The ATA’s leadership staff and its Board of Directors agreed during their annual summer meeting to help USA Archery sanction college archery, and also approved a 30-second marketing video to kickstart the ATA’s consumer campaign Aug. 1.
The Board met May 20-21 in St. Louis, where 19 Board members and seven ATA staff also addressed industry challenges and reviewed the ATA’s 11 strategic-planning priorities set in 2018. Those priorities have an Aug. 31 deadline to ensure they get addressed in one year. All those priorities are completed or on track for completion by the deadline.
Here’s a recap of program updates and Board actions during the meeting.
A new ad encouraging non-archers to try the sport will debut on Aug. 1. Photo Credit: ATA
Consumer Marketing Campaign – The ATA will launch its national marketing campaign Aug. 1 to ignite consumer interest in archery and bowhunting. A 30-second video is in the final production stage, and was approved by the Board. It will run as an unskippable ad on digital, video and radio platforms nationwide. Allison Jasper, ATA’s senior director of marketing and communications, is developing a communications plan to prepare ATA members for new customers and increased participation.
The ad will play for ATA’s target audience, which is outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen from ages 25 to 44 who haven’t shot archery. Most ATA members won’t see the paid ad because of behavioral targeting, a marketing method that uses web-user information to improve and strengthen advertising campaigns.
The video, however, will be available to ATA members Aug. 1. ATA members can log into their MyATA member dashboard and click “Download Free ATA Resources” to watch the video through the ATA’s Resource Website. The ATA encourages its members to share the video to boost their marketing efforts and ensure many local consumers see the ad.
Bowhunting Equipment Standards – A motion was adopted that allows the ATA to recommend a 30-pound draw-weight minimum to state wildlife agencies that want to enact minimum draw-weight standards for hunting big-game species like white-tailed deer.
The ATA is drafting a position statement for its website. Dan Forster, ATA’s vice president and chief conservation officer, works to help state agency staff simplify regulations that might be causing barriers to bowhunting that hurt participation.
Final edits are in the works for a new archery range grant program. Photo Credit: ATA
Archery Range Grant Program – The ATA is finalizing application requirements and details for its new grant program for archery ranges and programs. Once the program’s application instructions are published, ATA members can apply for grants to create archery programs, or build or maintain ranges. Grant applications and required documents are due Dec. 1. ATA staff and the ATA’s Archery Range Grant Committee will notify grant recipients on April 15, 2020. Recipients will receive financial assistance in late-spring 2020. Board members are eager to see how ATA members plan to improve archery opportunities in their communities.
Sanctioning Archery – The Board endorsed efforts to sanction archery as a college sport. Research finds that sanctioning archery as a high-school sport proves challenging without next-step opportunities in college. The “college first, high school second” approach to sanctioning bass fishing worked for the sport’s governing body, the Association of Collegiate Anglers.
The ATA partnered with USA Archery on a staffing grant to hire a Director of Marketing and Member Experience. Jennifer Mazur, ATA’s senior director of outreach and education, will work with USA Archery on strategic marketing initiatives to advance the growth of youth and collegiate archery in the U.S.
Membership Dues – The Board discussed ways to restructure membership dues. Maria Lewis, ATA’s senior director of Trade Show and membership, worked with the Member Benefits Advisory Team to restructure dues for 2020. The Board agreed to separate dues from booth size for distributors and manufacturers.
For past ATA shows, regular manufacturer and distributor dues were based on the square feet of a company’s booth size. Companies then paid additional costs for booth space to exhibit. The updated dues will separate those concepts to reduce confusion about costs.
Future Trade Shows – The Trade Show Advisory Team toured St. Louis as a potential host for the Trade Show. The Show’s location is scheduled through 2023, but the advisory team is studying options for 2024 and beyond. ATA staff and Board members believe different venues can attract new attendees and inspire exhibitors to expand booth offerings. The team is also researching general trade-show trends in other industries to ensure the ATA Show delivers on quality and relevancy.
The Board also approved a new schedule for the 2020 Trade Show. Only ATA-member retailers and exhibitors will be allowed on the Show floor on Day 1. This move ensures buyers and manufacturers can focus on order writing, business planning, and new-product evaluations the first day of the three-day Show. The Show floor opens to all other attendees the next two days.
Click here to read the ATA’s 2019 Year in Review, which highlights ATA staff accomplishments the past 12 months.
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