For many folks, this weekend means Super Bowl, but for yours truly it also means the huge SHOT Show held in Las Vegas. One of the largest trade shows in the world, the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting & Outdoor Trade) Show, put on by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), will run February 2-5 at the Las Vegas Community Convention Center. Nearly 2,000 exhibitors will fill 715,000 square feet of space for the event. Just the aisles of the show span over 12 miles. In a word, everything concerning the show is HUGE!

The show has grown so large that the mammoth convention center complex in Vegas can no longer house it in its entirety, and this year it has a big 125,000 sq. ft. sprung structure erected in the north parking lot to house the overflow of 650 exhibitors. Having covered the show for several years, I can honestly say that it can be overwhelming to first-time attendees. The show is not open to the general public.