There are not that many things that will get me out of bed early on the second day of a three day industry show. By day two, knees, ankles and backs are cranky and the idea of getting out before daylight isn’t especially enticing.

But I had no problem rolling out bright and early for NASGW’s first early-morning event here in Columbus, Ohio. The description on the NASGW schedule calls it the New Exhibitors Showcase, but I’ve always called it by what I think best describes it: speed dating.

First-time exhibitors are allocated a tightly-timed three minute opportunity to pitch their products and/or company to an audience that includes wholesalers. It’s one of the events that I think highlights how NASGW works to serve their attendees and exhibitors however they can.

For some companies, the showcase offers them their best opportunity to cut through the clutter (although NASGW’s not a “cluttered” event, the leisurely pace is terrific) of the other companies and tell their best story to their potential customers.

In other words, it’s the chance to tell your story in your own words. And like any other first-impression opportunity, there are only two ways it can go: “good” or “sideways”.

The morning’s first company, Angry Stag, experienced a little of both. Their product array already included more items than they could hope to cover in three minutes. When their first product, the EZLoad electric magazine loader had a battery issue, they had no hope of getting through their lines of thermal scopes, hearing protection and their L.A.W.S - Low Ammunition Warning System.

No speed event goes perfectly. For Angry Stag, a first product refused to cooperate with their demonstration. That cut into the time to talk about other equally interesting-sounding products.

Despite that, the EZLoad caught my attention, and we’re investigating it further. A six pound machine that can quickly load magazines, is portable and battery-powered (it ran fine after the original hiccup) would be a boon to instructors whose students spend time reloading magazines that would be better spent training. A price tag well under $250 makes it a viable option. Ditto ranges and competition shooting events and recreational shooters. Expect to see more about the device in the future.

For others, it was another validation of the fact that what is essentially a show-and-tell isn’t much if you only tell Wholesalers about your products. If you tell them you have the “finest product of its type” you probably should have one of them available to make your case.

Limited timeframes make it easy to see which presenters are comfortable working under those kinds of constraints. Trainer, businessman and experienced performer Rob Pincus made the time constraint look easy. It isn’t.

At events like these, it’s pretty simple to pick out the experienced presenters. While he’s a well-known figure in shooting and instruction circles, Rob Pincus was at the event pitching a new line of pistols. His smooth pitch made it obvious that he’s more than comfortable working a crowd. Will that translate into financial success with a new pistol in an already crowded marketplace? Not sure, but we’ll keep you posted.

There was a lot of information packed into the one-hour window. But NASGW has done a good job of enabling new exhibitors to have the opportunity to make the basic connection inside those time constraints. Interested wholesalers can’t exactly speak with each exhibitor immediately following their pitches. But NASGW provides very succinct exhibitor profiles, along with key information on the companies. Their booth number is prominently displayed, along with questions than enable wholesalers to decide if they could fit their product mix.

That information includes a percentage estimate of a percentage of sales made through wholesalers, projected distributor margins, participation in direct sales or buy groups, existing NASGW wholesalers who are customers, promotional support for their products and -importantly- what current manufacturers should consider you a competitor?

For some, the challenges are convincing wholesalers that a business that only projects 20-40% distributor sales and a 5-10% margin are compelling enough to bring in a sale. As one wholesaler told me, “I’m not going to bother with a tight margin and a company that’s also selling directly. That’s not a sign of support of the distributor system.”

Not everyone presenting was a newcomer to the industry. Rock Ridge Outdoors’ Dani Navickas (left) and Janette Palmer (right) are both industry veterans. Others, like Victor Company’s Heather Victor were introducing themselves-and their products- to what they hope will be a receptive audience.

That sounds harsh, but despite the fact that many of the attendees are longtime friends, it’s still business. And business decisions frequently aren’t based on friendships, no matter how long the friendships have lasted.

Finally, a quick personal note regarding this week’s NASGW. I had absolutely no inkling that I was going to be recognized with the Chairman’s award on Tuesday evening. Consequently, there were no carefully prepared remarks -just a jumble of thoughts that I hope conveyed my appreciation for the recognition, and affection I have for the people of an industry that welcomed me as a neophyte more than two decades ago.

I’ve never done this for recognition, but we’ll work to continue to keep our promise: we’ll keep you posted.

—Jim Shepherd