The purpose of the annual NSSF Marketing & Leadership Summit is to help participants run more successful businesses. And by all accounts, the seminar this year in Hilton Head, South Carolina, achieved that objective as it experienced strong engagement from firearm industry executives, marketers and business leaders.
The two-day summit brought together industry professionals for timely education, peer discussion and networking focused on the challenges and opportunities shaping today’s marketplace. Sessions addressed workplace culture, consumer trends, economic uncertainty, Meta advertising, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, customer engagement and the future of leadership in an evolving business environment.
“The Marketing & Leadership Summit continues to be a place where current and future leaders of our industry sharpen their skills, expand their networks and gain new perspectives,” said NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi. “The conversations taking place here are helping businesses better prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead while continuing to strengthen the firearm industry as a whole.”
Attendees and sponsors emphasized the Summit’s unique value as an intimate, focused setting where companies can exchange ideas, identify solutions and build stronger relationships across the firearm industry.
“It’s rare that you get a collection of business leaders in the same room who are focused on the same thing,” said Connor Dunaway, CEO of 20North Marketing. “What’s happening in marketing? How do I be successful? How do I lead my organization? What changes are impacting me? And how can I be a thought leader and driver through this?”
Kyle Van Winkle, Head of 2A Enterprise at Listrak, said the summit is one of his favorite events of the year. “Folks are thinking about how they’re interacting with their customers, how they’re engaging, how they’re starting to build these relationships from the ground up.”
Slingit has only been around for a year, but CEO and Founder Walt Geer said he heard from people in the industry that this is the event he needed to attend. “It’s been huge, he said. “We’ll not only be back next year, but we’ll also be at SHOT Show in a big way.”
Experienced industry professionals know that great marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum, a sentiment echoed by Aaron McCaleb, president of Source Outdoor Group. “Attending the NSSF Marketing & Leadership Summit wasn’t just about hearing industry experts; it was about stepping outside our day-to-day operations and reconnecting with like-minded individuals focused on the bigger picture. I walked away with new perspectives, actionable strategies and trusted connections that have already sharpened how we help our clients stand out. For any leader serious about driving results in our marketplace, the NSSF Summit should be a top consideration.”
Another industry professional, Jared Rehm, director of marketing for Dead Air Silencers, cited the seminar’s ability to allow collaboration with marketing professionals across the outdoor industry. “It allows us to exchange ideas and explore new ways to build stronger connections with consumers. At Dead Air Silencers, innovation extends far beyond engineering. While we are committed to designing industry-leading products, we are equally focused on developing innovative ways to engage with consumers and enhance their overall shooting experience. The NSSF Marketing & Leadership Summit serves as an important platform to connect with industry partners, gain insight into evolving consumer trends and better understand the needs of today’s shooters.”
World-class speakers and a compelling agenda was the attraction for Nick Andrews, Benelli’s director of marketing. “The NSSF Marketing & Leadership Summit delivers a compelling agenda and world-class speakers focused on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of our industry. For me, it’s an opportunity to gain perspective outside my own organization, collaborate with other industry leaders and gain a better understanding of the broader marketing and retail trends influencing today’s consumer.”
Dan Kahn, president and CEO of Kahn Media, cited the summit’s intimacy. “This was my fifth year attending the NSSF Marketing & Leadership Summit and it has become one of my favorite events of the year,” he said. “While I enjoy attending the SHOT Show and other major trade shows and getting to handle all the new hardware, the summit feels more intimate and you get meaningful face time with decision makers at some of the best brands in our industry in an environment where you can have an actual conversation, not just a passing hello in a crowded aisle. The NSSF team also does a great job selecting speakers, and this year felt particularly relevant with talks ranging from how to work with Millennials and Gen Z in the workplace to how AI is impacting marketing to how to get around 2A content bans on the major social platforms. It doesn’t hurt that these events are consistently held at beautiful places and Hilton Head in the spring is something special.”
Seminar sponsors included Platinum Sponsor 20North Marketing, Silver Sponsor Shopware, and Bronze Sponsors BigCommerce, Joseph Chiarello & Co., Listrak and Payroc. Supporting sponsors included Centerfire Spirits, Crimson Agility, FastBound, Hillsdale College, Hook & Barrel, illumin, iovista, Longview, Magpul, Master FFL, Netformic, Project ChildSafe, Rumble, Slingit, Southwick Associates and Vault.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the sponsors who helped make this year’s Marketing & Leadership Summit possible,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF Vice President, Exhibitions & Events. “Their support and participation helped create an environment where attendees could exchange ideas, build relationships and have meaningful conversations about the future of the industry.”
If you missed this year’s Summit, NSSF encourages members and industry professionals to explore its growing calendar of events and resources. From the SHOT Show and Summit to the Import/Export Conference and year-round webinars covering cybersecurity, compliance, marketing, leadership and more, NSSF offers numerous opportunities to engage, learn and lead.
Save the date for the 2027 NSSF Marketing & Leadership Summit, taking place May 11–13, 2027, at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. nssf.org
