SHOT Show 2016

[Glock Girl in CA]

I was extremely fortunate to have a connection to get into this year's SHOT Show. There were some really exciting new things I got to see and hold, and among them were some new carry options for women.

Crossbreed was there, and since I'm a huge fan, I stopped by to look at their new offerings. The woman who is head of the company really wants women-specific options. She redesigned the appendix holster so that it would be smaller and less intrusive on a woman's body. She also came up with a belly band that seems like it would be a good option. I welcome any of your input if you know of it. I am still in search of the perfect system for summer carry/dress or leggings days. The industry is well aware that MOST women will not dress around the gun - I certainly don't - and they are working to find options for us.

A new company named Packin' Neat has really taken off with the platform of making any purse a carry purse. The woman CEO was at the booth with her husband, who works as her marketing guy. Very nice people, and she had some very good ideas.

There were lots of women at the show, and I only saw 3 that were dressed like Playboy bunnies. I think we've come a long way. Most women were dressed in business attire, and many were exhibitors working booths. Julie Golob gave talks on gun handling and shooting tips and her talks were well-attended by all. I didn't feel at all out of place or outnumbered.

I had a few greats I was hoping to catch at the show, and I DID! Can you imagine my shock when I ran right into Kathy Jackson from The Cornered Cat?!? I told her I was desperately trying not to swoon. I also ran into Hickok45 and his son, and together, we did a spoof on Colion Noir's photo with them at SHOT. See attached.

Anyway, good things are on the horizon! Carry on! Pun intended.

[CSACANNONEER]

There were lots of women at the show, and I only saw 3 that were dressed like Playboy bunnies. I think we've come a long way. Most women were dressed in business attire, and many were exhibitors working booths.

Normally the ones dressed like bunnies are nothing more than paid eye candy and don't know ANYTHING about the products they are working for. I once asked one if they were planning on coming out with a new magazine for one of their guns and she said they didn't have magazines, only a brochure. However, later that same show, ke6guj and I were walking up to a booth that we were both affiliated with and I saw the back of an absolutely gorgeous lady with long blonde hair, in a tight, short dress and heels inside the booth. I was completely shocked to see a "booth babe" there until she turned around and I realized it was a friend of mine who holds several long range world records! She was just dressed up to have a night on the town after the show ended that day. I've known her for years but, I've only seen her dressed in casual, comfortable, shooting attire. So, while I can still be guilty of stereotyping people based on their attire, I also know that some of those "booth babes" can out shoot me as well as most other people.

[Glock Girl in CA]

Oh, funny - both stories!

[movie zombie]

so glad you got to go....and even more glad you shared with us!

it is indeed exciting to see more women in business re meeting our needs.

[BonnieB]

Interesting. For those of you who don't go to trade shows much, local models, actors and dancers are often hired to attract traffic to booths by the vendor. They get a 15 minute briefing on the product, but their real job is to snag a customer and hand him to a salesman. Don't believe it? Go to the boat show.


From OP's observations, It sounds like vendors have finally smelled the coffee and figured out that women are a large part of their market, with plenty of money to spend on fun and safety. And that we want to be serious about the topic and get valid information. With luck, wholesale vendors at SHOT are smart enough to know that some of their retail vendors either ARE women or cater to women. So, you market differently.

(And now I'm wondering if some Ryan Gosling-Theo James-Sean Connery look-alikes in the booth might not help them with the women's market. What's good for the goose.. )

[Pally]

Good post, Lucky You!!

[grantar2]

There were a couple scantly clad gals in Russian attire, and some others, mostly in the military and law enforcement offerings. One booth was handing out condoms.

Packin' Neat has been around for awhile, we have been selling it for a little over a year. It's a really good, well made product that lets you use just about any purse you already own as a CCW purse. They are popular with LEOs in our area for off duty carry. The unique feature and sometimes Kristen doesn't do herself justice is that you can have your hand on your gun and not brandish. Just looks like your reaching for keys. The gun is held in a pocket, in a proper holster that allows for a repetitive, predictable draw stroke. The gun is always were it's supposed to be, and the trigger is protected so ND's don't happen. It there is a down side it's not lockable, so if your around children, people with Alzheimer or dementia and the purse is not under your immediate control there is a risk.
Deb and I talked to Kristen, and she is considering a locking version.

If you have access to PDN, Rob Pincus does a nice review of the Crossbreed belly band, with the kydex holster. He likes to carry appendix and the holster was designed and is co-branded with his company I.C.E. The use of the leather backed hybrid Velcro base is an acquired taste.

The vendors and retailer all know women are important and buying, they just haven't figured out the motivators. In the gun world it has followed the path it has in other market spaces. Deb was party to a meeting between a major manufacture and half a dozen Cabela's buyers when the joined out table in the NSSF members lounge, and they articulated the problem beautifully.

It was interesting meeting Jessie James at the show as well. It really is the who's who of firearms.

Glock Girl, wish I had known you were there, would have loved to met and said hi.