Dallas Safari Club Convention Summary

[mdwest]

Was Atlanta so bad because it was Atlanta? Or was it the weather?

I'm sure both contributed but had the weather been good, would it at least have been an ok show?

Impossible to know... but.. what I do know (as do most others, and DSC should know) is long before January and the unexpected snow storm, there were a lot of very disgruntled exhibitors that had been complaining for months about the decision to go to Atlanta.. there are a TON of very disgruntled people that normally attend the show that had stated they were not going to Atlanta and that they would either just go to SCI instead, or stay home, or give TTHA a try.. , and there were a lot of life members of DSC expressing their concern about not only the decision that was made, but how the decision was made, and how the decision was messaged..

And until DSC had the inconvenience of a snow storm to add to the problem, they essentially refused to address any of the concerns.. which was viewed by most (all?) as being shown the middle finger by the DSC board (since the CEO was by then gone and no new CEO had been appointed to replace him)..

After the snow storm, it at least appeared that DSC was going to attempt to right the wrongs of 2024.. the email from the new CEO was a pretty good start (IMO).. but since then, clearly some additional decisions have been made.. and once again, the exhibitors and life members are scratching their heads and asking a collective WTF???? (i.e. the email that went out offering a new membership level... email that went to exhibitors with a price increase and Atlanta on the logo without speaking to any changes/improvements/intentions/etc first, etc..etc..)..

My guess is better weather would have produced a better show.. Hell, it wouldn't take just 1000 more people to have made a "better" show.. the ATL show was a complete and total disaster..

But my further guess is better weather still wouldn't have produced a "good" show, much less a show worth attending for most exhibitors or participants..

And if DSC stays on the path it appears to be intent on sticking with (poor messaging, poor engagement with exhibitors and life members, etc) that if next January is 70 degrees, clear skies, and they offer free hotel rooms to everyone that attends.. they'll still have a terrible turn out..

It pains me to say these things.. Ive been a life member for a long time.. Ive spent A LOT of money with DSC over the years (well beyond my membership costs).. Ive brought several other people to the club to become members.. Ive volunteered at 6x shows.. I used to attend every monthly meeting in Dallas and participated in numerous functions of the Dallas chapter..

I seriously want DSC to not just survive this.. but to find a way to thrive..

But if they continue down this same path, all I see is disaster in the future..

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Was Atlanta so bad because it was Atlanta? Or was it the weather?

I'm sure both contributed but had the weather been good, would it at least have been an ok show?

If I wanted to sell safaris to gangbangers, then we're golden.

 

[ActionBob]

Impossible to know... but.. what I do know (as do most others, and DSC should know) is long before January and the unexpected snow storm, there were a lot of very disgruntled exhibitors that had been complaining for months about the decision to go to Atlanta.. there are a TON of very disgruntled people that normally attend the show that had stated they were not going to Atlanta and that they would either just go to SCI instead, or stay home, or give TTHA a try.. , and there were a lot of life members of DSC expressing their concern about not only the decision that was made, but how the decision was made, and how the decision was messaged..

And until DSC had the inconvenience of a snow storm to add to the problem, they essentially refused to address any of the concerns.. which was viewed by most (all?) as being shown the middle finger by the DSC board (since the CEO was by then gone and no new CEO had been appointed to replace him)..

After the snow storm, it at least appeared that DSC was going to attempt to right the wrongs of 2024.. the email from the new CEO was a pretty good start (IMO).. but since then, clearly some additional decisions have been made.. and once again, the exhibitors and life members are scratching their heads and asking a collective WTF???? (i.e. the email that went out offering a new membership level... email that went to exhibitors with a price increase and Atlanta on the logo without speaking to any changes/improvements/intentions/etc first, etc..etc..)..

My guess is better weather would have produced a better show.. Hell, it wouldn't take just 1000 more people to have made a "better" show.. the ATL show was a complete and total disaster..

But my further guess is better weather still wouldn't have produced a "good" show, much less a show worth attending for most exhibitors or participants..

And if DSC stays on the path it appears to be intent on sticking with (poor messaging, poor engagement with exhibitors and life members, etc) that if next January is 70 degrees, clear skies, and they offer free hotel rooms to everyone that attends.. they'll still have a terrible turn out..

It pains me to say these things.. Ive been a life member for a long time.. Ive spent A LOT of money with DSC over the years (well beyond my membership costs).. Ive brought several other people to the club to become members.. Ive volunteered at 6x shows.. I used to attend every monthly meeting in Dallas and participated in numerous functions of the Dallas chapter..

I seriously want DSC to not just survive this.. but to find a way to thrive..

But if they continue down this same path, all I see is disaster in the future..

Thanks for that reply!

Hard to believe DSC has gone to ruin just like that. Crazy but true that an organization or a business or even an individual can slide so far and so fast based on a few bad decisions but we see it every day around us.

Crazy good opportunity for SCI which to me has always seemed to have more issues connecting with common members than DSC.

 

[Doug3006]

Was Atlanta so bad because it was Atlanta? Or was it the weather?

I'm sure both contributed but had the weather been good, would it at least have been an ok show?

Both. However I made the trek down there and so despite the snow, drove the 2 blocks to the show. I gotta believe that most stalwart sportsmen would…..if they had made the trip down.

 

[Green Chile]

Well said @mdwest as usual. Inclement weather doesn't really stop serious sporting people who are bringing a checkbook to book a hunt. It slows down the walk in traffic and the tire kickers but not someone who is planning and making decisions on expensive hunts. Besides, there was bad weather at Dallas and Atlanta the same weekend. Don't be distracted by the weather issue...it's NOT the root problem.

I will add one more time...I don't want DSC to fail. I'm a member.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Well said @mdwest as usual. Inclement weather doesn't really stop serious sporting people who are bringing a checkbook to book a hunt. It slows down the walk in traffic and the tire kickers but not someone who is planning and making decisions on expensive hunts. Besides, there was bad weather at Dallas and Atlanta the same weekend. Don't be distracted by the weather issue...it's NOT the root problem.

I will add one more time...I don't want DSC to fail. I'm a member.

100% agree. The weather can simply not be used as an excuse. Maybe accounted for 10% of traffic.

 

[Dinsdale]

This was going to be first time to any DSC show the first time and returning to a big show in more then a dozen years.

Flights canceled 3 times out of 3 airports, rearranging flights any way I could.

Guess I'm just not dedicated enough.

 

[wesheltonj]

I think the poor weather played a big role in attendance. Lots of cancelled flights, ATL airport was a disaster that weekend.

I checked the San Antonio convention center and they are booked solid next January and February, so that not happening. The San Antonio rumor its not possible without another convention canceling in San Antonio. Houston does not have their complete schedule for January and February available yet, it does show the first two weeks of January booked. My bet is DSC in Atlanta for 2026. I looked at their 990's they might not be available to buy out until after 2027, if at all.

 

[Doug3006]

I drove down from St. Louis on Thursday. The weather was beautiful….sunny and cool. The many exhibitors I spoke with on Friday said the hall was a tomb on Thursday. I believe the die was cast well before the first snowflake flew.

Since it appears the show will remain in ATL next year, we’ll learn what the root case really is.

 

[sureshot375]

Was Atlanta so bad because it was Atlanta? Or was it the weather?

I'm sure both contributed but had the weather been good, would it at least have been an ok show?

The weather was such a large factor that there is really no way to assess it.

It was really once in a decade or more kind of snow event. The news was non-stop telling people to stay at home. Nearly all the restaurants and business in town were closed. I personally know over 30 people who had planned to attend but didn’t because of the weather.

I had a number of other friends in metro Atlanta who were without power.

There were two other shows going on the same weekend at the convention center, the Boat show and a travel show. Both are very well established and well attended. Both were ghost towns this year.

I heard someone from DSC say they had sold a record number of tickets in advance of the show. If that is true they should be publicizing that information.

I think Atlanta has great potential for a show.

I also understand the rightful concerns about moving the show away from their core base.

 

[ActionBob]

Both. However I made the trek down there and so despite the snow, drove the 2 blocks to the show. I gotta believe that most stalwart sportsmen would…..if they had made the trip down.

We had planned to drive our Motorhome out, it is a 2 day drive.. Waste the time between shows someplace fun, and then head to Nashville early and enjoy the town. We'd have towed a Jeep and I guarantee I'd have made the drive to the show.

But we looked at the weather and decided driving a 43' Motorhome amongst a bunch of Southern drivers in snow and ice was not a good idea.

We were not thrilled with going to Atlanta. But the weather was the final straw in our decision to not attend.

 

[sureshot375]

If I wanted to sell safaris to gangbangers, then we're golden.

That’s a remarkably ignorant post. Georgia is a huge potential market for outfitters.

Hell, my wife and sister threw me a surprise birthday party a few weeks ago. One of my RSA outfitter friends was in attendance. A number of my friends came down from Atlanta. Many had planned to attend DSC but didn’t because of the weather.

My buddy booked 4 separate groups from my party alone. Really good hunts. When it’s all said and done easily over 100k in business from my one little group of my gangbanger friends from Atlanta.

I suppose I better make sure to tell them not to hold their rifles sideways.

Surprised we had that many Atlanta folks in one place with nobody getting shot.

Pro tip, in your line of work no good comes from insulting or alienating potential clients.

There are a lot of hunters in Georgia. There are a lot of hunters with money in georgia. There are relatively few gangbangers and they don’t hang out at the world congress center.

 

[Shaw]

I for the life of me cannot fathom why DSC in their right mind did not consider FTW Convention Center , hell Jerrys world would have been better than going out of state. I just understand the direction they are wanting to move. yes I know Dallas Convention Center is getting torn down but there were way better options than route they took.