February 2009 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 of ASA’s Web site.
ICAST 2009 – “Where Sportfishing Means Business”
New ICAST Web Site Unveiled
ICAST Registration and Housing Open!
Reserve Exhibit Space Today
New in 2009 – On-line Exhibitor Only Section
Thank You ICAST 2009 Sponsors
ICAST Sponsorships Available
American Sportfishing Goes Electronic
ASA Consumer Shows Underway
New Philadelphia Outdoor Sports Show to Launch in 2010
ASA Board of Directors March Meeting
Jim Range National Casting Call and Family and Youth Day
Government Affairs Committee to Meet in April
EFFTEX 2009
Welcome New Members
Renew Your 2009 Membership Dues
FishAmerica Foundation Updates
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
ICAST 2009 – “Where Sportfishing Means Business”
ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing tradeshow, is coming to Orlando, Fla., July 15-17. For the first time in 11 years ICAST will be located in the heart of the powerful southeastern sportfishing market. ICAST is the only sportfishing trade show where all major manufacturers display their entire product lines. For more information about ICAST 2009, go to the new ICAST Web site – www.ICASTfishing.org.
New ICAST Web Site Unveiled
In February, ASA launched a new ICAST Web site - www.ICASTfishing.org . This site offers all the information that exhibitors and attendees need to know about the world’s largest sportfishing trade show including registration, the show schedule and events, press room, exhibitor information and much more. Check out ICAST’s new online profile.
ICAST Registration and Housing Open!
ICAST exhibitor and attendee registration is now open. To register, please visit the new ICAST Web site – www.ICASTfishing.org . All exhibitors and attendees must be registered and badged for the entirety of the show. Badges for buyers and media-editorial attendees are complimentary. All other attendees and exhibitors should register by June 12, 2009 to take advantage of the discounted registration rates. In addition, you can now make your hotel reservations and register for ICAST at the same time. ASA has arranged special ICAST rates with over a dozen hotels in close proximity to the Orange County Convention Center. Make your one-stop reservations at www.ICASTfishing.org under Reservations.
Reserve Exhibit Space Today
Exhibit space is still available for ICAST; however, prime spaces are going quickly. ICAST 2009 will be located in the southeastern sportfishing market, where exhibitors can gain product exposure in from of to buyers from all levels of our industry as well as hundreds of media and manufacturers’ representatives. By becoming an ICAST exhibitor your company will gain access to the top people in the sportfishing industry. For more information or to reserve exhibit space at ICAST 2009, contact Kenneth Andres , x231.
New in 2009 – On-line Exhibitor Only Section
By now, you should have received your login and password information to enter the Exhibitor Only section on the ICAST Web site. Our goal is to provide the important information you need to make your presence at the show even more successful. In order to serve you better, we have established a new, Exhibitor Only section on ICAST’s new Web site, www.ICASTfishing.org . Please visit the 2009 Exhibitors Only section of www.ICASTfishing.org to obtain important information available only to exhibitors.
Thank You ICAST 2009 Sponsors
ASA would like to thank its members who have already signed on as ICAST sponsors: Gold - ESPN Outdoor/BASS , Crocodile Bay and ZEBCO Brands ; Silver - In-Fisherman ; and Bronze - Classic Fishing Products, Inc. and Gill North America . Thank you for your support!
ICAST Sponsorships Available
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. An ICAST sponsorship provides you with an effective way to highlight your company’s name in front of the global sportfishing community. By becoming an ICAST sponsor, your company will benefit from stand-alone recognition for your company and/or products and also help increase sales by leveraging your exhibit space. Sign up for sponsorship today and have your companies name in front of 7,000 industry leaders. For more information on sponsorships, please contact Kenneth Andres , x231.
American Sportfishing Goes Electronic
American Sportfishing the official publication of the American Sportfishing Association has gone electronic. By making American Sportfishing an electronic publication ASA is able to expand the information we provide for our members and the entire sportfishing community. ASA delivered its first e-newsletter – the January/February edition – on Friday, February 27. The electronic copy is also available online . If you did not receive an electronic copy of American Sportfishing and would like to be added to the distribution list, please send an e-mail to ASAcomm@asafishing.org ,
ASA Consumer Show Season Underway
ASA launched its 2009 consumer show season at the February 5–8, Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition in Worcester, Mass., and The Toyota World Fishing & Outdoor Expo in Suffern, N.Y., March 5-8. The Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show at the Long Beach Convention Center (CA) took place March 4-8. For information about exhibiting at the Del Mar Fairgrounds show, March 25-29, contact Bart Hall or Mike Lum, 805-389-3339. Exhibit space is still available at TheToyota Saltwater Fishing Expo, Somerset, N.J., March 20-22. For more information on exhibiting at the saltwater expo, contact Jonathan Sauers, 603-431-4315.
New Philadelphia Outdoor Sports Show to Launch in 2010
ASA is proud to announce an addition to its family of east coast-based fishing, hunting and outdoor shows. ASA is expanding its reach into the consumer outdoor sports market with the launch of the Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow scheduled for February 25-28, 2010, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, located a short drive from downtown Philadelphia. The new consumer show will serve more than 6 million fishing, hunting and outdoor sports enthusiasts. The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks is one of the largest privately-owned exhibition centers on the east coast with 220,000 square feet of exhibitor-friendly space and is located just twenty minutes from central Philadelphia - www.phillyexpocenter.com . For more information about the Greater Philadelphia show or ASA’s other east coast consumer shows, contact Consumer Shows Director Jonathan Sauers, jonathan@sportshows.com , 603-431-4315.
ASA Board of Directors March Meeting
ASA’s Board of Directors, Show Committee and Nominating Committee met March 5 and 6 in Long Beach, Calif., in conjunction with the ASA/Fred Hall’s Fishing Tackle & Boat Show at the Long Beach Convention Center. For more information about the Board and committee meetings, please contact Mike Nussman , x233, or Gordon Robertson , x237.
Jim Range National Casting Call and Family and Youth Day
On April 26 and 27, fisheries conservation successes from across the country will be in the spotlight during the annual Family and Youth Day and Casting Call on the Potomac River. This year’s Casting Call honors the memory of Jim Range, consummate angler and outdoorsman, who inspired the first Casting Call. On Family and Youth Day, families can learn fishing basics fisheries conservation. For more information, visit the www.familyandyouthcastingcall.com or www.nationalcastingcall.com .
Government Affairs Committee to Meet in April
ASA’s Government Affairs Committee will meet April 7 - 8, in Alexandria, Va. More details on location and meeting times are forthcoming. For more information, please contact Policy Fellow Mike Leonard , x230.
EFFTEX 2009
The European Fishing Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) is hosting its 2009 trade show, the European Fishing Tackle Trade Exhibition (EFTTEX), June 12–14 in Budapest, Hungary. For more information about EFTTEX 2009 or EFTTA, visit www.eftta.com .
Welcome New Members!
ASA welcomes these new members or members who reinstated their membership in February: Apex Outdoor Innovations Corp., San Jose, CA; Boating Expressions, Fountain Valley, Creme Lure Company, Tyler, TX; Essex Credit Corporation, Walnut Creek, CA; Fish Mount Decor Inc., Pompano Beach, FL; O'Keeffe's Company, Sisters, OR; Ocean Tackle International, Inc., Richardson, TX and Wolverine Tackle, Inc., Bartlett, IL.
Renew Your 2009 Membership Dues
If you have already renewed your 2009 ASA dues, we thank you for your continued commitment to ASA. If you have yet to renew and wish to do so using a credit card or have questions about membership, please call Membership Director Jill Calabria, x234. Also, in an effort to ensure you and your staff are receiving ASA’s member benefits such as Policy Watch, Member Update and American Sportfishing, ASA’s electronic newsletter, please send your staff roster to Jill Calabria.
FishAmerica Foundation Updates
To help FishAmerica keep our nation’s fish and waters healthy, visit FishAmerica online at www.fishamerica.org or contact Executive Director Johanna Laderman, x245 or Grants Manager Erica George, x247.
FishAmerica Continues to Work with Conservation Partners
FishAmerica Executive Director Johanna Laderman met with BASS State Conservation Directors at this year’s Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La. Laderman spoke with the directors about the FishAmerica Foundation and its grants process. Laderman also met with the Trout Unlimited’s Embrace-A-Stream Program (EAS) committee members to review the 2009 project proposals. FishAmerica provides up to $20,000 each year to Trout Unlimited in support of this program.
FishAmerica Thanks ASA Members
FishAmerica would like to thank the following ASA members for their FY 2009 donations to the foundation. These members have invested more than $49,000 in FishAmerica’s efforts to keep our fish and waters healthy through direct donations, FishAmerica Gulf Fund donations, licensed-product sales, tournament partnerships and endowment donations. They are: BLS Consultants; Carrera-Werner Sales Company; Citti Sales; Corporate Products, LLC (CORPRO); Daiwa Corporation; Do-It Corporation/Component Systems Paint; Evolution Products, Inc.; Expositions, Inc.; Fiber Consulting Services; FishGillz Sunglass Company; Frank & Fran’s Fisherman’s Friend, Inc.; FLW Outdoors; Jeff Robles & Associates; Jones & Company; Lamiglas, Inc.; Magic Products, Inc.; McClain Sales Company; Pro Line Manufacturing; Surf or Sound Realty; Yakima Bait Company; and ZEBCO Brands.
Future Fisherman Foundation Updates
For more information on Future Fisherman activities, contact Executive Director Anne Danielski, x254, or Manager of Education Teresa Rodriguez, x224.
Fishing for Funding
The Future Fisherman Foundation is embracing the challenge of finding additional funding to support operations into 2009. In January the foundation’s Board of Directors voted to continue the foundation’s operations. Those wishing to help the foundation can make a tax deductible, charitable donation by phone at (703) 519-9691, x254, or mail to Future Fisherman Foundation, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 420, Alexandria, VA, 22314. You also may request a donor letter to distribute to your network by contacting Anne Danielski or Teresa Rodriguez. For over 20 years, the Future Fisherman Foundation has worked nationwide to create nearly one million conservation minded anglers through creative programs and partnerships such as Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs, Physh Ed and after school programs with the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
Across the United States, winter is beginning to run its course. Despite the economy, attendance and sales reports from our east and west coast consumer shows are very positive. People want a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively, and from what we’re being told; they’re itching to get outside and put a line in the water. If we do our job as an association, anglers will continue to have places to go and find healthy and abundant fish at the end of the line long after the current economic crisis has passed.
I just returned from Long Beach, where ASA’s board of directors met during the ASA/Fred Hall’s Fishing Tackle and Boat Show at the Long Beach Convention Center and I was very impressed with the energy that I saw on the show floor. Consumers were clearly excited about the upcoming fishing and boating season and were out in full force to buy gear and equipment. I spoke with many of the exhibitors and there seemed to be one common theme; that they were happy with the show and that consumers were excited.
Our east coast consumer shows staff tells me that they too had strong attendance at the Worchester, Mass., and Suffern, N. Y., shows. My thanks go to them and to the exhibitors for producing two quality shows. I’m confident that the final show of the season in Somerset, N.J., will be just as, if not more, successful. Considering the economic environment, the reports from both coasts are great news for both our association and our industry.
I also received some more good news this week when I received the Outdoor Industry Association’s 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report. Each year, this report studies American’s participation trends in outdoor activities. As I read through the report a few statistics caught my eye that bode very well for our industry.
The number one outdoor activity among all Americans aged six and older is fishing. Fishing ranked ahead of all team sports, including basketball, baseball and soccer. Even more impressive was that fishing was the number one “gateway” activity, meaning that angling leads to participation in other outdoor activities such as hiking and camping. The Outdoor Industry Association estimates that in 2007 more than 50 million Americans participated in fishing and took more than one billion fishing outings.
What do all these number mean? It means that no matter how difficult the economic situation may appear, there are millions of dedicated anglers out there that look to our sport as a refuge. Thousands of anglers in Long Beach last week and on the East Coast in Suffern came out to show that they too are excited about the upcoming season. Seeing first hand the excitement in Long Beach and hearing about the great things coming from our east coast shows gives me a great sense of optimism for 2009.
Our association will get through these difficult economic times, just as we have gotten through troubling economic times before. We can do this by staying united as an association and continuing to work together on the many issues facing our industry.
