The SHOT Show has changed over the years. When we started attending in the early 1990s, the show would change locations every year. One year in New Orleans, another in Dallas, Orlando, Atlanta and Las Vegas.

The locations slowed down to two, Orlando and Las Vegas. Then, beginning in 2010, the show has been held in Las Vegas. Who wouldn’t want such a large show, which would bring millions of dollars to a city? According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the 2018 show brought over $88 million in non-gaming revenue to the local Las Vegas economy.

The term non-gaming revenue includes the motel rooms, meals, transportation to and from the show location, air transportation, etc. Of course, people attending the show gamble, some more than others.

Vegas is a place where exceptional shows are staged every night, with famous people singing and dancing.

This city is able to move thousands of people from around the nation to their airport. It seems a plane is touching down every 30-seconds, non-stop.

They then move those people in non-stop taxis and vans from the airport to the local hotels. Each day of the show, those thousands of people need to be moved from their hotels to the show location, for the past 10 years this has been the Sands Expo & Convention Center.

The SHOT Show has had a Moses Lake connection for the past six years or so. SSP Eyewear, owned by Mike and Jennifer Bechtel, has maintained a booth on the show floor. This is after waiting three or so years to get a booth.

Mike and Jennifer make and sell safety glasses and shooting glasses. Their mission statement:

“Our mission is to spread the word that safety eyewear is necessary, not just on the jobsite and sporting activities, but also in day-to-day life. We are committed to creating safety sunglasses that provide exceptional protection, great styles, coordinated colors and superior fit. It really is possible to have all of the comfort and eye appeal of a sunglass with the protection of a safety glass.”