Dallas Safari Club Convention Summary

[Russ16]

I’ve texted with a few PH friends of mine who confirmed bookings were way down at the show. They are pinning their hopes on Nashville. Based on a standard booking performance in Nashville I’m predicting some awesome deals after the show as they cannot make up for Atlantas poor performance. Up to you all but it might be worth the wait.

HH

This is likely. I had a few outfitters making “show special” offers on Saturday that they weren’t making on Thursday.

 

[Green Chile]

@Mark A Ouellette, I heard from a D&Y client that D&Y were not allowed to exhibit in a booth at DSC this year. DSC was enforcing some rules and several exhibitors had their booths cancelled. Is that correct?

 

[Russ16]

I attended Thursday through Saturday. Attendance Thursday was very light even before the weather rolled in. Thursday is always going to be the slowest day but I kind of thought some people might show up knowing the weather was coming.

From what I heard they only kept the convention center open because DSC asked them to it would have been closed entirely due to weather. I had trouble finding an open restaurant Friday night.

Overall I enjoyed the show greatly and got a lot of questions answered. I’m mostly booked this year and next but gathered some good info for future years.

Agree on MNR having the best looking guns at the show. Had a great conversation with him. He also had a wonderful Highland Stalker in 30-06 on his used rack at what looked like a steal of a price. It’s still tempting me.

The irony is the weather in Dallas was also terrible Friday. Which might have been a double whammy a lot of flights leaving Dallas didn’t and the other flights didn’t get to Atlanta.

It’s very unfortunate. I’m in a business where we out on a big trade show every year. Going to a new city is always a challenge and long time attendees are always skeptical. So I’m sure a lot of vendors weren’t sure about Atlanta going in. Then the weather hits and hurts attendance and it’s impossible to know what it would have been.

DSC did the best they could. I heard the CEO visited every booth to talk about the show and the weather and apologize. Atlanta rolled out the red carpet. The governor attended along with the whole leadership of the DNR. A number of state legislatures were there. They definitely wanted it to succeed.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

@Mark A Ouellette, I heard from a D&Y client that D&Y were not allowed to exhibit in a booth at DSC this year. DSC was enforcing some rules and several exhibitors had their booths cancelled. Is that correct?

If Dalton and York were not at DSC they must have hired some clever look alike actors...
I did not shoot photos of them but they, the real Dalton and York, along with PH Johnny, were all at DSC.

 

[wesheltonj]

I’ve heard nothing but negative about DSC from the outfitters. I heard early in the show PHASA and the outfitters met with DSC management and promised better communication. Then a later meeting where DSC management cancelled the meeting because the outfitters were too upset. I saw one outfitter post on Facebook that’s regular DSC outfitter lost money the deal. Also heard several outfitters say they are not coming back next year.

 

[Green Chile]

If Dalton and York were not at DSC they must have hired some clever look alike actors...
I did not shoot photos of them but they, the real Dalton and York, along with PH Johnny, were all at DSC.

Not doubting they were there. They had their regular booth?

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Not doubting they were there. They had their regular booth?

@Mark A Ouellette, I heard from a D&Y client that D&Y were not allowed to exhibit in a booth at DSC this year. DSC was enforcing some rules and several exhibitors had their booths cancelled. Is that correct?

Yes, I read your question to me and answered it.
I don't miss obvious details.

Who told you such bull crap?

 

[Russ16]

Not doubting they were there. They had their regular booth?

I do t know if it was a “regular” booth but hey had a booth and are listed in the DSC app as an exhibitor with booth #1156.

What rule would have been enforced to block them?

 

[Troubleshooter]

3. The folks working the ticket counter were clueless. It took the 3 of us 30 minutes to get our admission badges…and we were the only people in line! If they had the number of attendees as in Dallas, they’d have crashed and burned.

I'm disappointed to hear that, especially after the smooth process in 2024. I wonder whether these were local hires?

Once you’re talking to them, they have to qualify you as a potential client. Hunts take disposable income and nice clothing or like a gold Rolex helps do that. Their time at the show is finite and have to decide who gives the best ROI.

I don't own a gold Rolex, which is WHY I have "disposable income!"

I always broke up the clientele in to three groups, Friday afternoon where serious business people looking for a hunt for self, friends, clients, then wanting to get home for family time, Saturday was usually tire kickers and brochure collection guys, Sunday the deal seekers and guys from Friday coming to ask follow-up questions.

And never judge a book by its cover, not everyone is a hedge fund manager or oil company executive, tons of blue collar folks , plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors

Break up the clientele however it best suits you, but sometimes people attend on Saturday because that is the day they can break free from work and drive to the venue.

I will say that the majority of those who avoided me were US outfitters. The African, New Zealand and European guys were generally anxious to talk.

Probably anxious to recoup some of the costs of attending. I can't say that I blame them.

From what I heard they only kept the convention center open because DSC asked them to it would have been closed entirely due to weather. I had trouble finding an open restaurant Friday night.

Good on the DSC leadership for intervening. Closing the convention center would have made a bad situation much worse.