The president of the United States, the vice president of the United States, a new NRA president, a record setting crowd, more firearms than anybody could possibly count, and plenty of Texas hospitality. On May 3–6, ten team members from Sonoran Desert Institute (SDI) travelled to Dallas, Texas, to represent the school and participate in the 2018 NRA Annual Meetings.
The 2018 NRA Annual Meetings marked the first time that a sitting United States president and vice president have both spoken at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum. (See their speeches here.) Previous attendance records were also broken, with NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch stating on Twitter, “New record attendance for #NRAAM: 87,154 law-abiding attendees over the three-day weekend in Dallas. #2A.” The NRA Annual Meetings also began with an invocation by retired Lt. Col. Oliver North, who, on Monday, May 9, was named the NRA’s new president.
The SDI team journeyed to the 2018 NRA Annual Meetings with a new trade show booth, games, prizes, and a jam-packed lineup of guests. The incredible lineup included Tim Harmsen of the Military Arms Channel, Hickok25 and Son, the We Like Shooting crew, 22Plinkster, Chris Barrett of Barrett® Firearms Manufacturing, WCW’s Eric Bischoff, and Taurus™ Firearms, who generously sponsored a handgun giveaway.
Helping with the consistent crowd at SDI’s booth, Hickok45 brought out a huge number of fans, the We Like Shooting cast put on a talent show, and a very large crowd gathered for a chance to meet WCW’s Eric Bischoff. SDI’s biggest celebrity of the weekend was its constantly clicking prize wheel, which gave the SDI team ample opportunities to chat with the public about the school as well as make sure they were loaded up with SDI gear.
SDI’s Jennifer McInnis had this to say, “This was far and away the best NRA Annual Meeting show that SDI has ever had. The booth was packed with people for four days and there was a lot of enthusiasm throughout the event.”
While SDI’s primary mission was to operate their trade show booth, the team also found time for several additional activities, such as attending a leadership board meeting which included firearms instructor Dan O’Kelly, shooting champion KC Eusebio, firearms trainer Rob Pincus, and shooting champion Jessie Harrison. SDI also held a student/industry mixer where students had the opportunity to network with each other as well as with industry professionals like Taurus Firearms and firearms instructor Dan O’Kelly. These activities were a resounding success with the leadership team in helping to decide the future of Sonoran Desert Institute, while the student/industry mixer was filled with food, fun, and smiling faces.
The 2018 NRA Annual Meetings represented an opportunity to spread the word about Sonoran Desert Institute’s accredited academic programs and to help the school continue its positive growth. The event was a success across the board and Sonoran Desert Institute looks forward to participating in it for years to come!
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