http://www.easternsportshow.com/

 

Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show - Update - January 24, 2013

 

Reed Exhibitions has decided to postpone, for now, the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show given the controversy surrounding its decision to limit the sale or display of modern sporting rifles (also called ARs) at the event. The show was scheduled to take place February 2-10 in Harrisburg, PA.

 

“Our original decision not to include certain products in the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show this year was made in order to preserve the event’s historical focus on the hunting and fishing traditions enjoyed by American families,” said Chet Burchett, Reed Exhibitions President for the Americas. “In the current climate, we felt that the presence of MSRs would distract from the theme of hunting and fishing, disrupting the broader experience of our guests. This was intended simply as a product decision, of the type event organizers need to make every day.

 

“It has become very clear to us after speaking with our customers that the event could not be held because the atmosphere of this year’s show would not be conducive to an event that is designed to provide family enjoyment. It is unfortunate that in the current emotionally charged atmosphere this celebratory event has become overshadowed by a decision that directly affected a small percentage of more than 1,000 exhibits showcasing products and services for those interested in hunting and fishing.

 

“ESS has long been proud to participate in the preservation and promotion of hunting and fishing traditions, and we hope that as the national debate clarifies, we will have an opportunity to consider rescheduling the event when the time is right to focus on the themes it celebrates.”

I think the fact that the NRA pulled out had a lot to do with it....

So apparently the organizers did not gauge properly the impending backlash by them adopting such a policy,saw a steady stream of big named vendors abandoned them,crunched the numbers and saw that to continue with the show would be a major income loss......Now let's wait for the revised policy allowing so called AW's and see how they spin it.

http://www.easternsportshow.com/

 

Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show - Update - January 24, 2013

 

Reed Exhibitions has decided to postpone, for now, the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show given the controversy surrounding its decision to limit the sale or display of modern sporting rifles (also called ARs) at the event. The show was scheduled to take place February 2-10 in Harrisburg, PA.

 

“Our original decision not to include certain products in the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show this year was made in order to preserve the event’s historical focus on the hunting and fishing traditions enjoyed by American families,” said Chet Burchett, Reed Exhibitions President for the Americas. “In the current climate, we felt that the presence of MSRs would distract from the theme of hunting and fishing, disrupting the broader experience of our guests. This was intended simply as a product decision, of the type event organizers need to make every day.

 

“It has become very clear to us after speaking with our customers that the event could not be held because the atmosphere of this year’s show would not be conducive to an event that is designed to provide family enjoyment. It is unfortunate that in the current emotionally charged atmosphere this celebratory event has become overshadowed by a decision that directly affected a small percentage of more than 1,000 exhibits showcasing products and services for those interested in hunting and fishing.

 

“ESS has long been proud to participate in the preservation and promotion of hunting and fishing traditions, and we hope that as the national debate clarifies, we will have an opportunity to consider rescheduling the event when the time is right to focus on the themes it celebrates.”

 

Translation: We're hemoraging money and credibility with no easy way out without completely capitulating the fact they we F'd up.

HA!

In for the WIN!!!

 

Interesting to see what the NSSF will do about the 2014 SHOT show - also promoted by Reed.

They still don't get it though. They can't figure out that when the Government goes after any type of firearm , everyone loses in the end: target shooting enthusiasts, hunters, collectors, people wishing to protect their familes. The one clear thing that they do understand, and by that I mean the organizers (Reed Exhibitions) is money.

Fuggem

Their press release is almost comical. How about mentioning that "...because we think it is necessary to infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens and our exhibitors and attendees strongly disagree, we are forced to postpone the show until we backpedal on our siding with Diane Feinstein." At least they wouldn't seem castrated.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

It was also reported that the NSSF,owners of Shot Show send out a press release stating that due to Reed's unfortunate policy they are reassessing the management and promotion for 2014's show. Never been but I'm guessing that it can prove to be a major financial loss for Reed, not to mention it's reputation.

It was also reported that the NSSF,owners of Shot Show send out a press release stating that due to Reed's unfortunate policy they are reassessing the management and promotion for 2014's show. Never been but I'm guessing that it can prove to be a major financial loss for Reed, not to mention it's reputation.

That would be great if the NSSF fired Reed. It would really send a message.

Reed is an international conglomerate corporation. When people complain about corporations, this is the model of the corporation you should complain about. It doesn't have an particular loyalty to any particular country as it exists in all the major market areas of the world. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if someone from the Obama administration suggested this move to them.

Reed is an international conglomerate corporation. When people complain about corporations, this is the model of the corporation you should complain about. It doesn't have an particular loyalty to any particular country as it exists in all the major market areas of the world. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if someone from the Obama administration suggested this move to them.

This is probably true....

They are still blaming us and other people/companies for their policies scretRw ups

Just wrote this letter to the editor of NSSF's SHOT Magazine...

 

Given the attempt of Reed Exhibitions to become a devisive element in the firearms community, by way of their prohibition of modern sporting arms at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, I call upon the NSSF to re-examine they’re relationship with Reed and their promotion of all SHOT shows, going forward. Further, I would ask the industry representatives to continue to support their customers and exert whatever influence they have on the NSSF to sever all ties to Reed.

 

Given that we are at a watershed moment with regard to firearms legislation and the ongoing battle to preserve the law-abiding gun owner’s rights under the second amendment, the last thing we need is a promoter (based in the UK) making unilateral decisions to discriminate against a particular firearms platform because of cosmetic appearance. I think the the thousands of hunters that use the AR platform rifles for varmint and predator hunting in this country would strongly disagree that AR’s are not relevant to the hunting and fishing heritage of the United States.

 

Surely there must be a US promoter capable of undertaking the promotion of something as iconic as the SHOT show. Thank you.

 

While we are all busy writing letters to the various congress critters, you may want to take some time to write to your favorite firearms company or the NSSF and lobby for cutting off Reed at the knees.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

They got the shaft and they know it.

Now reports state it is Cancelled.

I used to work for Reed-Elsevier in New Providence. While they are a huge company, the exhibitions cost money to setup, and in turn make alot of money. For them to have to cancel the ESOS and now have NSSF looking to other management for the SHOT show, has cost and will cost them alot of money. Someone in corporate has lost their job(s).

 

Like I said, waning influence of the FUDD gun owner. Now onto Congress....

Reed is an international conglomerate corporation. When people complain about corporations, this is the model of the corporation you should complain about. It doesn't have an particular loyalty to any particular country as it exists in all the major market areas of the world. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if someone from the Obama administration suggested this move to them.

 

Yes it is a huge international corporation, but it did not behave as such in this instance. If it had behaved like a corporation all it would have cared about was money and you'd have to be mentally retarded to think banning a whole type of weapons at a convention associated with hunting and outdoors, especially in today's gun control happy climate, was going to make them more money. This was purely a "political" decision by somebody (or group of somebodies) in the company who should have gotten fired shortly after the decision was made since even without a huge backlash it was still going to cost the event some money. There is no logical thought process that gets from "let's piss off X% of the clientele of this show" to "we'll make more money from this decision".

Yes it is a huge international corporation, but it did not behave as such in this instance. If it had behaved like a corporation all it would have cared about was money and you'd have to be mentally retarded to think banning a whole type of weapons at a convention associated with hunting and outdoors, especially in today's gun control happy climate, was going to make them more money. This was purely a "political" decision by somebody (or group of somebodies) in the company who should have gotten fired shortly after the decision was made since even without a huge backlash it was still going to cost the event some money. There is no logical thought process that gets from "let's piss off X% of the clientele of this show" to "we'll make more money from this decision".

 

Once the ball started rolling, Reed/Lexis Nexis were never known for their ability to react quickly. This blew up in their face, guaranteed they are doing damage control....

"Spacemanvic" replying to a post by "Spacemanfry"....... Kismet.

There is no logical thought process that gets from "let's piss off X% of the clientele of this show" to "we'll make more money from this decision".

 

Sure there is. What made them do this in the first place? What was the genesis of the idea? I'll be willing to bet it came through their lobbyists and it started in Washington DC. "Do this for us and we'll consider that thing you've been asking us about, that thing that will make you millions"

Sure there is. What made them do this in the first place? What was the genesis of the idea? I'll be willing to bet it came through their lobbyists and it started in Washington DC. "Do this for us and we'll consider that thing you've been asking us about, that thing that will make you millions"

 

Ok, you're right. In the grand scheme of things if say the gov were to give them certain tax breaks or incentives it would offset normal losses at a show. Here's hoping the backlash and increased scrutiny over this will hurt prevent that from happening.

Looked up my old employer and found a wiki that may help explain Reed's "thinking":

 

Members of the medical and scientific communities, which purchase and use many journals published by Reed Elsevier, agitated for the company to cut its links to the arms trade. Two UK academics, Dr. Tom Stafford of Sheffield University and Dr Nick Gill, launched petitions calling on Reed Elsevier to stop organising arms fairs.^[21][22] A subsidiary, Spearhead, organised defence shows, including an event where it was reported that cluster bombs and extremely powerful riot control equipment were offered for sale.^[23][24]

In February 2007, Richard Smith, former editor of the British Medical Journal, published an editorial in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, arguing that Reed Elsevier's involvement in both the arms trade and medical publishing constituted a conflict of interest.^[25] He suggested that if academics began to disengage with Reed Elsevier, the company would be likely to end their arms fairs, as arms fairs only comprise a small proportion of their business.

On 1 June 2007, Reed Elsevier announced that they would be exiting the Defence Exhibition business during the second half of 2007.^[26]

Essentially they said if you won't play ball by our rules we're taking our ball and going home.

They blamed everyone but themselves. Got to love the stand-up people in charge of that corporation.

Essentially they said if you won't play ball by our rules we're taking our ball and going home.

They blamed everyone but themselves. Got to love the stand-up people in charge of that corporation.

 

Fugem, we need to rally and replace them..

I smell lawsuits..... I'm sure some of the vendors have already spent lots of money for travel arrangements, freight, contractors, insurance, marketing supplies, advertising, etc....

 

I hope they go into bankruptcy as a result, the spinless idiots...

I smell lawsuits..... I'm sure some of the vendors have already spent lots of money for travel arrangements, freight, contractors, insurance, marketing supplies, advertising, etc....

 

I hope they go into bankruptcy as a result, the spinless idiots...

 

Don't count on it. A corporation as big as Reed with this much experience will have a very well thought out and comprehensive contract with the vendors. Somewhere in the boiler plate there will be specific causes that limit liability to refund of the entrance fee only. If not, their lawyers were completely asleep at the wheel.

 

My concern is the potential for further division in the gun owning community due to the cancellation. I've already heard from several avid hunters that "assault weapon guys" are the cause of the current problem. How many more may join their perspective now that the show they were looking forward to has been cancelled over "assault weapons?" Our biggest threat is not politicians, other anti's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dick's or anyone else. It is ourselves. The division in the gun community is the number one hurdle we face. I all the country's gun owners could unite and make our voices heard this crap would stop on a dime.

"Spacemanvic" replying to a post by "Spacemanfry"....... Kismet.

 

Funny

Harrisburg's mayor, Linda Thompson, wasn't too happy. (She's also a supporter of MAIG.) Her statement is polarizing.

 

http://www.pennlive....3/01/mayor.html

 

The office of Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson described as "unfortunate" the news that the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, scheduled for Feb. 2 at the Farm Show Complex, would be postponed to an undetermined date.

 

The postponement came after hundreds of vendors decided to boycott the show in response to a decision by organizer Reed Exhibitions to ban assault-style weapons and ammunition from the show. The mayor's office issued this statement:

 

"It is unfortunate that Reed Exhibitions of Norwalk, Conn., has made the business decision to postpone the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show scheduled for the City of Harrisburg in February.

 

"It is also unfortunate that legal gun owners and the many families who have enjoyed a long tradition of hunting in the beautiful rural environment around the region will be deprived of this major event because of a controversy caused by firearms manufacturers who profit from the sale of weapons designed for the mass killing of human beings.

 

"Many regional arms and outdoor vendors and related services have been hurt by the postponement as well. This kind of conflict within the firearms community is the result of years of polarization between the majority American sportsmen and hunters who exercise their constitutional right to bear arms and at the same time favor reasonable illegal gun controls, and a minority of NRA members who refuse to recognize the very real problem of illegal military style weaponry and the mass havoc such weapons facilitate."