Trade Show
Exhibitors Report Increased Order Writing at 2024 ATA Show
The ATA Show is so much more than placing orders, but many exhibitors were satisfied with their Show sales.
Photo Credit: ATA
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Author: Cassie Gasaway
Exhibitors and attendees agree that the ATA Show, the largest archery-only Show in the world, brings together the who’s who of the industry, helping them to connect in person, build relationships, and launch or test new products. Because the ATA Show is a B2B event, many ATA members also write orders at the Show to prepare for the year ahead.
According to the 2024 ATA post-Show survey, when exhibitors and attendees were asked to rank their top reasons for attending the ATA Show, writing orders ranked sixth for attendees and fifth for exhibitors. The survey results confirm members place a higher value on other Show aspects, like networking and new product evaluations, but when brands and buyers do write orders, it’s a cherry atop the whole experience.
Exhibitors were happy with the order writing opportunities at the 2024 ATA Show. Photo Credit: ATA
Nearly 30% of exhibitors reported writing more orders at this year’s Show than they did last year. Plus, many exhibitors say they receive orders after the Show because of their presence at the Show. Pete Crawford, president of Stan Outdoors LLC, was among the many exhibitors who had great sales in St. Louis.
“It was really busy, especially in terms of writing orders,” he said. “We were writing orders right up until the Show floor closed each day. We had a significant percentage increase year over year in order writing. It was by far our best order writing Show compared to other ATA Shows.”
The Stan Outdoors brand has attended the ATA Show for over 20 years. Crawford said being a trending, fast-growing brand contributed to the order writing success, but he also credits the ATA Show’s ability to attract new dealers to the annual event. Stan Outdoors picked up more than 40 new dealer accounts in St. Louis.
“Many of the dealers that come to the Show are usually smaller to new dealers looking to expand their business,” he said. “When they finally come to the ATA Show, they come to see our products and meet us face to face, and we get a chance to create a customer relationship. The ATA Show is where you find these growing dealers and grow your own accounts.”
Another exhibitor, California Heat, attended their third ATA Show. Director Jennifer Ambrose said the brand did really well and was happy with the 2024 ATA Show turnout.
“You can tell the ATA Show is bouncing back,” she said. “Each year has gotten better and better. There were less tire-kickers and a lot of actual interest from dealers wanting to look at contracts and price sheets. We wrote more orders at this Show than we’ve ever written here and even did better than we did at the AIMExpo (America’s Powersports Tradeshow).”
Both brands put an emphasis on attracting dealers into their booths. Crawford and Ambrose said the high volume of orders they received were a result of those efforts.
“We work our tail off to create a perfect storm of dealer excitement,” Crawford said. “We did an aggressive Big Buck Tag coupon and I think that’s why we got so many dealers in our booth. If you’re just going to sit on your butt and not present to dealers or offer something exciting, you might hear a totally different story.”
Above, a retailer uses a Big Buck Tag with an exhibitor. Photo Credit: ATA
Ambrose said California Heat currently has a small marketing budget for Show promotions, but paying attention to every buyer who walked by really helped their business.
“We talk to everyone who walks by and that really helps break the silence and get them to come to our booth where we would talk about our Show special and Super Deal offer,” she said. “You can have all the stuff in the world, but if you’re not talking to people, no one will interact with your brand.”
The ATA Show is where the archery industry comes together to get a pulse on trends and happenings and improve their business. It’s where archery professionals stay informed, maintain relevancy and renew relationships through real, in-person interactions that can’t be replicated online or over the phone. Over 77% of attendees are already planning to attend the 2025 ATA Show, while only 1.7% of exhibitors said they don’t plan to exhibit at next year’s event.
Mark your calendar and join your peers for the 2025 ATA Show in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center, Jan. 8-10.
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