Southern Illinois National Hunting & Fishing Days Wake Up Southern Illinois

[OutaAmmo]

I got the "go ahead" on my mission to Wake up Southern Illinois. 

Today I have obtained a 10' x10' booth with one 8' table, 2 chairs and electricity at the the Southern Illinois Hunting and Fishing days, Saturday and Sunday Sept 25-26 at the John A. Logan College at Carterville, Illinois.


http://www.sihfd.org/

Southern Illinois Hunting and Fishing Days is held on the beautiful campus of John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois. This year's( 2010 ) event will take place on September 25th 9am--5pm, and September 26th 9am--4pm.

The event is presented by US Fish & Wildlife Service, Crab Orchard Refuge, McDonalds, Toyota Tundra, Dick's Sporting Goods, Winchester Ammunition, Weatherby Foundation, Bank Of Marion, Southern Illinois Bank, Williamson County Tourism Bureau is the largest celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day in the country. Established in 1987, this event has hosted more than half a million sportsmen and their families. Our average attendance is 25,000 plus. We are very well established and many view us as the premier Hunting and Fishing Day celebration. We invite you to be a part of it.

This event was created to celebrate our heritage of hunting and fishing in Illinois. It is an educational, family event, dedicated to teaching ethics, safety, and conservation in order to enhance the outdoor experience. ADMISSION AND PARKING ARE ALWAYS FREE!

Now I know this is a busy weekend for the Illinois with 3 Appleseed events.  The Marion Appleseed event is only 6 miles from the college and the line will have to be staffed.  We will need some help to make this happen.  This is the biggest outdoor show in Southern Illinois.  Just think about some of the gun shows that you have worked with maybe 2500 people coming by your booth.  Now imagine 25,000 people coming by your booth in 2 days!!!!!  Non stop good folks that want to know about Appleseed.

There may be a possibility that some of the really interested folks could go over to the Marion Shoot to take a peak.  If there is enough staff at the Marion maybe we could rotate some of the staff between the Marion and Carterville. 

Lets do some brain storming and Wake Up Southern Illinois at the Southern Illinois Hunting and Fishing Days.

OutaAmmo
Dave R

[Pappy]

Great Work: Now Team Illinois who is up for the promo effort? Contact FRED for a shipment of flyers for this event and the others you will be working this fall and winter...  Pappy

[Missouri Brigade]

Thanks for getting this lined up Dave.  Who will join in working the show and making sure the Marion shoot is staffed?

[Pappy]

Watch as ILLINOIS grows.... Pappy

[mtbrass]

Ok have it on my calendar but if I have to pick between this and the Sept. 11 shoot I think I will pick...Both

[Garand69]

Thanks OutaAmmo!

This is a big promo oppurtunity folks, who can spare the time to get down there???

[Missouri Brigade]

I'll be at the show and/or the shoot.  This should be a fantastic promotions activity.

[OutaAmmo]

Alright Appleseeders, It is less than 2 weeks to the Southern Illinois Hunting and Fishing Show.  If you really want Southern Illinois Appleseeds to grow this the place to spread the word about Appleseed.  With 25,000 people at the John A. Logan College this weekend (Sept 25-26) that is a lot of good folks to talk to about Appleseed.  It is the same weekend as the Marion Appleseed and only about 6 miles to the Marion range.  For those of you not working the Marion Appleseed come over and give me some help.  I am going to try and talk to all 25,000 people but it would be a little easier if a few of you of the Appleseed corp could lend me a hand.  Come over and see the show and just working for a couple of hours would be helpful.

See the current list of other venders

http://www.sihfd.org/vendors.php

This is not some fly by night hunting and fishing show, this is the BIGGEST show of the year in Southern Illinois.  Help be part of it.  Lets grow some Southern Illinois Appleseeds

OutaAmmo
Dave R

[Missouri Brigade]

Help, I need somebody
Help, not just anybody
Help, you know I need someone, help!

This is a big show.  If you can work a few hours, it is not too late to sign up!  I'm sure some people reading this were planning on going to the show any way.

Won't you please, please help me!!!!!

[Missouri Brigade]

So How did this go?  How about an AAR?

[OutaAmmo]

So How did this go?  How about an AAR?

Try this

http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=17182.0

I also wish I had some more targets than the few that you gave me.  I did hand out those targets to a few of the so called "experts" and asked them if they would shoot at the target and if they can get all of them in the "5 ring" like they said that they could be sure to contact us about being an instructor.

In all I think it was time well spent.  I only wish that the newly added Alton shoot in Nov would had been on the schedule before the sport show instead of after it. 

OutaAmmo

[Garand69]

AAR Sept 25-26 Southern Illinois National Hunting & Fishing Days

The largest outdoor show in Southern Illinois held at the John A. Logan College in Carterville, IL.  Whow what a great show, 25,000+ people. Weather was great. We where only 5 miles from the Marion, IL. Appleseed shoot.

BioGranny helped PlentyaAmmo and I on Saturday and appreciated her help. Thanks Donna

The Booth;
10 foot long
8 ft table with 2 chairs
Missouri Brigade loaned us a Project Appleseed Promotion Banner which we attached to the back of the circus tent  where we where with with 25 other exibitors
On the table we had Appleseed info, CMP catgalogs, a heavy poster board which I had a attached an AQT, 1 inch squares, and Red Coat targets, and my 28 inch CZ Ultra Lux bolt .22 gun.  I didn't have an LTR put together
I also quickly wrote in big letter on another big poster board and attached to a tent pole in the back of the booth the following messaqge
                     
                    WANTED
                 VOLUNTEERS
                LAND OWNERS
                  APPLESEED
                     NEEDS
                       YOU

The show ran from 9 to 5 on Saturday and 9 to 4 on Sunday.   It was non stop traffic both days.  I learned a lot at the booth and am a pretty good pitch man IMHO.  Had a lot of fun guessing kids ages that came up to the booth.

The good;

The landowner sign brought over four property owners and offered their land for an Appleseed shoot. WHOW!!

The people in Southern Illinois are interested in becoming Riflemen

Women like to hear, "Women and kids get to shoot FREE."

One lady stopped by and said her son was shooting at the Appleseed today 5 miles away

People stopped by just to look at the CZ rifle either to want to know what it was, to buy a raffle ticket or offer to buy it.  Rifles on the table creates "Stopped Traffic"


The Bad;

Several people said that they wanted to shoot the Appleseed this weekend but was "Sold Out"

At least 3 people told me they choose not to shoot the Appleseed because it was on the same day at the Southern Illinois Hunting and Fishing Days show.

Lots of guys with "Man Cards"    When ask if they would like to learn to shoot and they responded that they all ready knew how to shoot and I responded would you like to learn how to shoot better. A few stopped in there tracks and came over to the booth. Some would say they are already experts and I would say "Great'" we are looking for people like you to help us teach others, would you like to be an instructor, brought a few back to the booth.

Not another Appleseed in the area this year for all those that where interested without driving several hundred miles.


What I learned and would do different;

Possibly two tables if we could get more help to man the booth,

Add a few more rifles, LTR, Garand, AR15.....Rifles stop traffic

Maybe offer a drawing for a "FREE" Appleseed event.....traffic stopper

Some kind of video player showing what Appleseed is all about....traffic stopper

A photo albumn on the table with lots of pics and testimonials of kids and women

A big sign that says "Women and Kids shoot FREE"  "ask how" ..... would bring some to the booth

A big sign that says "We Teach Rifle Marksmanship"  As much as I like the Project Appleseed banner (it does get people looking this way) but it doesn't say what we do when people are walking by and "rubber necking"

I'm sure they is more that I could add but in all it was a very worth while sport show with a lot of youngsters and moms unlike the gun shows that I attend.  Look out for Southern Illinois to explode next year.

OutaAmmo