As with every other industry and area of life, the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of a litany of highly anticipated firearm and shooting events.
One of the latest is the National Rifle Association’s annual conference. It would have been the149th meeting of its kind — but it’s far from the only high profile example.
The NRA did not come to this decision lightly. But once Tennessee declared a state of emergency, there really wasn’t any other safe choice. Most travel companies and hotels will hopefully work with people to refund their money or set them up with future vouchers. The NRA is refunding ticket price purchases through their ticketing company, ETIX.
Better Safe Than Sick
Many organizations and shooting sports events surrounding the gun industry are quickly following suit. It’s still a disappointment for many people that look forward to attending the NRA Show. One of the best parts of the show is the introduction of new guns and gear that debut at the various booths around the convention center.
Get a Preview of New Guns and Gear
Luckily for NRA members and anyone who is interested in seeing all of the best new goods, Shooting USA Television is going to premier many of these items on their show. You can watch it on the Outdoor Channel, and with a few different subscription streaming services, like fubuTV, Sling, and Hulu. It’s truly great that the show is able to highlight these gun industry companies, because they obviously reach a ton of people at gun show events, like the NRA’s annual meeting.
This can definitely help people who are being forced to stay home in finding something entertaining to watch. The SHOT Show Hour Special debuted some special products, and will air extra episodes over the next few weeks. Normally, the show airs each week on Wednesday. The show runners feel that showcasing some of these items can help push the sales forward during a trying economic period.
Other Notable Cancellations
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention made the recommendation that any company cancel an event with the potential for crowds of 50 or more people. Most of these big gun shows attract thousands of attendees each year. Some other companies that are canceling or postponing events in the firearm or shooting sports industry are the following:
- 2020 USCCA Concealed Carry Expo
- The Ultimate Sports Show
- Ohio Outdoor Life Field and Stream Show
- Glock Sport Shooting Foundation Match
- NSSF Congressional Fly In
- Firearms Industry Compliance 2020 Conference
- CMP-3P Regional Airgun Championship
This is just a small example of a few different events that are being canceled. For a more complete list, check out the NRA’s Shooting Illustrated calendar of events. Hopefully these events can be rescheduled for a later date, but unfortunately many of them will just have to resume next year in 2021.
