The 2015 ATA show has come and gone, and as usual, the SELFILMED crew was onsite to report on the action. I myself have been fortunate enough to participate the past two years, and I have to say, the ATA show is quickly becoming one of my most anticipated trips of the year. Along with the excitement of seeing all of the newest products on the market, it is a great opportunity to see old friends and make new relationships alike.
I remember in my days prior to attending the ATA show, I heard many people say things like “the ATA show isn’t that great”, “I don’t really think it’s worth the trip”, or “the ATA show really isn’t a big deal”. Well let me tell you, the ATA show is a BIG deal! Imagine everyone in the industry, big or small, all gathered together under one roof. That’s the ATA show for you. Manufacturers, personalities, consumers, they are all there. One of the best things is you can go up and speak to any of them at will. This isn’t necessarily the venue to get star struck over your favorite hunting celebrity, but it is certainly feasible to have a conversation with them, and perhaps even a long one about what has helped them along the way. The ATA show is a place where relationships are made, ideas are shared, and where the archery community comes together as one.
Now I know all of that sounds really serious, and I know that it is. But let me tell you what else the ATA show is, the ATA show is fun! If you are like me, you have checked your mail before, only to find you received your annual copy of the Cabelas hardback edition master catalog. You browse for hours upon hours, dreaming about the new gear you will buy. The ATA show lets you do the same thing, but you don’t just look at the products, you pick them up and handle them. Shoot a new bow, sit in a new treestand, you name it. It is safe to bet if it’s made for bow hunting, it’ll be at the ATA show.
If that isn’t good enough, any questions you may have on a new or possibly older product you own, can be right then and there. And often times, you can ask the folks who literally thought the product into existence. Who better to ask about your Carter release than Forrest Carter himself? Or if you have purchased one of the many great products from Firenock, but you just don’t quite understand how to maximize it’s effectiveness, Dorge Huang would be more than happy to set you on the right path. To have this opportunity alone makes the ATA show worth attending.
Aside from all of the functional perks, it is amazing just to think about all of the time and energy that has to go into setting up such a huge show. To see the extravagant displays some of the companies setup really speaks well to how excited they are about the products they make. After all, making a quality product is only half the battle, and adding in a great presentation never hurts your business.
And speaking of presentation, if you are one of those people who got to the ATA show in a rush like I did and didn’t really have time to prepare your personal presentation, have no fear…hair cuts were being given on site! I mean really, who wants to go make new friends when you haven’t had the time to properly groom yourself.
One last thing I should mention, for those of you who don’t already know, the ATA show is not an open to the public event. And despite all of the fun to be had there, at the end of the day, the ATA show is focused on business. One thing is for sure, if you have a chance to attend, don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
For more information on the ATA show and how to get there, visit their website at http://www.archerytrade.org.