A periodic information source for members of the American Sportfishing Association and partners on issues of importance to the future of fishing.
February 20, 2004
ICAST Update
Now that the show floor is 99% sold, ICAST 2004 exhibitors will receive two key resources from ASA in the next couple months: keep an eye out for the Exhibitor Promo Pak and the Exhibitor Service Manual for valuable information and guidance to help you make the most of your ICAST investment. The Promo Pak provides information that can help you get more visibility for your company during the show and draw more buyers to your booth. The Service Manual contains all kinds of logistical information on booth setup and other arrangements. You'll also soon receive a request for company information for the ICAST Buyers' Guide from Naylor Company, our contractor compiling this resource for the show and beyond. Online registration for exhibitors is now open and housing information is available on the Web. For more information on ICAST 2004, to be held July 14-16 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, contact ICAST Director Maria del Valle, 703.519.9691 x240.
Cast Your Votes
ASA members have an opportunity to voice their votes for new members of the Board of Directors for the 2005-2006 term (beginning October 1, 2004). Three at-large seats and three regional seats (for the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Northern Plains regions) will be open. ASA's Nominating Committee will be taking suggestions through March 1, and will then develop the formal ballots of nominees to be distributed to all ASA members for voting in April. Board appointments will be announced in June. Send your suggestions through ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman, 703.519.9691 x254. For more information, you may also contact Board Liaison Joyce Anderson-Logan, 703.519.9691 x233.
Advocacy in Action
We made significant progress in reaching our goal to recover $110 million in Wallop-Breaux investments when leaders in the U.S. Senate introduced legislation in January to recover these monies currently being funneled to the U.S. Treasury General Fund each year instead of for fisheries conservation, access, and education. Last week, this Senate language was included in a transportation bill and passed by the U.S. Senate. A companion bill still pending in the House of Representatives hopefully will become a part of the House's transportation bill, giving us a much greater chance to make sure Wallop-Breaux funds are used as they were intended—to improve fishing and boating. Another great victory for fishing came last week when Senator Mike Crapo added language to the same transportation bill to provide $15 million for fish passage on National Forests. For more information, contact Vice President Gordon Robertson, 703.519.9691 x237.
Gearing Up for Fishing Week
ASA’s National Fishing and Boating Week events will take place June 7-9 in the nation’s capital, with the nationwide observance being celebrated June 5-13. We’ll host our annual Congressional reception and honor special people with our Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement Award and the Future of Fishing Award (if you'd like to nominate someone, contact Policy Fellow Deanna Wood). We’re partnering with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation for a Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus breakfast to give members and partners an opportunity to interact with key Members of Congress with a special interest in outdoor recreation. We’ll also arrange individual Congressional meetings for ASA members, and we’re organizing ASA committee meetings and planning social events for ASA members and partners. For more information, contact Vice President Gordon Robertson, 703.519.9691 x237; or Policy Fellow Deanna Wood, 703.519.9691 x228.
Welcome New ASA Members for January
Basswax, Batson Enterprises, Bob Sands Fishing Tackle, Deep Bay Products, Dri Ducks Outdoor Performance Gear, Dulamar, Emmrod Fishing Gear, E-Tackle, M & M Tasmanian Devil, Pacific Catch, Trader Bay Lure Company, The Wittenberg Trading Co., Xiamen Rich Fishing & Sports Co., and Xtools.
President's Corner
Now that the show floor for ICAST 2004 is on the brink of being sold out for the third straight year, we're switching gears from a focus on booth sales and moving into comprehensive efforts to provide the best services to exhibitors and broadly promote the show to buyers and other attendees.
We've gotten on solid footing for much of the show production—all the logistics and setup that make the sportfishing industry's trade show run smoothly—over the last few years. The area we've focused on improving the most this year is show promotions. This is where feedback we received from last year's survey of ICAST 2003 attendees has really helped. Two main recommendations stood out: better promote show specials and attract more independent dealers to the show.
We decided to take steps to not only better promote show specials, but also all the other buyer incentives, including the New Product Showcase and special raffles. We're using more advertising, direct mail marketing, and special outreach at major industry shows to spread the word further to independent dealers about the benefits of attending ICAST. Our chances of success are much greater because of special support from American Rod and Gun, Big Rock Sports, and Maurice Sporting Goods, who are reinforcing our efforts in their communications with thousands of independent dealers across the country.
Lately several ASA members have suggested to me that our industry—and the industry's trade association—could be much more cohesive and effective in advocacy by better engaging dealers, and that's why these kinds of efforts from industry leaders benefit all of us, not just for ICAST but everything else we do together to safeguard and promote fishing.
