Over the past three or four weeks I've been asked more than a few times "how did the DSC convention do?". I wanted to wait until the show season had calmed down a bit before I answered, so here it is:
Our attendance was up a very small number, almost 51,000 people attended, up slightly from 49,000+ in 2015.
Total revenue was around $7,000,000, most auction items sold very well.
A grants committee meeting is scheduled and I feel certain we will grant in excess of $1,000,000 again this year. We have grant applications from many deserving groups, but can always use more applications.
The show is not going to grow any further in square footage, the footprint you saw this year will pretty much be the footprint next year (having said that, we will probably "slide" some of the booths down in the upstairs area to give a bit more room to move in and out).
We still have a "waiting list" of many, many potential exhibitors, most of which are outfitters of one sort or the other.
This years convention has been over for less than two months and groups of dedicated volunteers are already working on ways to make the next show better than the last.
The new "open carry" law in Texas will likely cause some reform or rewriting of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission rules, so that might work to our benefit.
To those of you that exhibited or attended, you have my heartfelt thanks. You and our volunteers are what make our show one of the best in the world.

Karl,
Keep up the great work. Your show is top notch and I will keep on supporting it. I have bought hunts there and have bought merchandise as well.

YOur volunteers are super.

Thanks for the hard work!

Thank you Sir.

(Guess this is in bad form---but :

It would be nice if SCI would this quickly release such data.)

Thank you and all DSC for all the hard work Karl.

As dogcart said above, I too will continue to support DSC and the related events.

While I think the attendance growth is great, that is not nearly the only measure of hunters, of sportsman, or of DSC.

Thank you for your update too.

Well done Karl and DSC!

Yes! Well done DSC has a bunch of great people!


.

Do you have any idea when they will start taking reservations at the Omni?? Always looking to next year!!!

Congratulations great work Karl

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:
Thank you Sir.

(Guess this is in bad form---but :

It would be nice if SCI would this quickly release such data.)

You cannot compare chalk and cheese

One has volunteers to help their exhibitors.

The other has the union to screw their exhibitors!

Birds of a feather flock together

Thank you Karl, for all what you and DSC is doing in our name.

Karl:

Great work. In the next couple of months I want to talk to you about how we give some protection to the guys who lose their lives in the pursuit of anti-poaching.

I've got ideas. I've got some connections with the insurance companies -- no promises. This isn't a great money-making opportunity for them at first blush. I have ideas as to how it might be.

I want input from you and everyone who is engaged in anti-poaching. Michel, Buzz, the Duckworths, Andrew, spring to mind. There are others out there, please don't take offense that I didn't list you. Please respond.

What I'd like to hear is how many people you have in anti-poaching, how may months of the year. And, what the insurance companies are going to want to know is your "losses" in the last five years.

What I'm looking to build if I can is a $2,500-5,000 death benefit for those who die in the pursuit of anti-poaching. It would have to be a group deal with a lot of you who operate anti-poaching operations.

It would have to be a surcharge on every safari to fund it. I'd pay it. I think most people would. It's not much, but a whole lot to a family that just lost a breadwinner.

I welcome thoughts, suggestions, etc. I think Ivan and Craig could get behind this.

I'm not proud. I'll accept help from any quarter.

lava,
Thats an excellent initiative, it will much appreciated those involved and give the families that extra security.
Many thanks

Fantastic show Karl, we are very happy and proud to exhibit at Dallas Safari Club,"The Greatest Hunting Show on Earth."

Thank-you.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Karl:

Great work. In the next couple of months I want to talk to you about how we give some protection to the guys who lose their lives in the pursuit of anti-poaching.

I've got ideas. I've got some connections with the insurance companies -- no promises. This isn't a great money-making opportunity for them at first blush. I have ideas as to how it might be.

I want input from you and everyone who is engaged in anti-poaching. Michel, Buzz, the Duckworths, Andrew, spring to mind. There are others out there, please don't take offense that I didn't list you. Please respond.

What I'd like to hear is how many people you have in anti-poaching, how may months of the year. And, what the insurance companies are going to want to know is your "losses" in the last five years.

What I'm looking to build if I can is a $2,500-5,000 death benefit for those who die in the pursuit of anti-poaching. It would have to be a group deal with a lot of you who operate anti-poaching operations.

It would have to be a surcharge on every safari to fund it. I'd pay it. I think most people would. It's not much, but a whole lot to a family that just lost a breadwinner.

I welcome thoughts, suggestions, etc. I think Ivan and Craig could get behind this.

I'm not proud. I'll accept help from any quarter.

Both DSC & SCI have foundations set up for this very thing. DSC's is called the Frontline Foundation. I do not recall what SCI's is called.

For whatever it is worth, there are 3 posters here (myself included) who set up the African Professional Hunters Relief Fund. We funded the startup out of our pockets. We abandoned it when the Frontline Foundation was formed. They were in a better position to raise money than we were.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Karl:

Great work. In the next couple of months I want to talk to you about how we give some protection to the guys who lose their lives in the pursuit of anti-poaching.

I've got ideas. I've got some connections with the insurance companies -- no promises. This isn't a great money-making opportunity for them at first blush. I have ideas as to how it might be.

I want input from you and everyone who is engaged in anti-poaching. Michel, Buzz, the Duckworths, Andrew, spring to mind. There are others out there, please don't take offense that I didn't list you. Please respond.

What I'd like to hear is how many people you have in anti-poaching, how may months of the year. And, what the insurance companies are going to want to know is your "losses" in the last five years.

What I'm looking to build if I can is a $2,500-5,000 death benefit for those who die in the pursuit of anti-poaching. It would have to be a group deal with a lot of you who operate anti-poaching operations.

It would have to be a surcharge on every safari to fund it. I'd pay it. I think most people would. It's not much, but a whole lot to a family that just lost a breadwinner.

I welcome thoughts, suggestions, etc. I think Ivan and Craig could get behind this.

I'm not proud. I'll accept help from any quarter.

Both DSC & SCI have foundations set up for this very thing. DSC's is called the Frontline Foundation. I do not recall what SCI's is called.

For whatever it is worth, there are 3 posters here (myself included) who set up the African Professional Hunters Relief Fund. We funded the startup out of our pockets. We abandoned it when the Frontline Foundation was formed. They were in a better position to raise money than we were.

Larry,

We all appreciate what you and other members wanted to do.

And I think you have made the right decision to let DSC Frontline Foundation deal with this sort of thing.

I know a number of AR members who have supported affected members of our community.

lavaca: I would be happy to discuss this with you, but I , too, believe the Frontline Foundation is better suited to do this sort of thing.The Frontline Foundation is working on expanding the number and types of individuals we can help.
The cape buffalo hunt raffle we before and during our convention, with all proceeds going to the Frontline Foundation, was a huge success and quite a few people bought tickets and also made donations to the foundation.
Thanks to the generosity of hunters (worldwide, I might add and including those that might need it the most) the Frontline Foundation is in really good shape (but donations are always welcome)and is ready to assist where needed.
lavaca, I will send my contact info via pm.