February 16, 2008

Dear Gun Show Participants:

I have felt the need to explain the conflicts in this years show schedule between the McMann’s Roadrunner Show dates and the Crossroads show dates. I have spoken with many of you at shows recently and some of you may have only heard parts of the story, or you may be completely unaware of what is going on. When planning our 2008 show dates I first consulted the major show calendars, last years calendars and with other promoters. Then, just to be sure I would not run into Crossroads with any of the new Tucson Expo Center show dates I checked with the Arizona State Fairgrounds and The Pima County Fairgrounds themselves to find out what dates they (Crossroads) were considering for 2008 shows. None of the dates that they traditionally used or had requested as of my contract signings in September were the same weekends as the dates I have booked. It was not until after our last show at The Expo Center in December that Crossroads released a new schedule with a Pima County Fairgrounds show on the same weekend. (Their ad from the inside cover of the November/December Big Show Journal “updated 09/18/07” clearly states in their own words “spring dates pending”) Is this intentional? Of course, it is. Did they purposely not tell exhibitors about the conflict at their January show to re-book their tables? Of course, they did.

Some people think that I should change our date because I am the “smaller” promoter, which is exactly why I cannot change the date. First off, the main reason I plan my schedule so far ahead is because just like many of you, I am a vendor also. Aside from McMann’s Roadrunner, I rent space at other types of shows and travel around, just like you, unpacking and repacking my merchandise, driving back and forth and trying to make a living. You may have noticed that McMann’s Roadrunner does not rake in a million dollars per show charging vendors $90 per table and charging the public over $20 to park and to get into the shows. That way they still have money left to buy merchandise when they get inside and the promoter is not the only one making money. I already have the majority of my 2009 dates booked because I have several other things scheduled around these dates. I am on an NRA committee, we attend the Annual NRA Meetings every year, and I have money paid out for entry fees, booth rental, motel rooms, and so forth. Besides, I did everything correctly, I planned ahead, I made sure the weekends were clear, and then I scheduled shows.

There is also a second conflict they created in September with the Tucson Convention Center show which my family has held on the same weekend for over 15 years. The TCC show is always the second weekend after Labor Day, the Crossroads Phoenix fairgrounds show is always the weekend after Labor Day.

Folks, I believe the only way to stop them is to not let them get away with it. Tyranny is not civilized business tactics and that is what they are doing. They tried to rent the facilities where we hold our shows out from underneath us and were turned away, so, they figure they will just destroy us. We need your support at these shows; please let us know if you will be at these shows as soon as possible so that we can plan accordingly. Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Lori McMann

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” –Edmund Burke