AFTER HOURS
FINAL THOUGHTS
One aspect I could take away from SHOT SHOW this year was the
chance to measure how I see the whole experience compared
to my Swanson Media Group teammates, first-time visitors, Clint
Steele and Shawn Swanson as well as returning attendees such
as Jared Peltz and John Phillips. Each person, including myself
takes away a different perspective of the various events based
on each person’s unique backgrounds and experiences.
The amazing collection of photos compiled through the
course of the show, some of which are included in this review
demonstrated just how well this diverse team saturated the
show floor.
Sadly, despite tons of articles being published about the
world’s largest firearms event each year, I can’t stress enough
that reading any feature on SHOT SHOW will never compare to
the actual experience of being there. What I CAN assure you
is, PMCI Magazine will always give you the best “behind the
scenes” view you can find anywhere. If you are in the industry,
military, LE or contracting worlds and eligible to attend, you
NEED to go! The networking, the family-like bond between
industry people and the pageantry of it all can be considered a
lifetime of experience only enjoyed once a year. As for all the
great firearms and gear discovered arriving on the market in
2018, all I can say is, stay tuned to the pages of PMCI Magazine
for new reviews and special features coming soon!
ATUR
Not all action happened on the show floor. A good part of the
SHOT SHOW experience relies on how your after-hours plans are
laid out. For some, once the show floor doors close each day,
there are extravagant dinners, off Broadway shows, gambling,
drinking, every other guilty pleasure that goes into helping
Las Vegas earn its “Sin City” moniker. For our team of writers,
the week runs on a tight schedule with a focus on work and
confidentiality if in case one or two assets do go astray. After all,
the ads for Las Vegas do clearly state, “What happens in Vegas,
stays in Vegas!”
Sunday night featured a great dinner at Gilley’s Saloon with
friends from around the world. The list year this year included
renown author of The Shooters Bible: Guide to Knives, Watch
Your Back and The Shooters Bible: Guide to Home Defense,
Rodger Eckstine, who has quickly become a dear, close friend.
Another guest was PMCI contributor, Kelly Louise Hardwick
aka the UK’s Femme Fatale from the Airsoft world, who added
her own unique flair to our team. Rounding out the list were our
dear industry friends from Germany to add a bit more culture
and bearded comradery to the group. For many of us, this is a
chance to catch up face to face from last year and lay out a plan
of attack for the week.
Tuesday night was a celebrity filled event at the invitation
only 5.11 VIP event courtesy of company executive and
good friend, David Hein. Our team enjoyed great live music,
refreshments, exposure to industry super stars such as Kyle Lamb
of Viking Tactics and several movies and tv star sightings.
We went in as a team, left as a team without any MIAs. The
night was a success!
On Wednesday night, our team attended a charity event
held across town at the workshop of the world famous, Rifle
Dynamics, hosted by RD founder and friend, Jim Fuller. An iconic
name in the American AK industry, Jim uses his celebrity status
to draw attention to worthy charities near and dear to the
hearts of himself and his friends. The gathering was an intimate
affair with a list of who’s who in the firearms industry, milling
about with those of television and YouTube fame. The evening’s
affairs are usually quiet and personal without cameras and
media, so I make it a point to attend as strictly supporting a
bearded brother rather than get the scoop on inside gossip.
pmcimagazine.com