A.G. Gun Show Releases New Show Dates For The South

Sept 7th & 8th, EveryDay Preppers had the opportunity to sit down with A.G. Gun Show owner Anthony Giordano during his recent trip to Mobile, Alabama where he visited the ABBA Shrine Events gun show to hunt for vendors for his upcoming shows. Giordano was passing out the new schedule while discussing the new dates for his shows; where some had changed and some were recently booked new show dates. He was also unaware of Valley Productions cancelling their Muscle Shoals Show; which could really help his show in the same area this Fall.

We met Giordano last year as a vendor during the CASC Gun & Knife show up in Huntsville when he was a knife vendor and things have definitely changed in his life. He is now a full out Gun Show Promoter doing shows in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky.

He also wanted to discuss a brand new show coming this December to the Columbia, Alabama area. In the month of December, shows are hard to fine as most promoters stop after the first week of December and it is almost impossible to find a show with people hold on to their money for Christmas. Giordano decided to schedule a show on December 28th which could be Good or it could be Bad. Some people believe: if I didn’t get what I wanted for Christmas, I will go out and get it with my Christmas Money while other say: I don’t have any money I maxed out my Credit Card over the holidays; so it is a toss up. Never the less, Giordano could be the only show around other than GEM Capital, who is Giordano’s mentor over in Georgia who also puts on a show that same weekend at the Atlanta Farmers Market. Mississippi all but shuts down until February and Alabama's other promoters will not be back until first or second week of January. Giordano did say he was going to bring back the Bessemer, Alabama Show January 11th to the Bessemer Civic Center. At one time under a different promotion this used to be a hugely popular show but moved to the Hoover Met after issues of break-in’s in the area. At one show in Bessemer years ago, 34 vehicles got broken into in one weekend thus forcing the promoter to move his show. Giordana feels this was years ago and he will not have that issue today. Several years passed now and Giordano came in to Bessemer and did one show with little success not due to break-in's but a Tornado came thru the area the same weekend as his show, spectators left and never came back. Can Giordano get the crowds to come back to Bessemer? Only time will tell and he is willing and banking he can make this show viable. With the decline in spectators attending the BJCC Show in downtown Birmingham due to what many blame the highway construction, maybe Giordano has a shot. I will say, vendors are gun shy over the Bessemer show and Giordano will have to make some major concessions for the first couple of shows just to get vendors there for the first two shows as the last show vendors took major losses. Safety of the Vendors and their vehicles and property is a major concern as well as proper advertising is the main points for the show vendors for any show. Giordano is a young man with a great outlook on where he wants to go. As long as he respect the other long time promoters in the area, I think he can be successful as a promoter. Working together and not over working an area like many feel Jackson, Mississippi is being done at this time with three promoters doing show almost every month; two promoters in the same building doing shows weeks apart does not show a case of urgency on the minds of buyers minds and hurts the vendors. While it doesn’t matter to some promoters as they still get their money from Vendors for tables cost; sometimes in access for $65-$85 / table plus door cover, vendors have to re-coop the cost in sales and last weekend was a great example for many as some didn’t even cover the table cost at shows throughout the South. One promoter here in the South sabotaged his own show by hosting an auction during the last two/ three hours of the show which on-paper sounded great but was horrible for the vendors as NO ONE shopped the vendor tables as everyone was focused on the Stage and the Auction and not on the vendors and shopping. It may have brought people in the building but it really got more attention from other vendors buying guns keeping them out of the hands from the buyers. If you are going to have an auction, vendors should not be allowed to participate in the auction as it made some buyers mad and they felt it was a trick to get them in the door. Giordano wanted to know our thoughts on the auction and we discussed this too and he understood out thought on this too. Kind of a Catch 22 as you cannot make everyone happy but most importantly you have to keep your vendors happy or they will not come back as was the case last weekend with another show when 1/3rd +/- of the shows vendors didn’t even show up for the show; proving you cannot have a show without vendors. We had a great talk and Giodano was on his way to talk too other vendors in the Mobile arena. We do plan to book one or two shows with Giodano this Fall, but in the mean time here are the shows he provided too EveryDay Preppers for us to share with you. Shown below are the dates for A.G. Show Sept 28-29, Anniston, AL Oct 5th-6th, Ft. Oglethorpe, GA Oct 12th-13th, Ozark, AL Nov 9th-10, Ft. Payne, AL

Nov 16th-17th, Gadsden, AL Nov 30th-Dec 1st, Cookville, Tn Dec 7th-8th Muscle Shoals, AL Dec 14th-15th, Bowling Green, KY Dec 28th-29th, Columbia, AL

Jan 11th-12th, Bessemer, AL

Remember, many vendors work these shows as their only means of monthly income and without a successful show they cannot pay their own bills. Show only happen when you have vendors to attend, take care of your vendors and they will take care of you. Stay Vigilant - Stay Strong Stay Prepared