QUESTIONS
- How do I enter the trophy contest?
- When can I bring in my trophy?
- How do I enter the photo contest?
- Do you have security?
- How do I enter the turkey calling contest?
- Am I considered an exhibitor if I bring a trophy for the trophy contest?
- Do you have a shed antler contest?
- What does a big game trophy entry cost?
- Who measures the trophy?
- What measuring/scoring system is used?
- I’m from out-of-state. Can I enter my deer?
- What prizes are given for trophy and photo contests?
- Do I have to leave my trophy all weekend?
- Can anyone else pick up my trophy?
- What other expos do you have?
- Who’s going to be at the expo?
- Do you have anything for kids?
- Are there nearby hotels?
- My wife isn’t a hunter. Is there anything for her?
- What’s it all about?
- Is there anything else in the area to see and do for those members of the family who may not want to spend the entire weekend at the expo?
- How do I get a copy of the PREVIEW magazine?
- Do you have group tickets?
- Will there be food at the expo?
- When do ticket sales begin?
- Do you have multi-day tickets?
- Do I have to be an exhibitor to advertise in the PREVIEW?
- How do I get a booth at the Expo?
- Who is your audience?
- Can’t my dealer do your expo for me?
- How much product do I have to sell at the expo to make my time and dollars worthwhile?
- What is Tradeshow Friday?
- What benefits do I get from exhibiting in the Tradeshow?
- Does it cost extra to exhibit in the Tradeshow?
- Do I have to exhibit all weekend to participate in Tradeshow Friday?
- What extra visibility do I get when I participate in Tradeshow Friday as an exhibitor?
- Can I exhibit in Tradeshow Friday if I don’t have a new product?
- How do dealers know I’m a participating manufacturer?
- How do I as an exhibitor know they’re a dealer?
- Where are you getting dealers names from?
- Who is invited?
NEW PRODUCTS SPECIAL DISPLAY AREA
- What is the New Products Area?
- Is there a fee to put my product in the New Products Area?
- Can I put my new product in the New Products Area?
* Have a question we haven’t answered?
E-mail your question to us (rita@deerinfo.com)
How
do I enter the trophy contest?
Just bring your trophy to the expo. All registration
will be done on-site. There is NO advance work. DO NOT
buy a general admission ticket. Take your trophy to
the ticket turnstiles and ask for the trophy contest
registration table.
When
can I bring in my trophy?
Any time between noon Friday and 10:00 a.m. Sunday.
How
do I enter the photo contest?
After you have purchased your general admission ticket,
take your photos to the show office. Register them there.
Do
you have security?
Yes. There is security during the day and armed security
at night.
How
do I enter the turkey calling contest?
Contact the National Wild Turkey Federation state chapter
in the state where the expo contest is being held. At
the moment, this is only at Illinois and Ohio expos.
Am
I considered an exhibitor if I bring a trophy for the
trophy contest?
No. You are an attendee with a trophy to be proud of.
Do
you have a shed antler contest?
No. In fact, we don’t even let shed antlers in
the building, except for exhibitors bringing them in
as part of their booth display. Shed antlers tend to
get carried in hand, which happens to be right at kids’
eye level. That’s too dangerous.
What
does a big game trophy entry cost?
$15, no matter whether it is entered in the trophy
contest or just brought in for scoring. The work and
time is the same. Contest entries are measured first,
so they can be put on display. In return for entering
a trophy in the contest, you get a three-day pass to
the expo. Measure-only trophies are not put on display,
and you must buy a one-day general admission ticket.
If the trophy does not get measured, the $15 fee is
returned. No three-day pass with measure-only trophies.
Who
measures the trophy?
Certified measurers … certified by a state record-keeping
group, or state department of natural resources, or
Boone & Crockett Club, or Pope & Young Club.
There are B&C and P&Y measurers at every expo.
What
measuring/scoring system is used?
The system used by the Boone & Crockett Club and
the Pope & Young Club.
I’m
from out-of-state. Can I enter my deer?
You can at some expos, but not at all of them. Check
the trophy contest rules and entry categories on the
expos’ individual pages.
What
prizes are given for trophy and photo contests?
Award trophies and participation ribbons for the trophy
contest. Award plaques and participation ribbons for
the photo contest.
Do
I have to leave my trophy all weekend?
No, but if it is in the contest it must be there until
4:00 p.m. Sunday, when the award program begins, to
be eligible to win an award. Any trophy checked out
of the contest early is automatically removed from
award competition, and there is a $10 early check-out
fee. No trophies, contest or non-contest, are released
between noon Sunday and 3:00 pm Sunday; contest administrators
are too busy checking all contest entry paperwork and
determining contest winners.
Can
anyone else pick up my trophy?
Yes, if they have your gold copy of the trophy contest
registration form. Without that form, the trophy stays
in the building. It’s the only secure way to handle
trophy release.
ATTENDEES
What
expos do you produce?
We have deer and turkey expos in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and
Wisconsin.
Who’s
going to be at the expo?
Knowledgeable hunters/seminar speakers … a lot
of manufacturers of hunting equipment and accessories
… guides/outfitters ... and a whole lot of deer
and turkey hunters.
Names vary from expo to expo, making this a question
impossible to answer in a phone call. That’s what
web-sites and PREVIEW magazines are for. Check elsewhere
on this web-site for details.
Do
you have anything for kids?
Yes. Natural history displays (deer and turkey skeletons,
fur-bearing animal hides/pelts/furs), archery shooting
lessons, airgun range, flint knappers at a couple of
expos, laser ranges (shooting at video footage of game
animals filmed in the wild), live game animal display.
We’re constantly working to increase this section
of the expos.
Are
there nearby hotels?
Yes. Check the hotel page on the individual expo home
pages.
My
wife isn’t a hunter. Is there anything for her?
Yes. There are several exhibit booths with ‘outdoor
lifestyle’ items - crafts, gifts, clothing, artwork,
jewelry, cookware, seasonings/marinades, meat processing
equipment, sausage and jerky making items, binoculars/scopes
(for bird and wildlife watching), books, videos, and
a range of products for home/den/cabin décor,
tables, mirrors, etc. Sometimes some campware. Plus
the natural history items, shooting ranges, photo contest,
venison butchering and cooking demonstrations.
What’s
an expo all about?
There are three main legs of the tripod, so to speak,
supporting the expo - trophy contest and display, exhibit
booths and new products, and seminars. All the other
special displays, shooting booths and such enhance the
experience.
Is
there anything else in the area to see and do for those
members of the family who may not want to spend the
entire weekend at the expo?
Yes. Many families stay at a full service hotel with
a pool, game room, etc. There’s plenty of shopping
near all the expo facilities, too. Call the Convention
& Visitors Bureau of the host city and ask them,
or go to their web-site. See the individual expo home
pages for details.
How
do I get a copy of the PREVIEW magazine?
Attend an expo and put your name on your ticket stub,
then drop it in one of the plastic boxes on the registration
tables.
Do
you have group tickets?
Yes. Minimum group of 25. Two-dollar discount on one-day
adult tickets. No group discount on youth tickets, because
an individual discount already exists. See ticket prices
page for details on each expo.
Will
there be food at the expo?
Yes. Every event has standard concessions service and
fare.
When
do ticket sales begin?
Friday - approximately 30 minutes before the expo opens.
Saturday - 30 to 45 minutes before the expo opens. Sunday
- 30 minutes before the expo opens. There often are
outside sales of one-day-adult/exact-change-only tickets
to help move the ticket line. All expos have multiple
ticket sales windows. (Tip: Ticket window lines change
as parking lots fill and empty. For fastest entry, go
to the parking lot least filled. See the floor plans
for ticket window locations.)
Do
you have multi-day tickets?
We have two-day adult tickets. We tried three-day tickets,
but so few of them sold that the effort proved impractical.
EXHIBITORS
Do I have to be an exhibitor
to advertise in the PREVIEW?
No. But if you are an exhibitor, advertising will help
drive people to your booth. You will help your sales
by letting them know you’re there.
How do I get a booth at the
Expo?
Get the booth information packet from our main office
and study it, then call 1-800-324-3337 and talk with
Cheryl Keller.
Who
is your audience?
You have to be a committed sports person to attend a
hunting show in the off-season. Our attendees are exactly
that. In addition to purchasing product at the expos
(see demographics for exact percentages and dollar amounts),
attendees are opinion leaders. They go back home and
talk all year about the products they saw and liked
at the expo. They become unpaid sales ambassadors for
you. That’s a valuable ripple effect your exhibiting
created. Attendees create that invaluable word-of-mouth
advertising ... “the BUZZ” that is growing
in effectiveness day by day in all aspects of all marketing.
Can’t
my dealer do your expo for me?
Not really. The dealer can sell your product, but you’d
better be there with all your bells and whistles if
you want to have the necessary impact throughout the
expo’s major market area. A dealer has dozens
of products from several manufacturers.
As a manufacturer, you have your product line.
* No one knows your product like you do. No one cares
about it like
you do.
* No one can show, explain and sell your product like
you can.
* No one knows the features and benefits like you do.
* No one knows your product’s value to the customer
like you do.
* No one can build your total market like you can.
* No one else can support ALL your dealers ... or sign
up new ones.
You’re the expert on your product. You shouldn’t
hand the ball to someone else at an important time in
your company’s marketing program.
How
much product do I have to sell at the expo to make my
time and dollars worthwhile?
This is difficult to answer, for you should have more
objectives than on-site sales.
Keep in mind the multiple
benefits of exhibiting:
* Introduce new products
* Build your corporate brand name
* Open new markets
* Build customer confidence
* Deepen existing market penetration
* Build word-of-mouth promotion for additional sales
* Reach prospects the way they want to be reached --
face-to-face, interactive, immediate, hands-on,
personal
* Support your dealers and
* Sell product
TRADESHOW FRIDAY
What
is Tradeshow Friday?
Friday has a TRADESHOW for all dealers of hunting and
shooting equipment throughout each expo’s multi-state
market area. This is a BONUS OPPORTUNITY to write orders
and meet new dealers when you exhibit.
Less than 25% of all hunting/shooting dealers attend
national tradeshows. Many solid dealers never or very
seldom see people “from the factory”. This
is a market you now can reach easily. You never know
which of those smaller dealers may be tomorrow’s
powerhouse.
What
benefits do I get from exhibiting in the Tradeshow?
More sales at low cost. The dealers come to you, saving
you time and money. Introduce your new products; show
your product line; write orders; make the valuable personal
contacts that create more business. The value of your
investment in time and effort for the entire weekend
increases.
Does it cost extra to
exhibit in the Tradeshow?
No.
Do
I have to exhibit all weekend to participate in Tradeshow
Friday?
Yes.
What
extra visibility do I get when I participate in Tradeshow
Friday as an exhibitor?
You will be listed in a directory given to all attending
dealers; your booth will have on-site identification,
and you will have badge identification indicating you
are participating.
Can
I exhibit in Tradeshow Friday if I don’t have
a new product?
Yes. The New Product Special Display Area is a separate
item that will be in place for the entire weekend.
How
do dealers know I’m a participating manufacturer?
By on-site, in-booth identification above the booth;
by checking the directory they receive when they register,
and by noting the special identification you and your
booth work crew will be given. In addition, products
displayed in the New Product Area will have identification
information, including booth number.
How
do I as an exhibitor know they’re a dealer?
Dealers will be given special, highly visible identification
badges/ribbons when they register.
Where
are you getting dealers names from?
Some from publishers, some from exhibiting manufacturers,
some from web-sites, some from industry associations.
Who
is invited?
Dealers of hunting and shooting equipment from throughout
each expo’s multi-state market area.
Part or all of fourteen states make up the major market
area for the five expos. This equates to 40%-45% of
the total U.S. hunting/shooting market. See the DEMOGRAPHICS
pages for details.
NEW PRODUCTS SPECIAL DISPLAY AREA
What
is the New Products Area?
It’s a bonus to all exhibiting manufacturers.
This special display area will be set up as close as
possible to the main entrance on the show floor at each
expo, right where everyone will see it first. Many people
want an opportunity to examine a product before talking
with a factory representative or a sales person.
There is NO EXTRA COST to place your product in this
special marketing area.
Each displayed product is identified by name, manufacturer
and booth number. Interested prospects will come to
your booth for details.
Can
I put my new product in the New Products Area?
If you are an exhibitor, yes.
Is
there a fee to put my product in the New Products Area?
No.
