The NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits: Bigger and Better By the Year
Year after year, the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits delivers an exception experience for great patriots across the nation. The event rotates locations each year and has taken place in cities including Charlotte, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Reno and St. Louis. This year's event marks a return to Louisville.
Not only have the Annual Meetings grown in scope annually, the attendance has grown right along with it. In 2005, nearly 60,000 NRA members, their families and friends converged on the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. A decade later, in 2015, almost 80,000 people packed into Nashville for the yearly celebration of freedom.
Relive more than a decade's worth of memorable NRA Annual Meeting experiences. Click on each header in the summaries below for a complete wrap-up from that year's event.
The music went beyond the streets in Nashville, Tenn., in April as thousands of National Rifle Association members inside Music City Center were following the drumbeat of a cherished American freedom. The message was simple: Responsible gun owners don't want more government limitations on our right to bear arms.
The 2014 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibitis officially opened as NRA President Jim Porter welcomed the crowd, ready for three days of family fun and celebrating, with these words, "Nine acres of guns and gear ... are you ready?"
Over the past several months, our Second Amendment rights have been threatened like never before. In response, NRA members from across the nation poured into the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, for the 142nd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits.
Famous for its pivotal role in the Westward Expansion of the United States, St. Louis more recently served as the Gateway to Freedom when tens of thousands of liberty-loving Americans gathered within sight of its majestic arch April 12-15, for the 141st NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits.
More than 71,000 NRA members flooded downtown Pittsburgh, Pa., for the 140th NRA Annual Meetings, held April 28 to May 1. Sponsored by MidwayUSA, this enormously popular event transcends the boundaries of a regular gun show or meeting of members and nowhere was this more evident.
Glenn Beck Thrills The Crowd At NRA's Annual Meetings
As Wayne LaPierre said in his introduction, gun owners couldn't have a better friend in the media than Glenn Beck. And you could tell from the roar of the crowd that everyone there at the Time Warner Cable Arena felt exactly the same way. Glenn took the stage to a standing ovation with an opening cry of, "Hello, gun nuts!"
Record-Breaking Attendance At NRA's 2009 Celebration Of American Values Weekend
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre has to be one of the select few in history who have hosted a dinner for more than 6,000 of his "closest friends." But that's exactly what happened at the Celebration of American Values Banquet in Phoenix, Arizona—the largest sit-down meal ever held in the state.
With the upcoming elections on everyone's mind, it's a small wonder that the 137th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits drew a record-smashing crowd of 66,229. Held in Louisville, Ky., from May 16-18, this year's theme was "NRA Celebration of American Values."
The resounding turnout at this year's Meetings in St. Louis, April 13-15, leaves no room for doubt, as a throng of more than 64,000 from across the country established a new record attendance. Clearly, the American people trust the NRA because it embodies their values and interests.
Everyone who attends the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits is touched by the experience and that surely includes all 54,335 NRA members, family and friends who journeyed to Milwaukee, May 19-21, for the 135th reprise of NRA's signature event.
Just as NRA brings out legions of voters who make freedom ring at the polls, unprecedented crowds flock to the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits. On the heels of last year's record turnout, nearly 60,000 NRA members, their families and friends converged on the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, April 15-17.
"The President and I welcome your support," concluded Cheney, "and I am confident that six and a half months from now, the American people will choose the confident, steady, principled leadership of President Bush." The crowd responded with an ovation.
See You In Louisville!
If you live outside the Louisville area and are planning to attend the show, make sure you book early as rooms fill up fast! We're happy to be able to offer our members special low hotel rates, easy reservation booking and superior customer service. You can also save time when you arrive by pre-registering and having your badges shipped directly to you for free.
Upgrade Your Experience
Enjoy a VIP experience at the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Dallas with exclusive Co-Chair packages - featuring benefits such as VIP Seating, invites to private events, access to the NRA Ring of Freedom Hospitality Suite, and much more.