Let It Show, Let It Show

As huntingseason comes to a close, a new season is just getting ready to take off – tradeshow season. From industry shows tohunting and fishing expos, the next few months will congregate hunters andindustry veterans across the country to begin a new year. Though the Shooting,Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas, Nev., often draws a lot ofthe attention, the first big industry show is the Archery Trade Association(ATA) Show.

Unlike anormal expo, the ATA and SHOT shows are primarily for outdoor industry andmedia personnel. The 2015 ATA Show is being held in Indianapolis, Ind., thisweek (Jan. 8-10), and will be the platform in which many companies will showoff their new products. Don’t let the name fool you though, the ATA Show willhave everything from bows to food plots to camo clothing to the “surprises” ofthe Innovation Zone.

Properlynamed for predominately new products or “innovators,” the Innovation Zoneallows startups, inventors and new companies an area to show off why they arethe next big thing in the industry. As you might imagine, there are often somereal head-turners in this area that in a few years will be synonymous with thebig names in the business.

The show isa major business venture for many smaller outdoor retailers across the country.It’s here in which they will secure much of the product that will be sold in theirstores over the next year. The deals they strike here could make or break theirfinancial year. This is the show’s primary focus, and one of the reasons it iskept very low key and secure in order for dealers to accomplish all they needto.

But the showis a dream for any serious bowhunter. Walk around and visit everyone and anyonein the bow industry, and shoot bows that are not even on the shelf yet. Thereis no other place that you can wait in a short line to shoot the bows that willbe the talk of the year.

Since thereigns were tightened on the show a few years back, it has been tougher to getin if you are not a member of the ATA. In some ways this is unfortunate forthose who truly love the sport of hunting and archery, however, it also takes alot of pressure off many of Outdoor Channel celebrities. You can often see themjust hanging out walking around the show, a breath of fresh air for them beforethey start the busy “expo” season.

Next week I will recap a lot of the highlightsat the ATA Show and share some of my personal big whitetail gear favorites!