Priceless Knowledge - NSSF’s annual Marketing and Leadership Summit
News Briefs - September / October 2025
Running a successful business these days requires more than simple product savvy. Your executive team needs to understand the latest trends in marketing and customer engagement, and there’s no better way to acquire this priceless knowledge than attending NSSF’s annual Marketing and Leadership Summit. With thought-provoking education sessions, engaging roundtable discussions, and a dynamic community of leaders, this year’s Summit reaffirmed its position as the firearm industry’s premier event for marketers and executives.
From navigating evolving e-commerce and digital compliance to tackling sensitive issues like mental health and suicide prevention, the Summit sparked timely conversations that left lasting impressions on attendees and sponsors alike. Over the course of two days, attendees were able to gain access to a wide range subject experts eager to explain evolving market trends, how to engage with first-time shooters, and more.
One presentation from the 2025 event, for example, was titled “Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With!” Here, Customer Experience expert David Avrin outlined how much business has changed over the past few years. He noted that “How, when, and where we buy has changed dramatically in recent years. Winning in business today is often determined by those who can respond faster, simplify their process, and are more convenient for their customers and clients.” It’s a profound shift in customer expectations, one that affects the role of everyone on your team in eliminating friction in the buying process, responding to prospects and customers, and creating customer experiences worth sharing.
Other topics the seminar covered included Standing Out Above Your Competitors, Non-traditional Customers and How to Engage Them, Leveraging Industry Partnerships, and Industry Marketing Agency Viewpoints. There was also an industry roundtable focused on marketing trends to watch and challenges within the industry. Subjects covered included E-commerce, Data and Personalization, Advertising Tactics That Work, Text Marketing, Social Media Best Practices and Policies, Working with Influencers, and Everyday Automations and AI Use Cases.
“The NSSF Marketing and Leadership Summit is a can’t-miss event for our team each year,” says Tim Brandt, president and CEO of The Murray Road Agency. “The combination of keynote speakers, relevant topics, and quality of fellow attendees makes it very valuable for us. We use the event as a way to network, of course, but we also use it as an opportunity for learning and development as well.
“This year was again very impactful. We are leaving with a full list of action items and key takeaways to implement within our own business and day-to-day operations. We also have multiple follow-ups planned from meaningful conversations with current partners, fellow industry members, and possible new clients.”
Brandt’s commitment to the seminar is twofold—he was also a member of the Marketing Roundtable Sessions where he led the session on “Working with Influencers.”
Josh Lyal, Trijicon’s director of marketing, also found value in the summit. “We have attended the NSSF Marketing and Leadership Summit several times, and each time there has been a good balance of quality speakers and time for networking and sharing of ideas with peers from other companies. This year had a great lineup of speakers, but one of the most valuable sessions was the roundtable discussion with a speaker and a mix of attendees; the insights we gained from each other and the subject matter expert provided some immediate actions we could take to improve our marketing efforts.”
“We’re incredibly grateful to the NSSF for hosting such an outstanding summit,” said Michael Marotte, marketing director at Taurus Holdings, Inc. “The quality of the seminars is top notch, and the networking opportunities are invaluable. We continue to attend year after year because the caliber and engaged setting of this event consistently surpasses most of the other trade shows and industry gatherings for marketing and leadership professionals. It’s truly unmatched.”
Another executive who found the 2025 summit a valuable investment is Adam Ruonala, vice president of business development and marketing at Century Arms. “The NSSF Marketing and Leadership Summit is a very unique opportunity to connect with fellow industry leaders in an intimate setting that encourages genuine and productive conversation all while being educated on valuable trends and unique strategies from category specific experts. This event is invaluable to those who are looking to keep their foot on the gas!”
In all, attendees emphasized the summit’s unique value: not only for its intimate format and forward-thinking content but also for the authentic opportunities to connect and collaborate across all corners of the industry.
Indeed, according to Joe Bartozzi, President and CEO of NSSF, “the summit continues to be a space where current and future leaders of our industry sharpen their skills, expand their networks, and gain new perspectives. This year’s event was a powerful reminder of how much progress we can make when we come together with purpose.”
The 2026 NSSF Marketing and Leadership Summit will take place May 12-14, 2026, at Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.