2021 SHOT Show Canceled Because of Pandemic

The 2021 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

2021 SHOT Show Canceled Because of Pandemic

With the 2021 SHOT Show canceled, information about new products and other company news will reach consumers via traditional and digital communications in the coming year. (Photo: Alan Clemons)

The 2021 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

The annual event, commonly known as the SHOT Show, was scheduled for Jan. 19-21 at the Sands Expo Center and new Caesars Forum exhibition halls. It is the first time in 42 years the show has been canceled. The show was to have expanded into the new Caesars facility this year after outgrowing the Sands complex.

NSSF officials will begin plans for the Jan. 18-21, 2022, show in Las Vegas. Those dates also are the same as for the SCI Hunters' Convention, which is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

SHOT Show began in 1979 in St. Louis with about 5,600 attendees. The second show was in downtown San Francisco, with attendance of about 8,500. After that the attendance more than doubled for the third event and continued to grow, forcing the NSSF to rotate the show between Las Vegas, Orlando, New Orleans, Houston and Dallas for its first 30 years. 

It has been located in Las Vegas since 2010 with attendance of between 54,500 in 2016 to 67,000 in 2014 during the last decade. The show is among the top 25 trade shows in the United States.

The NSSF said in a statement:

NSSF has remained in constant communication with Nevada officials throughout the year in our planning for the 2021 show. While there has been a concerted effort to expand the allowable levels for large gatherings by the county and state, with positivity rates peaking during our key planning period we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 show. Sadly, these spikes are currently transpiring worldwide.

Given the sheer complexities, diminishing timeline and immense logistical planning required to conduct a trade show as large as SHOT, NSSF simply could not move forward at this point with so many unknowns and variables. We truly appreciate the guidance of Nevada and Las Vegas officials in allowing us to communicate this news to our exhibitors and attendees well in advance of the show. We would also like to thank the Sands directly for their help and efforts to navigate this unprecedented situation.



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