July 2006 American Sportfishing
Association Member Update
Member Updates are e-mailed monthly to members of the American Sportfishing
Association and our partners on issues of interest to the future of
fishing. For more information, contact ASA
Communications, 703.519.9691.
BELOW IS A LIST OF TOPICS IN THIS UPDATE. Please scroll down for the
complete document. Previous ASA Member Updates are available in the ASA
Newsroom.
Each month, ASA e-mails an update on its Government Affairs activities
called Policy Watch. These documents can be found in the Government
Affairs section on ASA’s Web site.
2006 Sportfishing Summit
Make a Difference by Serving on ASA’s
Committees
ASA Staff Changes
ASA Welcomes New Staff Members
ICAST 2006 Highlights!
ICAST Industry Breakfast
New Product Showcase “Best of Show”
Manufacturer and Retailer
of the Year Announced
Exhibiting at ICAST 2007
June/July 2006 Issue of American Sportfishing Available on
Web
FishAmerica Foundation Updates
Future Fisherman Foundation Updates
Message from ASA President and CEO
Mike Nussman
2006 Sportfishing Summit
Mark your calendars for this year’s Sportfishing
Summit,
to be held October 18-20, 2006, at the Paradise Point Resort in San Diego,
Calif. Highlights of this year’s Summit include: Ted Fishman,
author of China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges
America and the World; Lawrence L. Steinmetz, Ph.D., president
of High Yield Management, Inc., who will have you thinking very differently—and
smarter—about prices and profits; and a panel of influential
professionals in the outdoor media looking at the future of fishing.
ASA’s committees and the Board of Directors will meet at the
Summit. As usual, the agenda has ample time for social gatherings,
fishing and golf and other networking opportunities. Registration materials
will be mailed to members in August. Look for registration and housing
information on ASA’s Webs site beginning the week of August 6.
For more information, contact Mary
Jane Williamson, x227.
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Make a Difference by Serving on ASA’s Committees
Serving on one of ASA’s 9 committees is the best way to contribute
to the future direction of your trade association and industry initiatives.
Nearly 150 ASA members currently serve on committees, helping to guide
ASA’s programs and activities. New terms begin October 1 for
2007-2008. You can volunteer by filling out the committee participation
form, which will arrive by U.S. mail beginning the end of this week.
The first official meetings of the new committees will be held on Wednesday,
October 18, during the Sportfishing Summit, October 18-20, 2006, at
the Paradise Point Resort in San Diego, Calif. For more information,
contact Joyce Anderson-Logan,
x233.
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ASA Staff Changes
In June and July, ASA bid farewell to Ric Ice, Membership Director
and long-time member of the sportfishing industry, and Deanna Eastman,
ASA’s Administrative Services Manager. Ric used his many years
of experience as a manufacturer’s representative to assist the
association in forging new partnerships and relationships both within
and outside the industry. Ric and his wife, Sandy, will be dividing
their time between California and their home in Colorado. Deanna also
served as ASA’s Policy Fellow for two years. She is now a Public
Policy Specialist with the Land Trust Alliance in Washington, D.C.
On behalf of the staff and all of ASA’s members, we wish Ric
and Deanna all the best.
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ASA Welcomes New Staff Members
Brian Blank recently joined the ASA staff as Membership Director.
Many of you may have met Brian during ICAST 2006, his first week on
the job. Brian brings to ASA a wealth of industry experience, including
9 years with Dick’s Sporting Goods, located in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Prior to his tenure with Dick’s, Brian worked for Maurice Sporting.
Leslie Boatman joins ASA as the new Communications Associate. Leslie
comes to ASA with a background in communications, marketing and event
planning, having worked for an airport in Savannah, Ga., and a transportation
consulting firm in Tallahassee, Fla. Leslie has a Bachelor of Science
degree in Communications from Florida State University.
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ICAST 2006 Highlights
ASA thanks its members, sponsors and the more than 6,800 representatives
of the sportfishing industry who made ICAST 2006 an outstanding show.
The 49th annual ICAST once again lived up to its reputation as the
world’s largest industry showcase of fishing gear and accessories
all under one roof. ICAST, covering 250,000 square feet of the Las
Vegas Convention Center, showcased the very latest innovations in sportfishing
gear and accessories.ICAST 2006, with a sold-out show
floor for the fifth consecutive year, featured nearly 392 exhibitors—almost
half offering show specials to potential buyers—filling 1,263
booths. The show boasted nearly 2,000 buyers and more than 500 members
of the media. For more information, contact Maria
del Valle, x240.
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ICAST Industry Breakfast
Nearly 500 people attended the Industry Breakfast which officially
kicked-off ICAST 2006. During this event, ASA president and CEO, Mike
Nussman, presented his state of the industry address along with opening
remarks from Dave Pfeiffer, executive vice president, Shimano American
Corporation and ASA’s Board
of Directors Chairman. A keynote address from Larry Steinmetz, Ph.D., president
of High Yield Management, Inc.,
gave everyone something to think about regarding pricing and profits. Steinmetz
will also be a guest speaker at this year’s Sportfishing Summit, October
18-20, in San Diego. For more information, contact Mary
Jane Williamson, x227.
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New Product Showcase “Best of Show”
Sponsored by Fishing Tackle Retailer, more than 188
companies entered over 500 new products in the New
Product Showcase where they competed for overall “Best of
Show” honors and best of show in 16 product categories. Pure
Fishing took top honors with “Best of Show” for its Berkley
FireLine Crystal. The New Product Showcase category winners are Airrus;
AA/Optimum Bait Co.; C.A.G.I. Outdoor Products; Costa del Mar; Humminbird;
MegaStrike, Inc.; Minn Kota; Okuma Fishing Tackle Corp.; Outdoor Adventure
Kids; Penn Fishing Tackle; Plano Molding Company; Shimano American
Corp.; and Swifty Manufacturing, Inc. The winners were announced during
the July 19 Chairman’s Industry Awards Reception. Media inquiries
contact Mary
Jane Williamson, x227.
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Manufacturer and Retailer of the Year Announced
During the ICAST 2006 Chairman’s Industry Awards reception,
sponsored by Shimano American Corporation, the Recreational Fishing
and Boating Foundation (RBFF) and ASA announced the “Take
Me Fishing” Manufacturer of the Year and Retailer of the Year award
recipients. This year’s Manufacturer of the Year award went to
Shakespeare Fishing Tackle and the Retailer of the Year award went
to Cabela’s, Inc. For more information, contact Kirk
Gillis, 703-519-0013.
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Exhibiting at ICAST 2007—the 50th Anniversary Show
Many exhibitors have already submitted their contracts for ICAST 2007.
Booth deposits are due September 1. Once a deposit is received,
booths will be assigned to exhibitors in early October. Contracts will
not be processed until a deposit is received. All 2006 exhibitors should
have received exhibit space contracts and floor plans during the show
and will alsoreceive one in the mail. As a member benefit for exhibitors
only, final registration lists for ICAST 2006 will be sent soon. For
more information, contact Kelly
Camirand, x231.
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June/July 2006 Issue of American Sportfishing Available on Web
The June/July
issue of American Sportfishing, ASA’s newsletter, is available
in PDF format on ASA’s Web site along with issues dating back
to Winter 2002.
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FishAmerica Foundation Updates
For more information on FishAmerica activities, contact Director Johanna
Laderman, x245. For more information about FishAmerica
grant activities, contact Grants Coordinator Jeff
Bloem, x247.
Johnson Outdoors Grant Boosts FishAmerica Gulf Fund
The FishAmerica
Gulf Fund is the 2006 recipient of the $5,000 conservation grant from Johnson
Outdoors in
honor of the inaugural Samuel C. Johnson Fishing Journalist of the
Year Award. The award was presented to Jerry Gibbs, fishing editor
of Outdoor Life, during the American Sportfishing Association’s
2006 ICAST Trade Show in Las Vegas. The Gulf Fund was created
to provide grants to local sportfishing clubs and conservation organizations
to help restore sportfish populations, their habitats and fishing facilities
affected by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes. To join the foundation’s
efforts, contact Johanna
Laderman, x245.
Fish Habitat Receives Funding Boost
In June, FishAmerica awarded
$634,989 to restore fish passage, enhance fish habitat and improve
water quality for marine and anadromous fish in 12 states from Alaska
to Texas to Vermont. These projects will
restore 13 miles of habitat and fish passage for salmon and steelhead
in Alaska, Washington and California; restore oyster reef habitat in
San Francisco Bay, Tampa Bay and the Chesapeake Bay; restore 300 acres
of wetlands and seagrass beds in Galveston Bay; restore fish passage
to 43 miles of in-stream habitat and 60 acres of pond habitat for herring,
shad, alewife and trout; increase forage fish for striped bass and
bluefish in the northeast U.S.; and restore in-stream habitat of Atlantic
salmon and several species of trout in the Connecticut River watershed
along one of the only two free-flowing tributaries in the watershed. The
projects were funded through FishAmerica’s partnership with the NOAA
Restoration Center, donations from Pro
Line Manufacturing and contributions from the sportfishing and
boating industry. The local grant recipients will match $2,765,506
through donations and volunteer labor: a more than 5 to 1 match.
Pro Line Manufacturing Continues Longtime Support of FishAmerica
Through
a cause-related marketing partnership, Pro
Line Manufacturing has recently donated nearly $14,000 to the
FishAmerica Foundation. Pro-Line contributes a portion of its
ProGear wader sales in Wal-Mart Stores across the country to FishAmerica.
Since 2001, Pro Line has donated more than $375,000 to FishAmerica,
helping to restore and create family fishing waters across the United
States and leveraging more than $1 million for 60 projects.
Cause-related Marketing Spotlighted at ICAST
Eight companies
were spotlighted in the Foundations’ Showcase
at ICAST 2006 as a special tribute to those companies who, through
cause-related marketing, donate a portion of the proceeds from the
sale of one or more products to one or both of ASA’s foundations. These
companies and products are: E-Tec–Boomer
Rail; Pacific Bay International–Rainforest
2 Series of rod blanks; Plano
Molding Company–“Take Me Fishing” tackle boxes; PRIMEDIA–In-Fisherman, Fly
Fisherman, and Walleye In-sider magazines subscriptions; Pro
Line Manufacturing–ProGear Waders; Skyhorse Publishing–books; St.
Croix–rods and reels; and Stonehedge
Winery–Cool Fish Wines.
FishAmerica Contributors
FishAmerica thanks ASA members FLW
Outdoors; KeelShield, Inc.; PRIMEDIA; and Pro Line Manufacturing for
their recent donations to the FishAmerica Foundation. Fifty-one
ASA members and fifty-seven other donors have given more than $151,000
this year to FishAmerica through direct donations, FishAmerica Gulf
Fund donations, licensed-product sales, tournament partnerships and
endowment donations.
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Future Fisherman Foundation Updates
For more information on Future Fisherman activities, contact Executive
Director Mike Bolinder,
x238 or Grants Coordinator Jesse
Graytock, x224.
Future Fisherman Foundation Partners with Department of Justice
The
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has formally invited the Future Fisherman
Foundation to participate in the 2006/2007 Law Enforcement Youth Partnerships
for Crime Prevention, a nationwide effort to use community-based and
mentor-based programs to combat youth crime and drug use. With
funding from DOJ, the foundation will create community- and mentor-based
fishing programs in a number of communities across the country, beginning
October 2006. For information, contact Mike
Bolinder, x238.
Pacific Bay and Plano Molding Present Donations to the Future
Fisherman Foundation
Pacific Bay International and Plano Molding
Company presented donations to the Future Fisherman Foundation during
ICAST, held July 19-21, in Las Vegas. The donations are a result
of cause-related marketing efforts, where both companies have committed
to donate a portion of the proceeds of certain product sales to the
Future Fisherman Foundation. In turn, both companies have reported
increased sales on items marketed to benefit the Foundation.
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Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
Summer used to be time for kicking back and enjoying the lazy days of
summer. But, for ASA members and staff, July is always a very busy month
and this July was no exception.
First, of course, was ICAST 2006, the 49th year for the sportfishing
industry’s trade show. I want to thank all the members of the
industry—ASA’s members, our Board of Directors, buyers,
exhibitors, our show sponsors, our partners and the media—for
their support and participation in the fifth consecutive sellout show.
I also want to thank the ASA staff for the tremendous effort they made
to ensure a successful show. Our theme this year was “Hooked
on Innovation” and I saw plenty of that at this year’s
show. My congratulations go to the winners of the New Product Showcase
and to all the exhibitors who entered products this year. There is
no doubt that the New Product Showcase continues to grow in stature
and reputation as THE showcase for the creativity and ingenuity in
the sportfishing industry. The time and effort our members put into
developing and producing new items to enhance the angling experience
never ceases to amaze me. It’s also important to note that the
Showcase is not only for established companies. Two first-time ICAST
exhibitors were also Showcase winners. Anglers’ Legacy, an innovative
new program for avid anglers from the Recreational Boating and Fishing
Foundation, had its official launch at ICAST.
Larry Steinmetz, our Industry Breakfast keynote speaker, had an audience
of close to 500 thinking very differently about product pricing and
profits. He’ll expand on that topic at this year’s Sportfishing
Summit. From my point-of-view, the 2006 Summit is a “do not miss” event.
There was certainly a lot more activity at ICAST, but I believe what
is most important is saying “thank you” for your participation
and attendance.
In July, just prior to ICAST, the IRS finally released the much anticipated
guidance documents for payment of the federal manufacturers excise
tax called the “Industry Director’s Directive.” If
you have not already done so, I encourage you to review these documents
which are posted on ASA’s Web site. Neither Gordon nor I have
received many inquiries regarding their content nor were there many
questions during the IRS seminars at ICAST. I like to believe that
this is due, in part, to the coordinated and consistent communiqués
from ASA over the past 18 months regarding this issue. However, our
mission with the IRS is far from over. We will continue to hold the
IRS to their commitment to both use these guidance documents in a fair
and consistent manner and provide continuous training for their field
agents on their content. I can’t thank the Excise Tax Committee
members enough for their time and effort in helping to manage this
process. If you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact
me or Gordon Robertson.
One last but very important item is the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens
Act. The House is in recess until September 5, having taken no
action on passing the bill before they departed Capitol Hill. ASA
is pleased with the bill as it currently stands. We are hopeful that
when Congress returns, the Members of the House will swiftly pass
the bill. In the meantime, this is an excellent opportunity to contact
your U.S. Representative while he or she is in the home district
and voice your support for H.R. 5018. Please use the ASA
Web site to obtain contact information for your U.S. Representative
and other information.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
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