Cancelled gunshow

[jnyork]

My friend and I drove over to Rock Springs WY to a gunshow this morning, 125 mile trip, got there and nobody knew anything about any gunshow. It was on his gunshow calender he printed off the internet and my wife and I heard the advertisement on the local radio station two days ago. No clue what happened there, what a PITA, 4 hours of driving for nothing except that we say a herd of about 60 elk in the desert on the way back.

[marlinman93]

Irritating indeed! You'd think they'd at least cancel the radio ads? I'd go find the calendar your friend has and give them a call to tell them about your wasted trip.

[Pete44ru]

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I've done the same thing - ONCE !

Since that sting, the morning of the show, I ALWAYS call the local PD in the town/city where the GS venue is located, and ask the dispatcher if special duty officer(s) have been assigned to the GS.

No special officers assigned = no GS ………………………..


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[3leggedturtle]

Was going to a gunshow and was really looking forward to it, getting packed up thursday nite to make it a long weekend of fun. Friend came over and was talking about how great the gunshow was last weekend. Found out it was the same one I was packing up for. Turns out promoter rescheduled it for a week earlier and never sent out any updated info! Todd/3leg

[marlinman93]

Our annual non-profit collector gun show here in August had to be rescheduled at the last minute. We found out that the Big Reno Gun Show had moved venues from the antigun Grand Sierra (MGM) to the Convention Center, and rescheduled on our weekend. We had about 6 weeks notice, and we needed to change all our existing advertising, flyers, posted dates on sites, etc. But we got it done, and from the turnout it appears it worked.
Of course we'll never know how many people may have shown up two weeks later because they didn't get word, or didn't double check before going. All you can do is try as hard as possible to ensure the word gets out, even if it costs you more time and money to make the changes.

[AJMD429]

Of course we'll never know how many people may have shown up two weeks later because they didn't get word, or didn't double check before going. All you can do is try as hard as possible to ensure the word gets out, even if it costs you more time and money to make the changes.

It would almost be worth it to pay someone $100 bucks to hang around there the day of the cancelled show, who could take names and make a list of people to send a $20 gift certificate to for some ammo or something.

PR goes a long way these days...

[Sixgun]

After 40+ years of hitting shows nearly every weekend and have seen the big changes with big crowds, little shows with nothing better than Remington 870's or reblued and beat up Winchesters for 3X what they were worth, entry fees of $15, non gun people pushing baby carts around, pickles, jerky, fireworks, jewelry, etc., I decided I had enough. The non gun people bothered me the most so I decided to make changes as I could not change the drift about gunshows as I remember.

I started my own gunshow. I attend it nearly everyday and as I'm the owner I don't get charged entry fees. I enter the gunshow comprised of only my guns so I don't need an FFL in case I decide to buy. I open the safe and dig around until I see a nice Winchester I have not shot in years and buy it with play money. I then run upstairs and tell the wife, "Look what I got at the show! I can't wait to shoot it this weekend.!" I clean the bore, make sure I have ammo, make a few exciting phone calls, then make plans to hit the Atglen Gunclub. Sometimes I don't buy guns and look for old tang sights, brass, books, primers, powder and always find something new.....at the right price.

Sometimes I do get customers, like Old Win or Fordwannabe but they understand prior to attending (They don't get charged entry fees) that will be a cash payout....to me. Yea, got to be on the lookout for shoplifting as that guy from Maine always shows up wearing a buffalo coat.6

[fordwannabe]

I like Sixgun’s gun shows too.

[marlinman93]

Of course we'll never know how many people may have shown up two weeks later because they didn't get word, or didn't double check before going. All you can do is try as hard as possible to ensure the word gets out, even if it costs you more time and money to make the changes.

It would almost be worth it to pay someone $100 bucks to hang around there the day of the cancelled show, who could take names and make a list of people to send a $20 gift certificate to for some ammo or something.

PR goes a long way these days...

We're a tiny little 500 member collector gun club. Sure can't afford to give away $20 certificates, as our annual membership is only $20 to get the members free entry into our 12 monthly gun shows. We'd be bankrupt pretty quickly. And we'd never change dates if it wasn't for the giant commercial Reno 500 table show taking our date. Heck, we only charge $3 entry for our monthly show to non members.
All we can afford to do (and stick around as a non profit club) is try to inform our members and guests.