Swarovski Optik: backing the British Shooting Show from the very start
Adam Randall of Swarovski Optik UK on a partnership that goes back to the show's earliest years, the two launches that landed at the NEC in 2026, and the Mobile Experience unit coming in 2027
Swarovski Optik and Kahles side by side at the NEC, the first stop on the brand's show calendar
Swarovski Optik has been part of the British Shooting Show story from the very start. The Austrian optics manufacturer was among the earliest brands to commit to the event, and its faith in the show has been repaid many times over.
That commitment came when the show was in its infancy and in need of investment and support from brands, and the relationship has endured through every edition since.
Meeting the hunting community at the NEC
Adam Randall of Swarovski Optik UK joined the business in June 2025, bringing a long optics industry background with him. Many of the customers and retailers on the nature side of the business were already familiar faces – but the hunting community was newer territory, and the British Shooting Show sat at the heart of it.
“That side has been a case of meeting new faces, which is a really nice part of the role,” he says. “Building those relationships up has been one of the things I’ve enjoyed most – and the British Shooting Show this year was a fantastic opportunity to connect with the community.”
The 2026 show was Adam’s first, and it coincided with the event’s first outing under the ownership of Time Well Spent Group. “It’s an exciting time, coming in under new ownership,” he says. “There’s obviously plans to make it more of an experience. Having Vinnie Jones this year was really positive – speakers like that really pull people in. And spreading wider than just the shooting community into secondary topics – outdoors, nature, countryside, conservation – is a good way of getting people through the door. Combined with the strength of the Time Well Spent media portfolio, I’m sure the show can keep growing. The great thing about an event like this is that you can introduce these things year by year and still have something completely new every time. I think I’ve come in at a good time.”
A 15m x 9m stand built to keep people on it
Swarovski Optik took a full 15m x 9m stand in 2026, and the design brief was simple: make it as welcoming as possible. “We want to give people the opportunity to get hands-on with the product, but also to feel comfortable enough to stay for an extended period,” Adam explains. “We make sure the team on our stand are genuine experts – whether that’s in premium binoculars, spotting scopes, thermal technology, rifle scopes for hunting, or sports shooting. For us, it’s about creating an experience rather than simply exhibiting equipment. We want visitors to leave inspired, informed, and with a real sense of the quality and innovation that define both Swarovski Optik and Kahles.”
Two launches with a stand of their own: the Z6 and the dS
For 2026, two new products earned dedicated launch areas of their own. The third generation of the Z6 rifle scope is a stalwart of the range and the scope of choice for both beginner and professional hunters. It arrived with improved usability and ergonomics, a new cockpit design and improved eyebox, and a price slightly lower than previous models. “The Z6 has been super popular for us,” says Adam. “Being at that more attainable price point, with premium quality optics, is really attractive.”
Alongside it sat the new dS, Swarovski Optik’s rangefinding rifle scope. “It has rangefinder capabilities built in,” Adam explains. “You enter all your ballistic information and, at the touch of a button, it gives you a corrected aim point. You don’t have to worry about ballistics at all – it works it all out for you.”
The timing of both launches was no accident. “What’s particularly great about the British Shooting Show is that it’s the first event on the calendar,” says Adam. “We often launch our products in January, just in time for the show. It might not be on the exact day, but it’s always the first opportunity for the community to get hands-on with our new products.”
Why an indoor show suits an optics brand
Optics, of course, are made for the outdoors, Adam concedes – “we do plenty of outdoor events, and if the weather’s good you get that real-world experience” – but February in Birmingham makes the case for four walls. “The great thing about the British Shooting Show is the predictability. You know that box is ticked. And the NEC still gives you the space – people can test optics indoors over long distances.”
Six on the stand, plus ambassador Chris Rogers
Manning the stand is a six-person operation: five from the Swarovski Optik UK team, plus ambassador Chris Rogers, who is on the stand throughout all three days. “Chris is very well respected in the community and a big added value for us,” says Adam. “He’s a great person to advocate for the brand. He has that genuine love and passion for what he does – and, luckily for us, for Swarovski Optik products as well.”
The British Shooting Show sits at the top of a packed events programme. The brand attends four major shows a year, supported by approximately 30 smaller events, which makes the full-team commitment at the NEC all the more telling.
The Mobile Experience arrives for 2027
Planning for 2027 began almost before the 2026 carpet had been lifted. “It’s always good to review these things as close to the event as possible,” says Adam. “We had a plan in mind and spoke it through with the show team within a couple of months.” The brand has confirmed the same footprint for 2027, but with a significant new addition: its Mobile Experience (MEX) concept, appearing at the British Shooting Show for the first time.
The walk-in unit displays products inside, doubles as a space for interviews and meetings, and offers seating around the outside. The team will drive it into the hall and handle the build themselves, bringing in contractors only for the overhead branding. “The whole mobile experience is designed around being a place where people feel comfortable staying for an extended period – a community spot where people can congregate,” says Adam. “It provides another point of differentiation within the space and captures attention.”
Extended trade-only hours on the Friday
Adam also welcomes a new addition for 2027: extended trade-only hours on the Friday, when the show will open an hour earlier and close an hour later exclusively for business conversations. It solves a problem familiar to any brand running a busy stand. “We’re a team of six and it gets pretty hectic – we can’t leave the stand,” he says. “Anyone who wants to speak to us from a B2B perspective has to come and find us, and I often reach the end of the show thinking I still need to catch up with this person and that person, then end up doing it the following week. Now we can diarise those meetings for the trade hours – and everyone else can still find us throughout the event.”
Twelve months into the role, Adam’s verdict on the partnership is unambiguous: “I’m really pleased we’ve made the connection – and super excited for next year and where the show is going.”
Frequently asked questions
What is Swarovski Optik’s Mobile Experience unit?
The Mobile Experience, or MEX, is a walk-in unit that displays products inside, doubles as a space for interviews and meetings, and offers seating around the outside. Swarovski Optik will bring it to the British Shooting Show for the first time in 2027, driving it into the hall and handling the build itself apart from the overhead branding.
What is the Swarovski Optik dS rifle scope?
The dS is Swarovski Optik’s rangefinding rifle scope, with rangefinder capability built in. The shooter enters their ballistic information and, at the touch of a button, the scope returns a corrected aim point rather than leaving the ballistics to be worked out in the field.
What are the extended trade-only hours at the 2027 show?
On the Friday of the 2027 show the doors will open an hour earlier and close an hour later, with those extra hours set aside exclusively for business conversations. Exhibitors can book B2B meetings into that window rather than trying to hold them while the stand is busy.