ATA Action

ATA Supports, Attends Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Gala and Banquet

The largest gathering of Congress members in Washington D.C., took place on September 26. The Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Banquet and Auction drew over 1,000 sportsmen attendees from conservation agencies, organizations and industry to celebrate with over 100 members of the House and Senate while raising funds for the important work of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation.

"ATA has been a strong supporter of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus and Foundation for many years and we mark the annual banquet as a must attend event," said Jay McAninch, ATA CEO/president." Representing the ATA were McAninch and his wife Janet; Laverne Woock, Delta Sports Products and ATA Board chair and his wife Linda; Larry Griffith, Bohning Company and ATA Board member; and Karen Abrahamson, Bohning Company.

The ATA group also visited with Congressmen on Capitol Hill about efforts to obtain Federal funding for archery and bowhunting programs. "We spent quite a bit of time with Congressmen Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and received their insights as to what we might be able to do, working with the Congress, to generate funds for community archery programs," said McAninch. "We also had a chance to talk to Congressmen Paul Ryan (R-WI), Collin Petersen (D-MN), Robin Hayes (R-NC) and Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA). It's actually rather impressive to see how the Caucus members maintain a bipartisan view on our issues, given the rancor surrounding nearly every other topic debated today." Look for information in future newsletters about new Congressional initiatives that will increase the flow of Federal funds to cities, counties and schools for developing archery programs.

ATA Signs Industry-Agency Agreement

After nearly 70 years, the partnership between the firearms, fishing, archery and boating industries and the state fish and wildlife agencies was consummated with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding agreement. On September 26 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, the two groups held a ceremony that included comments by their leaders, an official signing of the MOU and a champagne toast to the success of the past and to a commitment to strengthen the relationship in the future.

"The initial Industry-Agency Summit meeting hosted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in December 2006 was the catalyst for this agreement and the signing ceremony on September 26," said Jay McAninch, president of the Archery Trade Association. "We appreciate Matt Hogan and AFWA taking the lead in working to craft this agreement, and the archery industry stands with our colleagues in the firearms and fishing industries to proudly unite in our support for conservation, hunting, shooting and angling."

Each year, state fish and wildlife agencies use more than $250 million in excise tax funds paid on fishing, hunting, shooting and boating equipment for fish and wildlife conservation and management and to recruit and retain new hunters, shooters, anglers and boaters. The alliance agreement is centered on accountability and building better communication between parties, pursuing more visible marketing strategies and gauging the long-term vision and use of these funds.

McAninch added, "The Archery Trade Association and all archers and bowhunters are proud to continue our commitment to the state agencies and their efforts to protect and manage habitats and wildlife populations as well as provide opportunities for archers and bowhunters. The federal excise tax on archery equipment has grown by more than 60 percent since 2004 which is a demonstration of the confidence our industry has in the FET-Federal Aid system. We're actively working with state agencies to see those new funds go toward building community archery programs, expanding the National Archery in the Schools Program and After School Archery Program efforts, and creating facilities for archers and bowhunters to enjoy their sport year round, even in urban and suburban areas."

ATA Showcases Archery at National Recreation and Park Association Conference

ATA staff members Bob Ives, director of member services, and Michelle Doerr, director of archery and bowhunting programs, attended the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Congress and Exposition held in Indianapolis, Indiana on September 25-29. Ives and Doerr worked with Doug Engh and others from the National Alliance for the Development of Archery to showcase archery as a great addition to recreation programs. Over 9,000 attended the show with nearly 500 exhibitors. Ives and Doerr were able to attend several of the over 200 educational sessions offered. In addition, they were able to meet and discuss partnership opportunities with Resa Kierstein, PRPA's recreation resources manager and Teresa Rodriguez, senior manager for national partnerships. ATA looks forward to working with NRPA to bring archery into more community recreation programs.

ATA Offers Archery to Attendees of National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Event

On September 26, ATA staff members Michelle Doerr, Kathy Ford, Kelly Kelly and Valerie Parker hosted an archery shooting venue for guests of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's fundraising event, "Celebrate the Great Outdoors" held at the Tudor Investment Campus in Greenwich, Connecticut. ESPN helps organize the event, which attracts over 500 outdoor enthusiasts and conservation leaders and raises money for various wildlife conservation projects. In addition to archery, guests were able to try their hand at fly casting, log rolling, ATVs and other activities that once took place at ESPN's Great Outdoor Games. "Many of the attendees were interested in the archery venue and gave it a try," Doerr said. "We were packed with shooters the entire two hours of our portion of the event. In fact, several were having so much fun that they asked if they could come back and shoot after dinner." Doerr added, "We couldn't have been successful without the help of several area instructors including ATA members Mike Clement from Flying Arrow Sports; Barb Terry and Dave Robb from TenPoint Crossbows; Bob and Chris Destin from BCY, Inc; and Daniel Mignano and Joseph Randazzo from Beyond BackPacks Ltd." ATA also had help from Karen Demaris and Reggie Pucket from the Hunting Simulation Organization, who provided moving targets for the event.

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2008 Trade Show Updates

Attendee Registration is Open for the 2008 ATA Trade Show; Register Now!

Attendee registration is open! Online registration and downloadable attendee registration forms are available at www.archerytrade.org/tradeshow08/index.html. ATA members - online registration is simple and easy when you use your ATA username and password. This information was mailed to you in September - if you cannot find, do not remember or are otherwise having trouble logging in and you are an ATA member, please call the ATA at 866-266-2776 x201 or 801-261-2380 x201. (Your default username is your ATA member id# - also found on ATA invoices as your account number; and your default password is your zip code.)

Nonmembers are also able to use the online registration process this year. Simply search for your company to see if you are in our system, then proceed with registration. You are also able to renew your membership if it has lapsed and/or buy Great Giveaway tickets at the same time.

Just need to purchase Great Giveaway tickets? Visit www.archerytrade.org/tradeshow08/greatgiveaway.html and click on the purchase area at the bottom of the page.

Trade Show Hotel Block Update

Hotels are booking quickly, so if you haven't made your room reservations, we encourage you to do it soon! The Holiday Inn & Suites City Center has sold out, along with Hampton Inn, Westin Indianapolis, Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, and Crowne Plaza at Union Station. The rest of the hotels in the block have limited space available, especially if you need a room with two beds. We're searching for more hotel availability and will keep you posted. Reservations can be made online at www.archerytrade.org/tradeshow08/index.html. Click on Hotel/Shuttle Info.

Exhibitor News and Updates

November 1 will be the last release of booth space! If you are interested in bettering your booth position on the show floor, watch for the email and fax on November 1 announcing available space. Only current exhibitors are allowed to apply for the space and you only have 48 hours to call or email with your choices. Space is awarded to the exhibitor that has the most preference points.

Exhibitors have their own area to order badges online. Please go to www.archerytrade.org/tradeshow08/index.html and look for the Exhibitor area on the left side. You will see an option called, "Order Exhibitor Badges." You will need your username and password in order to login: Your username is your ATA account number - found on an ATA invoice (also your member number if you are an ATA member). Your default password is your zip code. You will also receive your username and password in the mail on or about November 5. You can also call the ATA office at 866-266-2776, ext. 201.

Exhibitor kits were mailed the week of October 8, so you should have received yours by now. If you haven't, please let Cindy Brophy know at cindybrophy@archerytrade.org. Please note: YOU WILL NOT FIND A FORM FOR THE SHOW GUIDE LISTING. Show Guide listings will be handled differently this year. Look for something to arrive the first part of November.

If you're looking for a way for your company to STAND OUT at the show, don't forget to look through the Sponsorship Brochure in your Exhibitor Kit. You can also find it online at www.archerytrade.org/tradeshow08/downloads/TS08SponsorBrochure.pdf. The brochure has many opportunities and ideas like banners, hotel key cards, show guide advertisements, commercials, etc. that can help boost your exposure at the show.

If you're on a tight budget and can't afford any of these, or you want to do even more, ATA can send you extra copies of the attendee registration brochure at no cost. You can then include them in product mailings or use them as personal invitations to mail to your own dealer list. We will also email you the official 2008 trade show logo if you'd like to place it on your website or use it for mailings. Please contact Cindy Brophy at cindybrophy@archerytrade.org if you are interested in receiving either of these FREE promotional items.

The ATA is excited to offer a new training program for exhibitors this year called "Exhibiting ROI-Q Academy." This is a comprehensive program to train and educate exhibitors to become masters in event marketing. This multi-session academy is conducted by Charles W. Allen, in conjunction with the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA). The first training session will be a webinar on November 14 and the second will be at the Indiana Convention Center on Wednesday, January 9, 2008. Watch for more information.

Great Giveaway Shaping Up for 2008 Trade Show

No matter how you get to Indianapolis, you could be driving home in a 2007 Realtree Camo Harley Davidson. You won't want to miss the 2008 ATA Great Giveaway where an incredible collection of prizes, hunts, vacations and cold hard cash will be given away every 60 seconds. The show is open to all trade show attendees and takes place in the Sagamore Ballroom on Friday, January 11, 6:30 pm.

This year's prize list includes the Harley Davidson motorcycle, a Tracker boat, camo finish pop-up trailer, custom retro motorcycle with sidecar, and Realtree Bad Boy Buggy. You'll also have a chance to win equipment, gift certificates, hunts, product packages, and cold hard cash prizes valued from $500 to $10,000.

All ATA Trade Show registered retail shops will receive one FREE ticket to enter the Dealer Dream Hunt giveaways including one-on-one hunts with bowhunting celebrities like Bob Foulkrod, Michael Waddell, Keith Warren, Mark and Terry Drury, Tim Hooey, Tom Miranda, Pat Reeve, and Lee and Tiffany Lakosky. Other dealer-only prizes are also available, including gift certificates and product packages.

To be eligible for General Entry prizes, purchase a General Entry Ticket. Tickets can be purchased online at www.archerytrade.org/tradeshow08/greatgiveaway.html - just click on the link at the bottom of the page. Tickets will also be available at the show. Here's the best part: ticket sale proceeds go directly to activities and programs dedicated to growing archery and bowhunting. Also visit the Great Giveaway web page for a complete prize list, available in later November.

ATA Seminar Series Updates

This year's Seminar Series has come together with a wide range of nearly forty sessions. Not only will sessions be held each morning but also during the noon hour as well. Attendees will have the option of picking from six different areas of information. Sessions cover all aspects of archery business, equipment, legal, wildlife and even identity theft. General information sessions like the ATA Open Forum will give attendees and exhibitors an opportunity to meet and interact with the ATA staff and board of directors. Sessions specific to new members are outlined to help them learn about the ATA and doing business in the industry. Most sessions will be repeated during the three days of the trade show to allow everyone to see as much as possible. Extremely popular sessions can even be presented again if necessary. So if you want information on tuning traditional bows, archery fishing, choosing a business structure, or even how to exhibit, don't miss a day of the new and improved Seminar Series! If you have friends and employees who didn't make it to the trade show, watch for many of these same seminars in a location near you during the coming year.

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ATA 5th Annual Archery & Bowhunting Summit Approaching

The ATA's 5th Annual Archery and Bowhunting Summit will be held December 18-20 and all signs are that the progress reports in recruitment and retention as well as facility and opportunity development for 2007 will be significant. The Ohio Division of Wildlife will host the Summit in Columbus and information about the event can be obtained from Kelly Kelly at 507-877-5300 or kellykelly@archerytrade.org. All state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations involved in archery and bowhunting are invited to attend. ATA members of the archery and bowhunting industry are also urged to attend.

"Our annual Summit meeting is a check point for the ATA, the state agencies and the archery and bowhunting organizations to determine how well we've collectively done to grow archery and bowhunting," commented Jay McAninch, ATA CEO/president. "We began these meetings as a mechanism for everyone working to grow archery and bowhunting to communicate, coordinate and cooperate in their efforts. More importantly, we've also used these annual meetings as a way to measure our progress."

The ATA's Summit agenda will feature reports from state agencies about their continued expansion of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), implementation of After School Archery Programs (ASAP), the development and/or refurbishment of shooting ranges, efforts to initiate Community Archery Programs, and an assortment of activities related to the protection and promotion of bowhunting. Organizations also provide reports of their activities which will include Roy Grime's update for the multitude of work conducted by NASP in the USA, Canada and around the world and Doug Engh's review of ASAP and the efforts of the National Alliance for the Development of Archery to establish archery in community recreation programs. Other organizations will provide information on Olympic Archery education and training programs, bowhunter education efforts, and a variety of exciting activities.

"I'm often amazed at the terrific progress we see from year to year at the Summit," said Michelle Doerr, ATA director of archery and bowhunting programs. "When we initially asked attendees to report on their progress over the past year, we worried that many agencies and organizations would not have enough activity to provide a substantive report. We were happily very incorrect in our thinking. For those who take the time to participate - especially people from the industry - the Summit is solid evidence that the archery and bowhunting industry is growing."

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ATA Membership Corner

ATA MSP Spotlight: Burr & Company

Founded in 1972 by Thomas D. Burr, CPCU, CIC, Burr & Company is a full service insurance agency providing its customers with Business Insurance, Personal Insurance and a variety of life and health products. Burr & Company has three full service offices in Michigan and provides coverage to its customers nationally and internationally.

Jeff DeRegnaucourt, ARM, is the manager of the archery insurance department with his support staff of Cathy Koning and Terri McIntosh, CPCU, ARM. The Archery Insurance programs at Burr & Company have offered ATA members significant savings on insurance premiums with exceptional coverage. Many customers buy from Burr & Company because they want to do business with professionals who understand their sport and their industry. Because of Burr's archery background, insurance companies feel comfortable writing insurance on those businesses which Burr recommends.

Besides his educational and insurance background, Jeff DeRegnaucourt's expertise in the archery and bowhunting field consists of:

· Level 2 Archery Instructor -National Archery Association

· Bowhunter for 35 years with recurve and compound bows

· Nationally ranked competitive archer in FITA style competition with a recent Bronze medal finish in Colorado Springs in August 2007.

· One of the founders of the Treestand Manufacturers Association and current board member.

· Michigan United Conservation Club Educator of the Year Award recipient.

· Certified Treestand Safety Instructor.

In addition to providing insurance products to members of the archery industry, Jeff has also authored the booklet "A Practical Guide to Risk Management" for the National Shooting Sports Foundation for shooting ranges. He has also developed the Loss Prevention Guide for Retail Archery Shops which is available on Burr & Company's website www.burrcompany.com.

We have been providing "Insurance Solutions since 1972" and are proud to be associated with the ATA. Please direct your inquiries to:

Jeff DeRegnaucourt, ARM
Burr & Company
3351 Claystone SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616) 977-7750
(616) 340-9327 cell
JeffD@BurrCompnay.com

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POMA/ATA Fred Bear Communicator Award: Nominations Still Accepted

Nominations are still being accepted for the first annual POMA/ATA Fred Bear Archery & Bowhunting Communicator of the Year Award. The award will honor the journalist who best demonstrates the vision and commitment Bear exemplified in promoting archery and bowhunting throughout his legendary 50-year career.

The online nomination form is available on the Professional Outdoor Media Association's (POMA) Web site at www.professionaloutdoormedia.org/bear_nom.htm. Nominations are sought from all professionals in the archery and bowhunting fields, and need not be ATA or POMA members. See the March 9 press release announcing the award for additional information.

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Valerie Parker to Leave ATA; Tiana Liljenquist Joins Team

The ATA business and trade show office is saying goodbye to Valerie Parker after many years of dedication and hard work. While the ATA will miss Parker, she remains part of the archery and bowhunting family and we have certainly not seen the last of her.

ATA has hired a temporary bookkeeper, Tiana Liljenquist, to help with the business office functions. Liljenquist's experience as head teller for Bank of Utah and as account manager at Data2Logistic, where she analyzed and paid freight invoices for major customers, combined with her advanced MS Excel skills will be very useful in this position. She is excited to be here and looks forward to getting to know everyone.

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