It’s no secret that January is a big month for major U.S. trade shows around the country, and this year was no exception.

Held Jan. 14-16 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, NRF 2018, aka Retail’s BIG Show, helped kick off the year on the right foot by growing its participation and showfloor presence.

Owned and run by the National Retail Federation, the three-day trade show and conference for retail professionals welcomed 36,500 attendees and 719 exhibiting companies representing a wide range of categories including merchandising, operations, information technology, customer service and supply chain management, all spanning a 256,555 square foot expo.

In 2017, 34,500 attendees and 594 exhibitors occupied 238,787 sq. ft. of exhibition space.

This year’s NRF also featured more than 300 educational sessions presented by industry leaders in retail, technology, finance and business as well as breakout sessions and networking events.

NRF will return Jan. 13-15 to the Javits Center.

The Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) celebrated its 40^th anniversary at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Held Jan. 23-26, the trade show for firearms enthusiasts attracted more than 60,000 industry professionals and more than 2,100 exhibiting companies showcasing thousands of products including firearms, ammunition, accessories, optics, knives, gun safes, apparel and law enforcement equipment spanning a robust, 630,000 sq. ft. expo.

In 2017, the show boasted nearly 65,000 attendees and 1,600 exhibiting companies across a 600,000 sq. ft. expo floor.

“From our humble beginnings in St. Louis in 1979 to now being one of the leading trade shows in the world, we’ve come a long way in 40 years,” said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which owns and runs the show.

Prior to the start of the event, SHOT Show also hosted its 4^th Annual NSSF/HAVA Golf Classic, which raises funds in support of Honored American Veterans Afield, a nonprofit that works to aid the healing process of military veterans through hunting and other shooting sports activities. Since its launch in 2015, the golf outing has raised more than $200,000 in support of this effort.

SHOT Show will return Jan. 22-25 to the Sands Expo.

Meanwhile, World of Concrete was busy celebrating its largest trade show and conference in nine years at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Also held Jan. 23-26, the signature event for the concrete and masonry industries attracted 58,222 industry professionals and 1,567 exhibiting companies spanning more than 747,411 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor exhibit space.

In 2017, the trade show and conference drew 50,770 attendees, more than 1,455 exhibitors occupying more than 681,196 sq. ft.

“WOC 2018 was an enormous success,” said Kevin Archibald, WOC show manager. “Our team, along with our service providers, produced a fantastic show.”

He continued, “We saw great attendee numbers, exceptional exhibits and a very solid rebook rate of 566,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit space, rebooking 76 percent of the total 2018 square footage onsite for next year’s show.”

WOC will return Jan. 22-25 to the LVCC.

Dedicated to music products, pro audio and sound, and live event technology industries, The NAMM Show set a lively tone at the newly expanded Anaheim Convention Center Jan. 25-28.

Produced by the National Association of Music Merchants, the four-day trade show and conference experienced an eight percent growth in attendance, with 115,085 industry professionals perusing more than 7,000 brands presented by a record 2,000 exhibiting companies, an increase of nine percent compared to 2017.

Last year, the event drew a record 106,773 attendees.

The addition of the ACC’s new three-level 200,000 square foot North Building provided an extra 200,000 square feet for the 117^th edition of the show, which covered nearly two million square feet in the convention center and adjacent hotel ballrooms.

The expansion also resulted in a well-tuned show reconfiguration that features “musical neighborhoods” of like-minded companies and products as well as more than 500 educational sessions.

“NAMM members, alongside our partners and guests, deserve all the credit for creating such an incredibly powerful industry gathering,” said Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO.

He continued, “The ‘crossroads’ of industry pros, coupled with the passion and dedication to drive business forward in new and innovative ways, ensures an exciting year ahead for all aspects of music making and production.”

The NAMM Show will return Jan. 24-27 to the ACC.

Meanwhile, the newly blended Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show made its long-awaited debut in its new home in Denver with a renewed sense of energy and community vibe.

Held Jan. 25-28 at the Colorado Convention Center, the massive trade show and conference for outdoor recreation and winter industry retailers and manufacturers hosted more than 29,000 attendees and 1,000 brands occupying a sold-out 500,000 sq. ft. showfloor covering all three floors of the Colorado Convention Center, making it the largest show ever staged at the venue.

In addition to packed seminars, panels and special events in and outside of the CCC, buyer and other attendance categories surpassed the sum of the 2017 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and SIA Snow shows when they were held separately, according to OR officials.

“Denver exceeded our expectations as the new home for the first Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show, reuniting the outdoor and winter sports communities for the first time in nearly 30 years,” said Marisa Nicholson, vice president and show director for Outdoor Retailer events.

She continued, “Retailers were able to see key product and trends for Fall/Winter 2018-2020 under one roof, creating an air of anticipation for what’s next. The city of Denver and the state of Colorado laid out the red carpet for our exhibitors, our buyers from around the globe and our team. We couldn’t think of a better place to call home.”

The first Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show in Denver set the stage for Outdoor Retailer’s Summer and Winter Markets, set for July 23-26 and Nov. 8-11, respectively. Combined, all three events are expected to deliver $110 million in annual economic impact to the Mile High City.

Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show will return Jan. 8-11. to the CCC.

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