturing and product support. Walking out of the ballroom yesterday I ran into Scott Folk, co-owner of Apex Tactical Specialties, a well-known aftermarket parts manufacturer, as he was walking in. Like most he was on the lookout for new manufacturing, machining and finishing resources.

And that’s exactly what the Showcase is for. NSSF has made it a priority to support its member companies by giving them immediate access at SHOT to a wide variety of suppliers. And NSSF members have responded. Monday morning saw the Showcase aisles filled with purchasing agents, engineers and manufacturing leads, like Folk.

The feedback from exhibitors has been, on whole, excellent.

Kyle Bachstein of the engineering firm Bachstein Consulting said,“It’s an invaluable tool for our business because it really does position us in front of our perfect clients. And the major OEMs always have their people walking around where we can showcase our capabilities.”

Bachstein recently launched an engineering subscription service to provide affordable engineering support to small and medium businesses in the firearm and defense industry and the response has gone well.

“Regardless of the size of the client, whether they’re a small company of a large one, they may not be ready to take a leap to hire another engineer, or four or five, or another machinist, whereas our subscription offer enables companies to turn that service on when needed without a lot of overheard. It’s been really well received in the industry and we have been surprised by the amount of people that have contacted us about it.”

For some the value of the Supplier Showcase has been the consolidation into one key area rather than being scatted across the main SHOT Show floors.

Bjorn Richter, of packaging company Rose Plastic, explained how the move from the main floor to the Supplier Showcase has benefitted them.

“For us the Supplier Showcase is a better fit because we have more interactions, especially the first day when a lot of the exhibitors come up here with their purchasing team to look for new packaging, how they can package products differently, or how to make it fit for the retail space.”

The same is true for Tuff Products Brand, a soft goods manufacturer that also does cut and sew OEM work. Tuff Products exhibits on the main floor but uses the Showcase to promote its OEM capabilities.

“The Supplier Showcase is valuable to me because a lot of my customers that are in the main show don’t have time to visit my SHOT Show booth. So being that this is the first day and not a show day for SHOT they’re able to come visit us before SHOT Show kicks off,” said Nathaniel Stevens.

The growing popularity of the Supplier Showcase with exhibiting suppliers is matched by the popularity with manufacturing exhibitors who are taking advantage of the convenient access to so many vendors on the fifth floor.

Brian Wright of Wright Armory summed it up perfectly, noting, “The Supplier Showcase has been really good. We were surprised at how well it was at opening doors and starting conversations. We’ve been here before and I think that the industry has kind of realized the power of the Supplier Showcase when they can actually come shop for things they need in the supply chain.”

Last year Jim Shepherd wrote that the Supplier Showcase is the “show within the show,” and that couldn’t be more true. The success of the Showcase has closed the gap between NSSF’s manufacturing members and the companies that support them.

And that’s why the Supplier Showcase is, in fact, the most valuable addition to SHOT Show.

– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor of the Outdoor Wire Digital Network