The prestigious Weatherby Award presentation is the latest addition to an annual event that Dallas Safari Club (DSC) and its partners are building as “the greatest hunting and outdoor convention in the country.”
Sponsored by MidwayUSA, the annual DSC convention and expo will be Jan. 3-6, 2013, at the Dallas Convention Center and Omni Hotel Dallas.
The public-welcome celebration of hunting and conservation has seen rapid growth recently in event size and attendance. In 2012, more than 40,000 people cruised the aisles and purchased hunts, gear and art from exhibitors offering nearly nine football fields’ worth of attractions. Together with auctions and other fundraising, the event generated a record $1 million-plus for grants to support conservation, education and hunter advocacy efforts worldwide.
“Our goal is to host the best show of its kind, not necessarily the biggest, and we’re developing new partnerships and enterprises to help us do that,” said DSC Executive Director Ben Carter. “Carefully adding new attractions. Creating an upbeat atmosphere. Offering ample choices of great adventures, products and services from around the world. All of this allows exhibitors and attendees alike to thoroughly enjoy the experience—while supporting a worthy cause.”
Recent additions to the DSC convention and expo:
Aug. 2012—Weatherby Foundation International announces a 10-year agreement to move its Weatherby Award presentation to Dallas in conjunction with the DSC convention and expo, beginning in 2014. Presentations of the esteemed Conklin Award, Capstick Award and others will remain part of the DSC event.
Jan. 2012—Boone and Crockett Club becomes the fifth organization to announce a “Preferred Conservation Partner” alliance with DSC. Others include the Professional Hunter’s Association of South Africa, Namibia Professional Hunters Association, Alaska Professional Hunters Association, and the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia. All five will have a presence at the DSC convention and expo.
Dec. 2011—Quail Coalition announces a new section to the DSC expo, called “Upland County,” to focus on upland bird hunting, conservation, gear, dog-training demonstrations and more.
Oct. 2011—As part of a new partnership between DSC and “The Hunting Report,” editor and publisher Barbara Crown announces she will begin attending the DSC convention and expo with her publication’s extensive database of outfitter critiques. Subscribers attending the convention can look up any hunt operator to see complaints and rebuttals from cases worldwide. Crown has been mediating disputes between dissatisfied hunters and outfitters for 14 years. She now presents DSC convention seminars on the most common causes of bad hunting experiences.
May 2011—The American Custom Gunmakers Guild announces that its annual exposition, with its public-welcome exhibits, seminars and member events, will co-locate with the annual DSC convention and expo in Dallas beginning in 2013.
About Dallas Safari Club (DSC)
Desert bighorns on an unbroken landscape, stalking Cape buffalo in heavy brush, students discovering conservation. DSC works to guarantee a future for all these and much more. An independent nonprofit organization since 1982, DSC has become an international leader in conserving wildlife and wilderness lands, educating youth and the general public, and promoting and protecting the rights and interests of hunters worldwide. Get involved at www.biggame.org.