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I think it is interesting that the survey I was asked to complete didn't ask anything about spouses' attendance, member or otherwise. I'm not married, but does that mean that the rule doesn't apply to husbands of SCI members? Interesting. | |||
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Jorge, For you, the Convention is a means to an end--book a hunt, the reason most attend. I also enjoy the entertainment aspect of the larger show. My gunmaker will share a booth with Dressel(stock maker)at the guild show, so it will give me the opportunity to chat face to face. We also drive over to Tahoe for a couple days of skiing. To me it's more than just booking a hunt, sort of a mini vacation. The airfare is never a consideration as we accumulate a boat load of SkyMiles each year. I consider both shows enjoyable. I'll have to admit, it was fun at Dallas this year, finally getting to put names with faces. Bob | |||
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We have been a 10 years exhibitor at SCI & DSC conventions and I can tell you the difference between the two is night and day. DSC is friendly and helpful: SCI is arrogant, dismissive and gouging. These new SCI membership rules are nothing more than one more way for SCI to (a) squeeze money out of exhibitors & attendees and (b) make SCI puff them selves up even bigger than they already are not. More on SCI puffery later. Most of the discussions on this panel have centered on attendees and their opinions and concerns. However, whatever SCI can do to attendees to raid their wallets applies with a factor of 5 to exhibitors. This has lead to exhibitors pushing prices through the roof to cover the sky-high costs that they face at this event. This is not benefiting hunting what so ever, hunting is expensive enough without this sort of price pressures. SCI has done a masterful job of bring high rollers into their convention, I give them that much. But SCI has never been able to shake the legacy of its expedient, snake-oil artist founder and his attitude is pervasive even today in Tucson where they think they walk on water. Exhibitors are deadly afraid to voice their opinions to any SCI official because of the known vindictiveness of their (convention) staff. But listen carefully when you walk the isles, and catch an exhibitor in a casual mood and see what they say about the SCI convention. About 3 out of 5 hate SCI and their bedside manners with a vengeance. Fortunately for them DSC is not willing to take their show to the next level and compete head to head in say Las Vegas or Reno with SCI. If they did they would push SCI off their perch in three years and us industry insiders will say good riddance. For years we have had to listen to SCI pronounce that they have ever-greater numbers of attendees at their conventions. This year the figure was reported variously but no less than “over 20,000â€. For those of us in the industry this is the joke of the year. In 2006 the SHOT show announced that it had an all time record attendance of 24,366 not counting 14,753 exhibitor personnel. Those that attend the SCI and SHOT shows have seen how big the SHOT show is: it fills up two giant halls in the Las Vegas convention center. The isles are packed with people. How SCI can claim “over 20,000†in the Reno convention center which is half the size of the two SHOT show halls and has isles way less packed with people is way beyond all of us, it is absolutely ridicules. Even if SCI counted every janitor, security guard, press pass holder and hotdog vendor (and I am sure they do, more than once!) you would be hard pressed to come up with 15,000 which probably translates into somewhat less than 9,000 paying attendees that are not actually working in some capacity at the show. The Arizona Daily Star (21 May 2006, section D) did a profile of the non-profit organizations based in Tucson. It was no surprise to any of us that 90% of SCI’s 2004 budget (4.4 million) went to overhead and salaries, 5% to fundraising, and 5% to grants & contributions. By far the worst record of any of the non-profits profiled. Compare that to the United Way that spends 70% of its budget on grants & contributions. In short 95 cents of every dollar you give to SCI goes towards perpetuating itself! You want to do something for hunting or guns belong to the DSC or NRA! | |||
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Sounds like government service (GS) employees. Talk about a self-licking ice cream cone! jorge USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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If it is true that SCI spends 95 cents of every dollar they bring in on overhead/salaries/etc that is disgusting. A good Not for Profit Org puts 80%+ of their income directly to their cause. Anyone have the numbers available for DSC? | |||
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DSC is looking better and better all the time. | |||
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And thank God SCI is perpetuating itself. SCI, as imperfect as it is, is pretty much the only international pro-hunting voice in the world. SCI is fighting, almost singlehandedly, against a huge, immensely powerful, growing and very well financed collection of anti-hunting NGO's that will stop at nothing; twist any facts, tell any lies and use the most insidious tactics to put an end to hunting the world over. It is their primary agenda. What is worse is that their efforts often result in habitat and wildlife destruction that is nothing short of criminal. Also, a clever accountant can make the most wasteful non-profit look like God's gift to the planet. It's all where you put the dollars. SCI's Executive Director and CFO each made a base salary of about $125,000.00 in '04, not at all an unreasonable amount in todays world. I don't know what the CEO of the WWF made, but I'd be willing to bet it was a lot more - and that's just one of hundreds of anti-hunting organisations. Also, a large number of people put in countless hours for free to help SCI protect our rights. Maybe SCI's pencil-pushers need to sharpen their pencils, but they're doing OK by me and I support them 100%. Check it out yourself; http://www.safariclub.org/docs/2004_Form%209%20sci.pdf S. | |||
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I was an SCI Member from 1997 to 2000. Attended the annual conventions twice. Both times in Reno. On a State Cops wages the Fees were IMHO excessive. Always felt my money was going to send some already well to do guy on a trip I would kill for. I like to hunt, would love to attend the Conventions occasionally but just too expensive for the commmon guy. Then again maybe thats the plan.....keep out the riff-raff I guess. FN in MT 'I'm tryin' to think, but nothin' happens"! Curly Howard Definitive Stooge | |||
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SCI is saying loud and clear that they are a elistist club. By making spouses join and basically pricing out the majority of hunters. I attended the FNAWS/MDF convention in Reno last year. It was a great show, and brought together two conservation groups and had very reasonable rates for the non members. If FNAWS and the Mule deer foundation can do it successfully in Reno, then why the hell cant SCI? Hunting is slowly becoming a old mans sport. Groups like SCI should be attempting to recruit the people who "hopefully" will be the new hunters, the people who will vote for their hunting rights and work for conservation groups, not make a shameless attempt to increase numbers by requiring spouses to join who obviously didn't want to, and price out those who could make a difference. JMO | |||
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Then why have you gone for 10 years? It wouldn't be because that's the only place you can sell your stuff is it? There is plenty of backlog for Convention Space. Why don't you just skip SCI and go to 'the less crowded aisles' of DSC? | |||
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