Well folks, we are at the doorstep of another new year and the first edition of Archery Wire for 2022. If you are like me, you made resolutions or goals over the break and then just stared at them for a while, thinking that just the simple act of writing them down will bring them into existence. (I’ve tried that tactic before and it doesn’t work.) Besides all the personal goals you made have set for yourself, I recommend adding one professional goal to your list. That is: to figure out how to rely less on social media and more on creating community. Coming from someone who manages social media accounts for a living, that may come as a shock to you. But if you’ve read my editorials this past year, you’ve seen the shenanigans I’ve endured on social media. In fact, if you really want the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, on the ups and downs I’ve seen most recently these past few years on social, then please attend my Masterclass session at ATA: “Serve Your Social Media Audience and Build Customers for Life.” Learn from my 15 years in social media marketing and how, literally, it changes monthly. But you know what doesn’t change? Serving your customers. Sign up for all the Masterclass sessions here, which takes place on Thursday, January 6 during the ATA Show.
To give you a bit more insight on the Masterclass sessions and why you should attend, I had a great conversation with Kurt Smith, Director of Industry Relations for Archery Trade Association. If you have ANY questions on these classes and whether you or your team should attend, please reach out to Kurt at kurtsmith@archerytrade.org
Michelle: ATA is hosting their Masterclass sessions again for this coming trade show and I assume that’s because of the positive reception you had from last year’s Masterclass. Can you share the tracks you are offering this year and how they might differ from last year?
Kurt: We received a very positive response from this program last year, even though we had to conduct it virtually. The tracks offered this year will remain the same (Business Operations, Marketing, Coaching and Archery Tech)…but we have some new presenters and there are new topics being covered in each track. Even if you attended last year, you’ll get plenty of new and different information in 2022.
Michelle: When developing these sessions, was there a particular ATA show attendee you all thought would benefit from these classes the most?
Kurt: The retailer is really the focus of much of the Masterclass content, but we really feel like the information is beneficial for anyone in the industry. We had at least a few manufacturers participate last year and I think they appreciated hearing what their retail partners encounter every day so they can hopefully help overcome those challenges and be a valued business partner. After all, no matter where you fit in the supply chain…it all boils down to a satisfied consumer who wants to keep participating in the sport.
Michelle: When registering for the Masterclass, you are offering pre-show sessions. Can you share more about those and what encouraged you to offer them?
Kurt: We try to offer pre-recorded content in each track to get some foundational information out to attendees. Even if you don’t have a chance to watch that content prior to the Trade Show, you can go back and watch later. It’s a good way for us to give attendees a little more “bang for the buck” even with limited time at the Show.
Michelle: If folks aren’t able to attend in-person, are the classes recorded to watch later?
Kurt: Even if you aren’t joining us in Louisville, you can register for the Masterclass and have a great experience. We will be live streaming half of the sessions to the MyATA Learning Center where you can view the video feed and also type in any questions or comments you might have for the presenter. Recording of those live streams will be available to watch shortly after the session has ended, and recordings of the other sessions will be posted in February.
See you all in Louisville!! Michelle Scheuermann, editor, Archery Wire