Gun and Sportsmen’s Shows

GOAL has gotten a lot of inquiries as to why we were not at the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show and even some of the local gun shows. The simple answer is, we are no longer doing any of the shows.

Pre-COVID most of the gun shows would have a decent turnout. At least enough to make it worth staffing them. Traditionally, the gun show company gave us a free table, but we still had to staff it. Post COVID, the attendance at the shows has been abysmal and over the course of two days we might get 5 -10 sign ups. That simply is not a wise use of resources. Also post COVID, there has been a huge drop off of volunteerism. Every type of organization is facing that problem.

Specifically, the Springfield Sportsmen’s show is expensive. A booth is $895 plus staff travel and likely motel rooms. While we like to have a presence out there, the return on investment is not a good use of member dollars.

Because we do want to be out there for folks, once we get settled into the new office this month, our plan is to start scheduling time at local gun shops. We have concluded that would be a much better use of resources and likely a better return on time and effort. The post COVID world is very different, and good or bad, and we have to adapt to it.

As GOAL moves forward and adapts to new times, we look forward to seeing you all out there. As always, thanks for your continued support.

Jim Wallace

Executive Director