Last couple of years there has been a growing show in Charlotte, NC and most of people I met involved were DSC type people. I googled it to see what was going on for 2014 and it looks like it is moving to Raleigh, NC and is in cooperation with the SCI Triangle Chapter. Seems strange that this is going on and I just wanted to see what anyone out there might know. I thought the show was developing pretty well but now for me I am much further away. Last year I met several people there I did not know badger Matt, DOJ, son, Marc DeWet, etc.

Anyone know whats going on?

Thanks,

Larry

That's a bummer, Larry. I enjoyed the show and short drive. Sharing drinks with you and Mark DeWet was a pleasure. I booked my hunt with an outfit there, but they mentioned later I was the only hunt they booked at the show.

On the up side, I'm headed to Vegas in February for my first SCI show.

Matt you might have been the only hunt anyone booked in Charlotte! My PH was there and for him, except our dinner together, it was a waste of time and $2500. He will not be in Raleigh. And from his comments, many of those in CLT won't be either. I hope to go to Raleigh but will have to see closer in for timing.

BBB - Don't know what's happening with the show but just curious about a statement you made. Just wondering what/who "DSC type people" are??

Larry Sellers
SCI (International) Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by BigBBear:
Last couple of years there has been a growing show in Charlotte, NC and most of people I met involved were DSC type people. I googled it to see what was going on for 2014 and it looks like it is moving to Raleigh, NC and is in cooperation with the SCI Triangle Chapter. Seems strange that this is going on and I just wanted to see what anyone out there might know. I thought the show was developing pretty well but now for me I am much further away. Last year I met several people there I did not know badger Matt, DOJ, son, Marc DeWet, etc.

Anyone know whats going on?

Thanks,

Larry

Larry,

You know I have never been to any of these shows.

But my impression is that at DSC people seem to be typical Texans.

Very friendly, very helpful, and very welcoming.

SCI, on the other hand, seems to be full of the "look at me" crowd.

You know, those who are more concerned about their own false self importance and their "belonging" to some silly circle

Did I get that right?

If not, someone please correct me

you are exactly right. DSC= friendly Texas volunteers. SCI= PAID, UNION EMPLOYEES. big difference……..

AR's comedy duo!!

the truth often hurts- but it is still the truth! for 10 years i helped a friend transport his booth to the Reno/Las Vegas show and set it up. 2 years of attendance at DSC showed me a difference. when you have to pay a union electrician to plug in a 110v extension cord and run it to your booth( and you furnish the cord) for $75- well, maybe you get the picture- or maybe not….

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
the truth often hurts- but it is still the truth! for 10 years i helped a friend transport his booth to the Reno/Las Vegas show and set it up. 2 years of attendance at DSC showed me a difference. when you have to pay a union electrician to plug in a 110v extension cord and run it to your booth( and you furnish the cord) for $75- well, maybe you get the picture- or maybe not….

Bloody hell!

You have to PAY someone to plug your extension cord??

I am the show organizer and my husband, Gray Thornton, and 3 other partners produce the Expo. What started as a boutique African-only based show has grown and evolved by consumer demand to a unique blend of the premier outfitters, outdoors goods purveyors, wildlife artists and taxidermists from not only Africa but all points around the globe.

As we announced earlier this year, the African Sporting Expo is now the Southeast Outdoors Expo to better reflect the mix of exhibitors and broaden the appeal of this unique show and marketing opportunity. And now, in partnership with the Triangle Chapter of SCI and Crosstrail Outfitters outdoors and youth ministry, the Southeast Outdoors Expo™ once again brings the best of the best to this hunting-rich region of the United States with a broader customer and prospect base and the local support and partnership of two regional membership-based organizations.

The Friday and Saturday expo will feature celebrity guests Larry “Mr. Whitetail” Weishuhn, rising TV stars, SOLO Hunters Tim Burnett and Remi Warren, and once again dangerous game expert and television host, Ivan Carter as our featured guests and speakers. Crosstrail Outfitters will host a banquet Friday night in conjunction with the show featuring more than 300+ regional business and spiritual leaders for their annual dinner and event. The Expo will conclude Saturday evening with the annual Safari Club International Triangle Chapter Banquet and Auction with an anticipated attendance of 500+ now held in conjunction with and in partnership with the Southeast Outdoors Expo™.

Expo hours are 10 am – 8 pm Friday, January 31st and 9 am – 5 pm February 1st with exhibitor set-up Thursday January 30th. The show and banquets are all “under one roof” at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Cary, North Carolina conveniently located near the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Room rates of only $109 per night include a full breakfast daily and a cocktail hour nightly.

The marketing mix includes direct mail to previous ASE attendees, print ads in North Carolina Sportsman – the must-read paper of the regions hunters and anglers, flyers and posters distributed by our Bass Pro Shops, Safaris West, North Carolina Hunters Supply and Carolina Gun Runners partners and an aggressive radio advertising campaign with the Country Music Awards winning and largest country station in region serving one of the largest country markets in the nation – WQDR.

The Southeast Outdoors Expo did not just choose to go to Raleigh – the show was actively recruited to move to Raleigh by our partners. We are excited about this new level of support and cordially invite you to join us in Raleigh for the premier hunting and fishing show in the southeast.

We cordially invite you to attend the show. You may visit the website: www.SoutheastOutdoorsExpo.com

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
the truth often hurts- but it is still the truth! for 10 years i helped a friend transport his booth to the Reno/Las Vegas show and set it up. 2 years of attendance at DSC showed me a difference. when you have to pay a union electrician to plug in a 110v extension cord and run it to your booth( and you furnish the cord) for $75- well, maybe you get the picture- or maybe not….

Heard all that BS before - never seen it myself. Just go and plug it in and no one cares... DSC is no different in that regard, just the same.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

Bloody hell!

You have to PAY someone to plug your extension cord??

Nope - never...

But hey - don't let the facts get in the way of your comedy festival!!

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
the truth often hurts- but it is still the truth! for 10 years i helped a friend transport his booth to the Reno/Las Vegas show and set it up. 2 years of attendance at DSC showed me a difference. when you have to pay a union electrician to plug in a 110v extension cord and run it to your booth( and you furnish the cord) for $75- well, maybe you get the picture- or maybe not….

Heard all that BS before - never seen it myself. Just go and plug it in and no one cares... DSC is no different in that regard, just the same.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

Bloody hell!

You have to PAY someone to plug your extension cord??

Nope - never...

But hey - don't let the facts get in the way of your comedy festival!!

Matt,

I have heard it from different sources, that some of the simplest things one can do, is not allowed to be done except by some union member.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

Matt,

I have heard it from different sources, that some of the simplest things one can do, is not allowed to be done except by some union member.

Like I have said before - its not hard to find an African having a cry about SCI. I have never been hassled by any union folk in my nine years at SCI, no not one and I set up and tear down myself (not Freemans). The only thing in Vegas is they wont let you carry your equipment through the loading dock to your booth.... no problem, they load and unload for you and drive it to your booth for you... no problem, no efffort, no extra cost.

Good luck Gray and Co. for the Charlotte Show!!!

Gray - Good luck with your show and hope all goes well. Starting a new endevor is always somewhat of a struggle upfront. All the best.

Matt- Should have known. Just asked for the definition of a "DSC type person", and another SCI bashing pops up. I am going to attend DSC this year and just wanted to know if there was something special I needed to do to fit in? If you need help plugging in the cords at your booth, just let me know.

Larry Sellers

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Larry,

You know I have never been to any of these shows.

But my impression is that at DSC people seem to be typical Texans.

Very friendly, very helpful, and very welcoming.

SCI, on the other hand, seems to be full of the "look at me" crowd.

You know, those who are more concerned about their own false self importance and their "belonging" to some silly circle

Did I get that right?

If not, someone please correct me

Yes, sir! I think you are right on target!
We Texicans are Very Friendly, Very Helpful and Very Welcoming as you well know from living here!

I saw the post about a show and just had to stop by to see the tirade against SCI and I wasn't disappointed - way to go Saeed.

I was at the show in Concord last year, basically to visit with Mark De Wet and receive a great bottle of wine from Matt. Basically it took my son and I about 1/2 hr to tour the whole show. As BigBear said we met and had good fellowship. Don't know if we will make the show next year or not. Best of luck to Gray and co. it is always good to have a show to spend a day or so with like minded people.

quote:

Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter:
I saw the post about a show and just had to stop by to see the tirade against SCI and I wasn't disappointed - way to go Saeed.

I was at the show in Concord last year, basically to visit with Mark De Wet and receive a great bottle of wine from Matt. Basically it took my son and I about 1/2 hr to tour the whole show. As BigBear said we met and had good fellowship. Don't know if we will make the show next year or not. Best of luck to Gray and co. it is always good to have a show to spend a day or so with like minded people.

Glad to be of service Ed

Larry, in order to explain what I meant about DSC type of people.

First, I met the Thorntons, Kelly if I remember and talked a lot about the charlotte show last year as I am now a local. I was impressed with their openness and friendliness as if they were not Texans, they sure acted like it. I understood they were also some of the key people behind DSC but I may be wrong on that point. What I did like about the show was that it was relatively inexpensive, lots of time to talk, etc. I felt it could grow.


I am not an SCI basher and have been numerous times to both SCI and to DSC. I have to agree in general SCI seems to strongly cater to the awards, etc. (this is a leadership direction I think and not a membership direction) and DSC does not. Both promote hunting and conservation and thus I am for both but I like the slant of DSC much better. I think if you did the math on SCI and who participates in awards as a % of the overall membership it would be a very small %. I agree with Brett that the magazine has become a disaster and to have an entire issue devoted to awards when a small % actually participate is not a good use of resources or funds. So, this lenghty writeup is why I thought the Charlotte show was much more like DSC.

Now for me, I do not see the value of Raleigh over Charlotte as I am from the Carolinas and see where I think the long term growth would be. I am concerned that it will now be connected with an SCI banquet which I think will shift its focus. It will become sort of like the Houston SCI event which is not that bad but it is not a DSC. I really doubt there will be 500+ people at this dinner. I am still all for a Carolinas show and will probably attend one day but not every day like I did last year. I assume many people from Charlotte (by the way, in the center of the state) will do the same. I also do not agree with the posters that said no one sold many hunts. It takes time to build a client base and the first year will not do it. I met a couple of guys I may hunt with in the future, Jofie Lamprect and also Mark DeWet. Did I book, no, but I met both and liked them. That is what the shows are partially about. I doubt the attendance will be as well in Raleigh but I may be wrong and frankly hope I am wrong. I would like to see a strong show here.

I was mostly writing this post to see if I read the marketing correct which from this and Kellys correspondence to me, I see that I have. I would encourge any AR guys/gals to attend anyway. I just cannot host anyone as I would have.

Larry

DOJ

Come back to Harrisburg this year!

The NRA operated Great American Outdoor Show Is Feb 1 - 9, 2014!

Stop by and visit Jimbah Safaris at Booth 5103 !

Les

Just met Gray an Kelly at the PHASA AGM that is still ongoing.They are both fantastic people. They are very involved in Conservation both in Africa an the US.

Kelly impressed the hell out of me today at the PHASA Krieghoff shoot when she competed in the big 5 shoot . She shot 2 volleys at two seperate targets ,with a 470 double ,Did great .
Im sure this will be a well organized show by great people

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
the truth often hurts- but it is still the truth! for 10 years i helped a friend transport his booth to the Reno/Las Vegas show and set it up. 2 years of attendance at DSC showed me a difference. when you have to pay a union electrician to plug in a 110v extension cord and run it to your booth( and you furnish the cord) for $75- well, maybe you get the picture- or maybe not….

Heard all that BS before - never seen it myself. Just go and plug it in and no one cares... DSC is no different in that regard, just the same.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

Bloody hell!

You have to PAY someone to plug your extension cord??

Nope - never...

But hey - don't let the facts get in the way of your comedy festival!!

sorry if you don't like the truth, Matt, but i was there and witnessed the whole thing. i ran a 50' extension cord from our booth to the nearest wall outlet. as i was about to plug it in, a Freeman's guy came up and said the connection had to be be checked and completed by a "certified" electrician- who he then whistled up. the flunkey came up, checked the cord and plugged it in. my friend was billed $75. first hand account….

I live in Eastern North Caroina. I went to the Charlotte show with my family last year. We enjoyed it very much. We booked a spring break hunt with Stephen Barber of Xomaqua Safaris in the Limpopo province. We had a blast. We will go to this expo in Raleigh and look forward to meeting any other AR members there.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

sorry if you don't like the truth, Matt, but i was there and witnessed the whole thing. i ran a 50' extension cord from our booth to the nearest wall outlet. as i was about to plug it in, a Freeman's guy came up and said the connection had to be be checked and completed by a "certified" electrician- who he then whistled up. the flunkey came up, checked the cord and plugged it in. my friend was billed $75. first hand account….

So you guys got mugged but some random guy?? Least you got a receipt for it!!

I guess I have just never been a victim, or something?