Time Well Spent Group has acquired the British Shooting Show, bringing one of the UK gun trade’s most established events under the ownership of a business already deeply embedded in shooting media and trade engagement.
The move places the NEC-based show at the centre of a wider platform spanning print, digital, social and video channels, with the Group promising continuity for 2026 and a longer-term plan to develop the event in step with the needs of the modern shooting market.
Speaking to Gun Trade Insider, Simon Barr, CEO of Time Well Spent Group, said the acquisition was driven by a sense of responsibility to the wider sector and a belief that the event can be strengthened through closer alignment with media and year-round engagement.
“What excited Selena and I most was the opportunity to take custodianship of something that genuinely matters to the British gun trade, with so many obvious synergies with our existing businesses,” he said.
“The British Shooting Show has long been a focal point for our sector and a place where retailers, manufacturers, distributors, governing bodies and shooters of all disciplines come together under one roof,” he said. “Bringing it into the Time Well Spent Group allows us to protect that role and strengthen it.”
“As a council member of the Gun Trade Association and having worked in the trade for 20 years, I care deeply about the long-term health, reputation and sustainability of the UK gun trade and all shooting sports in the UK,” he said. “This acquisition isn’t about scale for the sake of it, it’s about alignment.”
CONTINUITY AND COLLABORATION IN 2026
Barr emphasised that the 2026 British Shooting Show will prioritise stability, with the Group taking time to understand the event’s existing strengths before implementing changes.
“For us, 2026 is very much a year of listening and learning,” he said. “It’s about continuity and respect, ensuring a smooth transition, supporting the trade and taking the time to properly understand what already works well before making any changes.”
“It’s important to recognise that John and Annie have done an exceptional job in building the show to its current position,” Barr said. “Our role now is to build upon this, collaborate closely with the trade and ensure the British Shooting Show continues to grow in a way that benefits everyone involved, exhibitors and visitors alike.”
Looking beyond 2026, Barr said the Group’s first year behind the scenes will help shape the longer-term development of the event from 2027 onwards. “Being behind the scenes for the first time will allow us to gather insight, feedback and ideas that will inform how we develop the event from 2027 onwards,” he said.
“Our ambition is to expand upon the largest and most representative showcase of all shooting disciplines ever assembled in the UK, whilst ensuring quality, professionalism and value remain at the heart of everything we do.”
EXHIBITORS OFFERED A YEAR-ROUND PLATFORM
“The biggest change is that exhibitors are no longer buying into just three days, they’re buying into a year-round platform,” Barr said.
“Through our media titles, digital channels, newsletters, social reach and video platforms, we can now help brands extend their presence before, during and long after the doors close at the NEC,” he said. “That means better storytelling, more intelligent targeting and measurable value that goes far beyond footfall alone.”
“This is where the real opportunity sits,” he said. “As a group, we already work with brands every day across print, digital, video and now events. The show becomes the physical anchor point around which that activity can be planned.”
“Product launches, brand awareness, education, dealer support and more can be built into structured, year-round campaigns rather than conversations over a single weekend,” he said.
Barr added that part of the Group’s role will be to help exhibitors approach the show more strategically, ensuring their investment delivers greater value across the year.
REFINING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Barr also signalled that improvements to the visitor experience are planned, but stressed these will be delivered carefully, without undermining what has made the event successful.
He said the focus will be on refinement and delivering small upgrades that have a meaningful impact, rather than dramatic change.
“Small improvements done well can have a big impact,” Barr said. “Our aim is not to reinvent the show, but to refine it, ensuring that whether someone is attending for the first time or the seventeenth, it feels welcoming, professional and worth their time and ticket price.”
A LONG-TERM VISION ROOTED IN TRUST AND UNITY
“Selena and my long-term vision is simple: the British Shooting Show should be the most trusted, most representative and most valuable shooting event in the UK,” he said. “It should support the trade through good times and challenging ones alike, act as a point of unity for a sometimes fragmented sector and reflect the professionalism and responsibility that already exists within our community but is too rarely recognised from the outside.”
“For visitors, I want the show to be somewhere they look forward to all year, the best place to discover new products, learn new skills and feel part of a bigger community,” he said.
Barr said success would ultimately be measured by the show’s enduring importance to the trade and its continued ability to attract and retain customers, with the event remaining a date that businesses plan around and invest in, and a must-attend fixture on the calendar.
“If in ten years’ time the show continues to be seen as a cornerstone of the UK shooting sector, something businesses plan around, rely upon and are proud of, plus somewhere shooters genuinely want to be, then we will have done our job properly,” he said.