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The Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show (ESS) is one of the biggest in the world. It is (or was) held in Pennsylvania, and had upward of 200,000 attendees each year. On January 18th, word was received that the management of ESS decided to change the show rules at (for major shows) the last minute. They decided the political climate was right to prohibit Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) from the show. The response was immediate and massive, amplified by overwhelming grassroots support. Vendors bailed, even if it cost them thousands, in protest of this blatant politicization of the show. Cabela's, one...

For a number of years, I visited the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The show, which is held in a hideous rambling building originally intended to handle livestock, is a genuine monster. For a solid week, people in the tens of thousands come from near and far to grope sporting goods, book hunting and fishing trips, attend demonstrations, and generally see what is what. ESS, as it will hereinafter be referred to, is put on by Reed Exhibitions. Reed is the world’s largest organizer of trade shows and the like; the firm handles 500 events in 39...

The Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show was expected to bring $44 million in direct spending to the region, according to the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau. Now that the show has been postponed -- with no reschedule date set, and none imminent -- many hotels and restaurants could be in for a difficult winter. "This is a hard time of the year to fill hotels," said Rick Dunlap, a spokesman for the bureau. "A lot of these hoteliers relied on this show to make their budget for the early part of the year." The $44 million in direct spending the...

A massive boycott sparked by the NRA and other gun-rights groups outraged that the nation's largest outdoors show banned the exhibition of assault weapons has caused the show's organizers to abruptly cancel the week-long event in Harrisburg, Pa. The successful boycott was the biggest demonstration of support by the outdoors industry yet against gun control efforts being pushed in Washington and in several states. "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....

We have just learned that Reed Exhibitions has decided to postpone the 2013 Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show. In the days following Reed Exhibitions’ announcement that modern sporting rifles would be prohibited from the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, the leadership of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has been in intense, frank discussions with Reed Exhibitions management in an effort to reverse this unacceptable decision. These discussions reached an impasse. NSSF is in no way affiliated with, nor does it participate in or exhibit at this show in any way. Reed Exhibitions does, however, manage the NSSF-owned SHOT Show...

Reed Exhibitions has 32 events scheduled in the United States for 2013, including the world famous Shot Show. The NSSF is the sponsor of the Shot Show and has strongly condemned the actions taken by Reed Exhibitions. "The National Shooting Sports Foundation strongly disagrees with the decision of the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show’s management to disallow the display and sale of Modern Sporting Rifles at its 2013 exhibition." It is unknown if, given the strong reaction taken to Reed Exhibitions foray into American politics, if the NSSF will retain Reed Exhibitions to run the Shot Show next year. Here...

Due to Reed Exhibitions' refusal to reconsider their decision to ban Modern Sporting Rifles from the February 2-10 Eastern Sports Show in Harrisburg, PA, the National Rifle Association has decided to withdraw from the show. We had called on Reed Exhibitions to reconsider their decision; unfortunately they have steadfastly refused to do so. As a result, the NRA will not be participating in the upcoming show in Harrisburg or in any other shows hosted by Reed Exhibitions that maintain this policy. We are disappointed that Reed Exhibitions has ignored the concerns expressed by attendees, the outdoor industry and the NRA...

Exhibitors have been dropping out in what they say is a show of support for the Second Amendment. Now the celebrities are following. Several television personalities and expert hunters who were supposed to be on hand at the upcoming Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show to speak to attendees and sign autographs announced over the weekend they will join the growing boycott of the show slated for Feb. 2-10 at the State Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. Lee and Tiffany Lakosky, hosts of the television show "The Crush With Lee & Tiffany," lead the list of celebrities boycotting the show as...

Some big names in the hunting media and vending have stood up to the organizers of the Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show. Following the tragic shooting in December at Sandy Hook School in Connecticut, and President Obama’s sweeping executive orders on gun violence, many states and organizations have themselves pushed for changes in certain gun and ammunition restrictions. Reed Exhibitions, organizers of the show in Pennsylvania, followed suit and imposed restrictions on the display of assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines. From their web site: “As a hunting-focused event, we welcome exhibitors who wish to showcase products and firearms...

Wixom, MI --(Ammoland.com)- Trijicon, Inc., global provider of high quality, innovative aiming solutions to military, law enforcement and individual customers, has decided to withdraw its participation and support of the 2013 Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “We, at Trijicon, are very disappointed in the decision of Reed Exhibitions to ban the display of Modern Sporting Rifles from the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show.”, said Tom Munson, V.P. of Sales & Marketing for Trijicon. “Many of Trijicon’s loyal customers are responsible and law-abiding owners of these types of legal firearms and we will not support any organization that...

Reed Exhibitions, a UK based company, has prohibited the display and sale of tactical rifles, high-cap magazines and certain other accessories as well as the display of official logos and trademarks of some American gun related manufacturers at the Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show (aka Sportsmen's Show). The Sportsmen's Show is an annual event held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA the first week of February. The event sees in excess of 250,000 patrons and has been billed as the largest outdoors show in the world. But NOT this year.The show originally had four major sponsors; Cabela's,...