A Girl & A Gun (AG & AG) hosted its 12th Annual National Conference of 706 female firearms enthusiasts, who gathered for several days of training, camaraderie, and fun. The event, SHINE 2024, was presented by GLOCK at Cameo Shooting and Education Complex near Grand Junction, CO. The annual event sold out last September and had more than 500 women on the waiting list.
Attendees were all women who ranged in age from 17 to 78 and traveled to Colorado from 45 different states and represented 135 AG & AG Chapters. All attendees were categorized by experience level for training sessions; 28% of the attendees were new or relatively new shooters, 41% were intermediate-level shooters, and 31% were advanced. The team of 109 of the nation’s best firearms instructors offered training classes that addressed nearly every aspect of firearms and self-defense, from defensive carry, competition, and tactics to gun maintenance, ground fighting, and nonlethal tools.
“Our largest National Conference to date was a tremendous success,” said Robyn Sandoval, President & CEO of AG & AG. “The unpredictable Colorado weather gave us all seasons throughout the weekend, and I was proud that our students and instructors trained hard, even with hail. Ladies recognized the value that real-life defense and competitive scenarios often occur in challenging weather. Our Conference concluded with a beautiful rainbow over Cameo, sending each woman home more vibrant, confident, and better able to protect herself and her loved ones.”
GLOCK was the Title Sponsor of the event that was supported by 100 leading brands in the firearms industry. Many sponsors were on site for the event’s Demo Day, when attendees could meet with industry representatives and test drive different firearms. According to event polling, approximately 44% of the attendees who shot demos plan to purchase one of the guns they shot, and 11% are in the maybe/still budgeting camp. Staccato, Mossberg, HK, Walther, GLOCK, MASP Industries, Syren, Magpul, and Primary Arms were among the favorites. Several sponsors had vendor booths in the Retail Village, and AG & AG ladies enjoyed shopping and learning about their lines. GTM, USCCA, MantisX, US Law Shield, ConcealedCarry.com, Right to Bear, and ATK1 Sport were some of the brands represented on site. Other Diamond or Platinum-level sponsors included Taurus, Ruger, Vortex, Seal 1, and Big Tex Ordnance.
Cameo Shooting and Education Complex was the ideal location for the event. With 28 live-fire bays, 25 field classrooms, a 5-Stand course, and 2,003-yard rifle range, 3D archery loops, and natural terrain for other training options, AG & AG was able to provide training classes on a wide variety of shooting and self-defense topics. Cameo also allowed AG & AG to bring Heligunner, so attendees enjoyed aerial gunnery with views of the gorgeous Grand Mesa. The Cameo staff and volunteers were invaluable to the success of the event, as were local businesses and the Grand Junction Sports Commission.
The instructor lineup included a Who’s Who of industry trainers. Instructor teams from Gunsite, USCCA, Defenders USA, Apache Solutions, Active Self Protection, The Complete Combatant, Citizens Safety Academy, DTI, PHLster, and Team One Network offered a variety of live-fire and workshop courses. Joseph “Willie” Parent, Director of Training for GLOCK Professional, ran classes to help ladies increase speed and accuracy with their pistols. Master-class competitors Gabby Franco, Walt Proulx, Riley Bowman, and Nick Young taught sessions on movement and target transitions. Lou Ann Hamblin and Adam Winch taught a variety of skillsets when shooting or maneuvering around vehicles. Josh Holschen, Mike Ox, Erick Gelhaus, Josh White, and Steve Moses offered mentally challenging courses on neuropathways, vision, and decision making. Mike Hughes, Dave Jenkins, Brian Hill, Tim Kelly, and Tatiana Whitlock offered train-the-trainer instructor development opportunities, as well.
The next AG & AG National Conference, ACCELERATE 2025, will take place May 1-4, 2025. General registration opens September 1, 2024. Learn more at AGirlandAGun.org/conference.
About A Girl & A Gun
A Girl & A Gun (AG & AG) is a membership organization whose events are successful stepping stones for thousands of women entering the shooting community by fostering their love of shooting with caring and qualified instructors who coach them. AG & AG breaks barriers for women and girls in self-defense, and in pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooting sports by welcoming beginners to learn the basics of safe and accurate shooting and providing experienced shooters with advanced-level opportunities. The club has members in all 50 states and hosts recurring Girl’s Nights Out at hundreds of ranges throughout the United States.
For more information about A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League, or to learn how to join, please visit AGirlandAGun.org. Follow AG & AG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest for social media and corporate news.
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
