2004 Sportfishing Summit
Advancing an Angling Agenda
Overview of the 2004 Sportfishing
Summit and Beyond
Michael Nussman
ASA President and CEO
The success of the 2004 Sportfishing Summit reinforced to me the energy
and power that we have as an industry. Our members came to the Summit
believing it would be a success and it was. We, as ASA staff, worked
together with you and with our Board to create an opportunity to gain
information on the most relevant issues facing the sportfishing industry
as well as practical knowledge to help you develop and manage your business.
According to the evaluations, I believe we hit the mark. As a staff,
we do our best to provide a good venue, line up relevant speakers and
seminars, and handle all the Summit logistics to make things run as smoothly
as possible, but everyone who came contributed to the event’s success,
and I want to thank you for that.
I also want to thank the ASA Board members for the considerable time
and effort they put into the strategic planning process held just prior
to the Summit. We presented a new strategic plan to the Board and, collectively,
they gave us feedback regarding ASA’s business goals and objectives
up through FY 2006. We expect this to pay dividends over the next two
years.
Speaking of dividends, the fiscal year we just completed was a solid
one for the association. From the membership perspective, our roster
grew by 13 percent, the third year in a row of double digit growth. We
continue to look at retailers to grow our membership; not just for our
benefit but for theirs’ as well. We believe that we can be a voice
for the sportfishing community, from manufacturers to retailers, but
it’s up to us to invite them in. In fact, the Board approved a
recommendation by the Membership Committee to look at N.C.’s Outer
Banks area and southern California as two pilot areas to recruit 30 new
retailer members for ASA membership. Over the next several years, I’d
like to see our membership expand to better represent every sector of
the industry. In unity there is strength.
Our 2004 budget called for modest growth in revenues while we continued
to closely monitor expenses. I am pleased to say that FY 2004 ended on
the mark with revenues exceeding the budget and expenses coming in slightly
below budget. In other words, from membership to revenue to attendance
at ICAST: everything is up. It’s no secret that ASA has been through
some tough years, but I can safely say with pride and with confidence
that this association, from an operational standpoint, is on solid footing,
due, in no small part, to the talent and professionalism of the staff.
In looking at the state of our industry, most would agree that 2002
and 2003 were difficult years. Today, perhaps the best news is that the
economic backdrop we have today is considerably different. That’s
welcome news to all of us, especially after several tough years. However,
as we move into 2005, I believe that we’ll continue to grapple
with on-going challenges, such as expanding the marketplace, proposed
bans on lead in fishing tackle and new proposals for no-fishing zones,
as well as new challenges to recreational fishing. So how do we proceed?
Well, more than anything, the most fundamental role of your association
is to protect your long-term interests and to look out for you on policies
that affect your business. That’s where our Government Affairs
program comes in. We know you need to stay focused on your sales
today and in the next quarter. Our job is to look out for your tomorrow,
to keep an eye on the horizon for the next decade and help you be prepared
so that 10 years from now, 20 years from now, the industry, the sport,
and your bottom line are better off than they are today.
