Alexandria, VA – May 6, 2021 – The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is pleased to announce Take Me Fishing™, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation’s (RBFF) consumer-facing brand, as the ICAST 2021 presenting sponsor.
ASA, the trade association that represents the sportfishing industry, will once again host the world’s largest recreational fishing trade show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. from July 20 – 23.
In its 64th year, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, offers buyers, media and other attendees the opportunity to experience the largest marketplace of fishing industry businesses and to see and learn about the latest recreational fishing products and services available to anglers.
RBFF, the national non-profit focused on increasing participation in recreational fishing and boating, in partnership with industry and government, promotes the joys of fishing and boating to Americans from all walks of life through its national campaigns, Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™, to thereby help conserve and restore our nation’s aquatic natural resources.
In addition to being the presenting sponsor, Take Me Fishing™ is also supporting the State of the Industry Breakfast. This year’s keynote speaker is Jay Baer, top brand guru and Speaker Hall of Fame member, who will provide insight into how the sportfishing industry can help retain the millions of people who took up fishing over the past year.
“I want to thank RBFF’s President and CEO Frank Peterson for his support of the recreational fishing industry by committing to be the ICAST 2021 presenting sponsor,” said ASA President Glenn Hughes. “We appreciate all the work that the RBFF team does to engage and educate new and returning anglers about the fun and excitement of a day on the water.”
Hughes further noted, “With millions more people taking up fishing or returning to the sport this past year, RBFF’s efforts to connect with women, youth and multi-cultural families are more important now than ever. As an industry we support this effort and I encourage everyone to use Take Me Fishing’s tools and resources to keep and bring even more anglers into the sport.”
ICAST offers an array of business development sessions, also supported by Take Me Fishing™, that will focus on topics ranging from social media to increasing fishing participation to retaining new anglers through fine-tuning the customer experience and marketing.
“Leveraging industry research and consumer trends, RBFF has spent the last 20+ years recruiting new audiences to an activity that has traditionally been dominated by older white males,” says RBFF’s President & CEO, Frank Peterson. “Through our research, tools and other resources, we support the fishing and boating industries’ efforts to recruit, retain, and reactivate anglers and boaters from diverse backgrounds.”
Hughes concluded, “We’ve seen dramatic growth in tackle sales over the past 12 months. By partnering with RBFF, we can help ensure that our industry takes full advantage of the enthusiasm around fishing and grow our sport.”
Learn about the variety of research and resources RBFF offers to support the fishing industry with customer engagement efforts on the RBFF Corporate Resource Center.