DALLAS (Jan. 9, 2012)--The Dallas Safari Club (DSC) wrapped up its annual convention and expo--the first major hunting show of the year in the U.S.--on Sunday with new watermarks for event size, attendance and fundraising. The event also generated brisk sales for many exhibitors.

Always the first Thursday-thru-Sunday in January, DSC's 2012 show was Jan. 5-8 at the Dallas Convention Center.

"Based on day-pass sales, it looks like attendance will be up nearly 20 percent from last year. Our preliminary estimate is 38,000, which is well above our final count of 32,000 in 2011," said Ben Carter, DSC executive director.

Carter added that the show's exhibition area grew by 25 percent over last year. With 338,000 square feet in 2011, and 425,000 square feet in 2012, DSC added approximately 1-1/2 football fields' worth of space to this year's show, shattering old records.

The entire event was held as a conservation fundraiser. Gate admission and exhibit revenues will be combined with proceeds from DSC's biggest-ever auctions and raffles, plus new membership and logoed apparel sales. When the final numbers are in, Carter expects to net an all-time high sum to support DSC's habitat and wildlife initiatives, youth education and hunter advocacy programs in 2012. Grants for initiatives worldwide will be awarded later this year.

"This is another example of the hunting industry and hunters themselves giving back to wildlife, wild places and the outdoors overall," said Carter. "That's a source of pride for everyone at our show, especially the DSC volunteers who work so hard to make this event a success not just for our organization and its mission, but for everyone who attends."

The strong event traffic kept many exhibitors, especially outfitters, busy.

"This was the best show we've ever had," said Marina Lamprecht of Hunters Namibia Safaris. "In the two years previous, hunters were cautious. They would visit our booth, ask lots of questions, take our materials, think about it, email us later and then maybe book a trip. But this year was completely different. Hunters have enthusiasm and spontaneity in their buying. We took in more deposits and booked more hunts than ever. It's going to be an amazing year."

She added, "And Africans who are serious about conservation are saluting DSC because of the work they're doing in our country and around the world."

Erwin Katze of Thormahlen & Cochran Safaris said, "We had an excellent show when traffic picked up after the first day. We were so busy on Saturday that we were unable to keep up with tidying and organizing our booth, but still we booked several big safaris. In fact, our hunt calendar is almost full now, just from this one show!"

Hans Vermaak of Coenraad Vermaak Safaris said, "Each year, this is the best show we do. The atmosphere here, the show management, the volunteers of DSC and the way they look after us as exhibitors, sets this show apart from the rest by 10,000 miles. And our sales this year were similar to last year, which means I'm very happy."

Kwezi Rann of Rann Safaris and 777 Ranch said, "Our hunt sales in 2011 were very good, and this year's show was slightly better. We booked seven elephant hunts last year, and this year we booked 10. We also booked three lion hunts, along with a number of other safaris, so we've done very well."

Andrew Dawson of Chifuti Safaris said, "We've had an even better show than last year from a sales point of view. Traffic picked up after the first day and we booked several lion and elephant hunts."

Dick Murray of Murray Custom Leather, a retailer specializing in high-end leather holsters, scabbards, slings, belts and more, said, "We've had a good show. Very good. Our sales are a little ahead of last year and traffic at our booth was similar or a little better than 2011."

DSC Convention Highlights

• $110,000--Amount raised especially for the youth education programs of the Dallas Ecological Foundation, a nonprofit charitable foundation affiliated with DSC, which focuses on the popular Outdoor Adventures program and other youth education initiatives.
• $100,000--Price paid at auction for a whitetail hunt with military heroes Marcus Luttrell of SEAL Team 10 and fighter pilot Scott O'Grady.
• $10,000--Amount of check presented from DSC to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as a token of help for shortfalls caused by extreme drought and wildfires in 2011.
• 400--Area high-school students who toured the DSC expo hall to learn about conservation, wildlife and hunting via the first annual Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience, sponsored by MidwayUSA.
• 6--Members of the USA Shooting Team, all Olympic hopefuls, in attendance to help with DSC auctions and other fundraising events.
• 1--The DSC convention and expo was the first stop on the 2012 world tour of Spirit of Uganda, a music and dance spectacular that brings to life the sounds of movements of East Africa.

DSC Convention Stats

• 425,000--Square feet of exhibit space (new record)
• 38,000--Total attendance (estimate, pending new record)
• 1,401--Show exhibits (new record)
• 605--New DSC members enrolled (new record)

DSC Convention Awards:

• Award of Excellence--Karen Wolfe and Christine Bond
• Colin Caruthers Young Hunter Award--Jess Alford IV and Zachary Wade
• Conklin Award--Kenneth L. Barr
• Educator of the Year--Dan Mannering
• Outfitter of the Year Award--Stormburg Elangeni Safaris
• Outstanding Hunting Achievement Award--Russ Young
• Peter Hathaway Capstick Hunting Heritage Award--Christiane Underberg
• DSC Literary Award--R. Bruce Moon

DSC Convention Notable Attendees

• Sen. John Astle, Maryland
• Beretta owner and CEO Ugo Beretta
• Author Craig Boddington
• Gen. Walter Boomer
• NASCAR legend Richard Childress
• Outdoor TV personality Chris Dorsey
• Astronaut Gen. Charles Duke
• SEAL Team 10 member Marcus Luttrell
• Conservationist Shane Mahoney
• Actor Gerald McRaney
• U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Scott O'Grady
• Businessman and philanthropist T. Boone Pickens
• MidwayUSA founder Larry Potterfield
• Congressman Pete Sessions, Texas
• Outdoor TV personality Jim Shockey
• Author Wayne van Zwoll
• Outdoor TV personality Larry Weishuhn
• Gen. Chuck Yeager

Sponsors for the 2012 DSC convention and expo included MidwayUSA, Orion Versus, Sports Afield, Trijicon, Lone Star Conversions, Hunting Consortium, Hornady, Tanzania Adventures, Bad Boy Buggies, Yamaha Motors, Capital Farm Credit, The Wildlife Gallery, Ruger, Blaser, Cabela's, Sovereign Bank and RBC Wealth.


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 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.