The Show Isn’t Over

By Amy Hatfield

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TOP: Quiet Crowne: One day before Trade Show attendees made it to town.
BOTTOM: Registering with a deer mount strapped to your back.

On Jan. 5th — one day before the 2011 Trade Show opened — I had been in Indianapolis for four nights. Up until then, the hotel was pretty desolate. The hallway to my room was empty, and the sound of my keycard was eerily audible when I’d swipe it.

Then, the Trade Show came and you know the rest. No more emptiness. When all was said and done, more than 8,000 people came to the Show. They stood in short registration lines, and one guy did it with a deer mount on his back. Manufacturers wrote orders, dealers stocked up on inventory, products were held, turned over and tested. And here’s another cool thing: while you were in Indy doing business, there were kids in archery parks shooting a bow for the first time.

Come on now, really? Yes, really.

Almost a month to the day before the 2011 Trade Show kicked off, we heard about this sort of growth at the ATA Archery and Bowhunting Summit. The Summit was held in Birmingham, Ala. and the video this state’s wildlife agency put together tells you everything you need to know. And, if your state isn’t working for you the way Alabama is working for archery, somebody needs to start knocking down some doors.

Alabama’s Community Archery Program*

* Video CHEAT SHEET: This video is 12 minutes and some-odd seconds long. It’s worth every minute. But if you don’t have 12 minutes right now, check out these minute markers:

5:09: Heith Clark of 12 Ring Archery & Outdoors in Athens, Ala., on how archery shops benefit from community archery programs.
6:14: Chad Vining of Athens Park & Rec talks about the working relationship between parks and rec and archery dealers.
6:35: About the ATA’s role in partnerships like the one in Alabama.
7:35 & 8:00: Two moms and their point of view.
8:31: Find out how archery can help with academics and builds confidence among students.
9:37: Heith Clark of 12 Ring Archery & Outdoors in Athens, Ala., on how archery shops benefit from community archery programs.

Did You Know?

The ATA estimates that in 2004, the average shop size was 4,000 square feet with 1,600 square feet of retail and 2,000 square feet of shooting range.