Dallas Safari Club Convention Summary

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Much of these basic items can be rented from the conventions themselves. I work a huge show in Chicago every 2 years and we rent 80% of the items in the booth from the venue.

Yes you can and it's convenient, but you'll never walk the same after you get done paying that bill.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

This thread is now on its eighth page and we're only 2 days after the show ended. I think that definitely shows the passion AH members have for DSC. I believe now we have to give DSC leadership the time to digest all of this and they take the time to make good decisions going forward.

 

[revturbo9967]

Yes you can and it's convenient, but you'll never walk the same after you get done paying that bill.

Oh I know. Our booth was over 2 million this past September all in.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Oh I know. Our booth was over 2 million this past September all in.

Good grief! It's definitely not cheap to do these hunting conventions, but the budget is not 7 figures I can promise you that.

 

[revturbo9967]

Good grief! It's definitely not cheap to do these hunting conventions, but the budget is not 7 figures I can promise you that.

Yes IMTS is on another level. Oh and our booth is one of the smaller ones. Some spend 4 weeks moving in and setting up. We typically have at least 30-40 working in the booth at any given time including distribution.

Our move in and set up is about 3 weeks

 

[CoElkHunter]

Oh I know. Our booth was over 2 million this past September all in.

"Our booth was over 2 million"? Dollars? Pesos? Yuan? WTH? Were you selling gold bars or catalytic converters with the accompanying precious metals? LOL

 

[CoElkHunter]

I missed the DSC show the last time it was in Dallas. I really wanted to go to Gilley's and reminisce about what country music used to be. Anyway, maybe I'll go when it comes back to Dallas and stop by the AH booth and say hi to @BRICKBURN and maybe purchase an AH hat, coffee mug and/ or a T shirt or fountain pen. Time will tell? LOL

 

[revturbo9967]

"Our booth was over 2 million"? Dollars? Pesos? Yuan? WTH? Were you selling gold bars or catalytic converters with the accompanying precious metals? LOL

Cnc machinery.

 

[Dee S]

I realize I should just stop and not finish typing this, but like my wife tells people, "He's not very brite, but he can lift heavy things."
And to be open and honest, I stopped reading the comments on page 4, it's a lot of content to digest.

As a simple man that just retired from a decent paying job, I am not the high roller that can afford to attend the shows & auctions.
I just was the guy that worked a lot of overtime in order to pay for my eight trips to Africa, to include a couple with my daughter. I booked budget hunts with quality outfitters and loved every minute with every PH.
My daughter and I started attending the DSC shows about 7 years ago and we would usually book a hotel just out of downtown at an more affordable rate than those approved by the DSC.
Being a born and bred Texas guy, I take pride in being a member of the DSC, even though I know I'm a nobody and no one knows who I am. I realize my measly yearly dues aren't the millions that some may donate, but I've always believed that every little bit counts, just as every vote counts.
This year was to be the first year, due to my recent retirement and relocation to the Dallas area where we now live, to volunteer to work the show. Alas, that did not happen with the move to Atlanta.
Obviously I did not attend the Atlanta show and instead I went to the TTHA/SCI show at the KBH Center on Friday, bad weather and all, I made the hour long drive from my home.
People I spoke with at the TTHA show asked me my thoughts on the situation and I'll try to sum up my response in just a couple of bullet points.
Realizing I am a nobody, and no one in authority or power at DSC cares about what I think, here goes.
In no order:

• How is it the DSC had to relocate to 'anywhere' in the USA , leaving their home, DALLAS, and allowed the TTHA/SCI to get a foothold not only in DALLAS, but in DSC's own home court, the KBH center during the exact same week? I thought the KBH was going to be torn down?
• I understand Houston would be off-limits due to it being HSC's home, but Ft Worth, Austin, San Antonio. I've worked many a convention in San Antonio's new facilities and if you spent a week there, you still wouldn't be able to visit all of the local attractions.
• My big question last year while at the show. I asked those checking me in, those working the merch booth, "Who will do this in Atlanta next year?" Their response, "We don't know but it will not be us." I've been wondering where that volunteer army was coming from in Atlanta.
• If you want to move, move! But to Atlanta? If you want to stay in Atlanta, then I believe the title Atlanta Safaris Club is available.
• Why not do like the SCI. Come up with a generic name and move from city to city every year or two. Take the Dallas out and go with the American Safaris Club.

There, knowing better, Joe the Plumber has spoken.
I haven't decided if I will renew my membership in DSC going forward and I know that they will not care one way or another if I do or not. I bring nothing to the table as far as they are concerned.
Ending with this. I took pride in belonging to something greater than myself and I believed that my little contribution was going to the bigger picture. The bonus for me and my daughter was having the privilege of meeting some well known 'stars' in the hunting industry, many that we have watched for years on television, or we read about in magazines.
I wish the DSC well and those who are able to continue to fund her.
just the little guy

 

[Philip Glass]

I am still not sure the real reason DSC moved in the first part. I know that the standard answer is that the convention center is going to be under construction. Yes, in three years. At least that is the word on the street. So, in Dallas, Irving, Ft. Worth, and a few lesser surrounding areas there is no space available to host this event? Just wondering. There has to be another reason.

The old cowboy said, "Son, don't piss on my boot and try to convince me it's raining.

My point is Texas is a big place and there must have been somewhere to go. Houston comes to mind. The other reason I estimate is that they saw the success of SCI moving to Nashville and tried to replicate it. It failed and weather or no weather it was going to fail. Taking a Texas club out of Texas wont work!

 

[Philip Glass]

I am with @Red Leg on this one.
I am certainly not a well healed mega-millionaire. Rather, Pennsylvania stump jumper (hillbilly twice removed) farm boy brought to you by an enlisted to officer career in the US Marines followed by a middle class second career.

Notice my watch in the photo of me sighting in on building rafters for safety with a new MRC .375 H&H? It’s a four-year-old Garmin that monitors my heartrate, steps, floors climbed, sleep quality, and has GPS mapping capability and a hundred other functions. Cost was $600 when new. Trust me, I do not own a higher cost watch.
View attachment 657558

Being a typical rather blunt US Marine in a retired duty status (Yes, Good night Chesty…) everyone was still very nice to me. They were nice to my wife also.
View attachment 657562

Heck, we or mostly she was looking at $30,000 saphire ear rings and gosh knows how much the other things she tried on were. A nice jewler from South Dakota gave her as much attention as she would anyone. Same for another jewler who in a quite conversation told me that some guys would shop with with wives just as I was with my wife and end up “dropping” two to three hunderd thousand (dollars). The key to this was these are good people, the jewlers, and they never know if a farm boy Marine like me had just won the lottery!

To the above Richard of @W.J.JEFFERY & CO. was please to allow me to handle their $80,000 .404 rifle.
View attachment 657559

Same for Diggory Hadoke at Westley Richards who handed me a slightly used droplock double rifle priced at an even $100,000. I was needless to say “careful” handling with this and other rifles that I may never be able to afford!
View attachment 657560

As for outfitters, I had great conversations with both Dalton and York and their PH assigned to guide me named Johnny. I also very much enjoyed conversing with Buzz Charlton and Miles McCallum of CMS. I talked to a few other outfitters briefly but mostly I was in deep conversations with all the rifle and optics vendors. I handled high end Rigbys and other rifles. Matthew of MNR and I conversed for a half hour or more about the advandages and other aspects of various actions. Tony of Heym USA and I had a couple of long talks while Chris of Heym was measuring a couple gentlemen for presumably new Heym double rifles. I also gathered more information about Leupold, Aipoint, and Trijicon products. All in all, no one was uppity toward me. I had a great time at a relatively empty convention.

Johnny is awesome. Y'all will do well!

 

[Philip Glass]

Michelle and I drove into Atlanta from NW Florida Wednesday evening, no traffic problems but I've been stuck in the Atlanta poo-show before and new better. We left mid-morning Saturday and once off the side streets the roads were clear.

Thursday and Friday were great for me! I was the guy trying to stay upright on a knee scooter after tearing up something in my ankle. Wife mentioned we shouldn't go to the show with my ankle but a quick buy via Amazon had a knee scooter to me in time for our departure! We stayed at the Hampton Inn across Centennial Park from the convention center and I wheeled that scooter over on Thursday. I ended up gingerly carrying the scooter over and back Friday in the snow.

Being on the knee scooter, I was invited to sit at a lot of the booths and just talk. Had good discussions with many of the outfitters and they were all a little frustrated with the turnout and were holding out some hope for a Saturday crowd. We didn't book any hunts but having follow-on discussions for a possible trip to NZ and Namibia in 2026 as we are going back to Zim in Oct 2025 with Wayne Van Den Bergh.

Thought I recognized a few faces from AH but was concentrating on not crashing, there were lots of divots under the carpet! The Convention center staff wasn't very helpful and just stood around looking bored most of the time. The elevators and escalators weren't all functioning on Thursday and Friday. I ended up carrying the scooter down the escalators a few times as the lines were very long at the elevators.

The street people gave me a lot of encouragement seeing me push around the streets on the scooter and we had a good laugh as they cheered me on! Didn't have any issues with the locals but there was a high police presence.

Maybe time to attend our first SCI event in Nashville vs downtown Atlanta.

View attachment 657603
Good memories!

View attachment 657606

Come to Nashville!

 

[Philip Glass]

The convention center is under construction now. They broke ground on the project last summer. I don’t know when they will get to the phase of construction that will impact events like DSC. My guess is by leaving DSC has lost its place in line to groups that are still doing events there (like TTHA) whenever the full project is done.

It is supposedly going to be a greatly improved venue once the renovation is done. It’s something close to $4 billion for the whole project.

No sir. There are no renovations going on yet. The convention center will be open the entire time renovations are going on the next 5 years. Although in a reduced capacity at times. ttHA is already scheduled to stay.

 

[Green Chile]

I realize I should just stop and not finish typing this, but like my wife tells people, "He's not very brite, but he can lift heavy things."
And to be open and honest, I stopped reading the comments on page 4, it's a lot of content to digest.

As a simple man that just retired from a decent paying job, I am not the high roller that can afford to attend the shows & auctions.
I just was the guy that worked a lot of overtime in order to pay for my eight trips to Africa, to include a couple with my daughter. I booked budget hunts with quality outfitters and loved every minute with every PH.
My daughter and I started attending the DSC shows about 7 years ago and we would usually book a hotel just out of downtown at an more affordable rate than those approved by the DSC.
Being a born and bred Texas guy, I take pride in being a member of the DSC, even though I know I'm a nobody and no one knows who I am. I realize my measly yearly dues aren't the millions that some may donate, but I've always believed that every little bit counts, just as every vote counts.
This year was to be the first year, due to my recent retirement and relocation to the Dallas area where we now live, to volunteer to work the show. Alas, that did not happen with the move to Atlanta.
Obviously I did not attend the Atlanta show and instead I went to the TTHA/SCI show at the KBH Center on Friday, bad weather and all, I made the hour long drive from my home.
People I spoke with at the TTHA show asked me my thoughts on the situation and I'll try to sum up my response in just a couple of bullet points.
Realizing I am a nobody, and no one in authority or power at DSC cares about what I think, here goes.
In no order:

• How is it the DSC had to relocate to 'anywhere' in the USA , leaving their home, DALLAS, and allowed the TTHA/SCI to get a foothold not only in DALLAS, but in DSC's own home court, the KBH center during the exact same week? I thought the KBH was going to be torn down?
• I understand Houston would be off-limits due to it being HSC's home, but Ft Worth, Austin, San Antonio. I've worked many a convention in San Antonio's new facilities and if you spent a week there, you still wouldn't be able to visit all of the local attractions.
• My big question last year while at the show. I asked those checking me in, those working the merch booth, "Who will do this in Atlanta next year?" Their response, "We don't know but it will not be us." I've been wondering where that volunteer army was coming from in Atlanta.
• If you want to move, move! But to Atlanta? If you want to stay in Atlanta, then I believe the title Atlanta Safaris Club is available.
• Why not do like the SCI. Come up with a generic name and move from city to city every year or two. Take the Dallas out and go with the American Safaris Club.

There, knowing better, Joe the Plumber has spoken.
I haven't decided if I will renew my membership in DSC going forward and I know that they will not care one way or another if I do or not. I bring nothing to the table as far as they are concerned.
Ending with this. I took pride in belonging to something greater than myself and I believed that my little contribution was going to the bigger picture. The bonus for me and my daughter was having the privilege of meeting some well known 'stars' in the hunting industry, many that we have watched for years on television, or we read about in magazines.
I wish the DSC well and those who are able to continue to fund her.
just the little guy

This is why it matters...the working man saving his overtime to take his kids hunting. If that doesn't kick you in the nuts, something is wrong with you. Thanks for posting.

 

[Russ16]

No sir. There are no renovations going on yet. The convention center will be open the entire time renovations are going on the next 5 years. Although in a reduced capacity at times. ttHA is already scheduled to stay.

Maybe not on the part where the show is but construction has begun even in a small way. I saw some of it when I last drove by.

Construction begins on Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center expansion | FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas is about to get a multi-billion dollar facelift.

www.fox4news.com

 

[K-man]

I appreciate the posts about the outfitters and the reaction to the show. I would like to see more posts about customers actually at the show. Did you enjoy it? What was your favorite? What was wrong? (Besides the weather) how was the booth layout, was it easy to navigate, etc. Try to keep it show focused, like parking, or flight availability, not (just) how bad Atlanta is. Think constructive criticism. That's something to take to a DSC board meeting. (Disclaimer - I am a board member but just a local chapter) thanks!!

 

[Troubleshooter]

I was referring to the TTHA show, but I wasn’t there so I was relying on reports from others. It could be a difference in the timing?? Maybe things picked up over the weekend?? In any event I don’t have any first hand knowledge.

I do know that the exhibitors were universally disappointed in the Atl turnout. There is no question about that.

I somehow inferred from your comments that you were at the DSC show but it appears that was incorrect. For what it's worth, thanks for setting that straight.

 

[Troubleshooter]

I realize I should just stop and not finish typing this, but like my wife tells people, "He's not very brite, but he can lift heavy things."
And to be open and honest, I stopped reading the comments on page 4, it's a lot of content to digest.

As a simple man that just retired from a decent paying job, I am not the high roller that can afford to attend the shows & auctions.
I just was the guy that worked a lot of overtime in order to pay for my eight trips to Africa, to include a couple with my daughter. I booked budget hunts with quality outfitters and loved every minute with every PH.
My daughter and I started attending the DSC shows about 7 years ago and we would usually book a hotel just out of downtown at an more affordable rate than those approved by the DSC.
Being a born and bred Texas guy, I take pride in being a member of the DSC, even though I know I'm a nobody and no one knows who I am. I realize my measly yearly dues aren't the millions that some may donate, but I've always believed that every little bit counts, just as every vote counts.
This year was to be the first year, due to my recent retirement and relocation to the Dallas area where we now live, to volunteer to work the show. Alas, that did not happen with the move to Atlanta.
Obviously I did not attend the Atlanta show and instead I went to the TTHA/SCI show at the KBH Center on Friday, bad weather and all, I made the hour long drive from my home.
People I spoke with at the TTHA show asked me my thoughts on the situation and I'll try to sum up my response in just a couple of bullet points.
Realizing I am a nobody, and no one in authority or power at DSC cares about what I think, here goes.
In no order:

• How is it the DSC had to relocate to 'anywhere' in the USA , leaving their home, DALLAS, and allowed the TTHA/SCI to get a foothold not only in DALLAS, but in DSC's own home court, the KBH center during the exact same week? I thought the KBH was going to be torn down?
• I understand Houston would be off-limits due to it being HSC's home, but Ft Worth, Austin, San Antonio. I've worked many a convention in San Antonio's new facilities and if you spent a week there, you still wouldn't be able to visit all of the local attractions.
• My big question last year while at the show. I asked those checking me in, those working the merch booth, "Who will do this in Atlanta next year?" Their response, "We don't know but it will not be us." I've been wondering where that volunteer army was coming from in Atlanta.
• If you want to move, move! But to Atlanta? If you want to stay in Atlanta, then I believe the title Atlanta Safaris Club is available.
• Why not do like the SCI. Come up with a generic name and move from city to city every year or two. Take the Dallas out and go with the American Safaris Club.

There, knowing better, Joe the Plumber has spoken.
I haven't decided if I will renew my membership in DSC going forward and I know that they will not care one way or another if I do or not. I bring nothing to the table as far as they are concerned.
Ending with this. I took pride in belonging to something greater than myself and I believed that my little contribution was going to the bigger picture. The bonus for me and my daughter was having the privilege of meeting some well known 'stars' in the hunting industry, many that we have watched for years on television, or we read about in magazines.
I wish the DSC well and those who are able to continue to fund her.
just the little guy

For such a nobody, you can be rather eloquent when the need arises.