August 1500

[AuntieBellum]

So, I know we're over a month away from the August 1500 (August 27-28-29), but I thought it might be nice if we thought about having a table at this one since we weren't at the smaller June event.  The 1500 was my first experience talking directly with someone from RWVA about Appleseed. 

Are we thinking about being there?  If we aren't signed up and want to be, I'd be happy to figure out how to get a table for us.  I have no idea how this was done in the past, so if someone has a connection or there's a special process, etc, I don't want to step on toes, either.  I know we need to look outside the gun community, too, but I know lots of gun people who still haven't done an Appleseed yet (and yes, I've talked to them and I'm working on them !)

And I'm free to help man the table all day Saturday.  For you INGO'ers, it looks like there might be an Indy-area dinner that evening after the 1500, too.   

[hawkhavn]

The process is for me to write them a check, which is going out in the morning.  We need to push our new upcoming fall shoots and the Sparta 300 in September.

I usually set up on Friday afternoon and am there again on Sunday for teardown.  That may need to change due to my new job.

So, who is in for a shift at the 1500?

HH

[AuntieBellum]

The process is for me to write them a check, which is going out in the morning.  We need to push our new upcoming fall shoots and the Sparta 300 in September.

I usually set up on Friday afternoon and am there again on Sunday for teardown.  That may need to change due to my new job.

So, who is in for a shift at the 1500?

HH

  I'd like to say great minds think alike, but I'm guessing you were on top of this well before it popped into my head.   

And I suspect you'll have Rimshot's offer to help out momentarily...I can't imagine he would want to sit at home alone while I'm out at a gun show talking up Appleseed!

[Rimshot]

Of course I'm in.  Obviously Saturday would be easiest.  Auntie and I can work the table all day.

[hawkhavn]

OK, we have SAT covered, who else wants to join in on the fun?
BTW, you get in free!

HH

[EEL]

Just a quick note:  The 300 shoot......It's no longer at Sparta.  It will be at Waterman, IL.  The Aurora Sportsmen's Club.  They have a web site with some pics also.

Thanks neighbors for help in doing promo on this one 

EEL

[hawkhavn]

Sorry, my slip, I was only there last weekend...

HH

[West]

I'll work it... whatever it is you are all talking about.

Friday afternoon/evening/night would be best for me.

West

[hawkhavn]

OK, West and I have Friday afternoon/evening.
AB and Rimshot have SAT.
Who wants to do Sunday with me?

HH

[TBE]

I'll work the table Sunday,  I'll see if I can get some more folks too  .

[SPQR]

I will do Sunday, too. 

[AuntieBellum]

So I thought I'd think ahead and ask what we should bring to the 1500. 

I'm guessing you'll have plenty of brochures there waiting for us, hawk? 

I see some flyers listed in the Flyer and Gun Show material thread - any of those we should bring or anything I can update and post/bring? 
I see LTR set-up as something probably helpful.  Upcoming dates would probably be good - I'd be happy to print and bring some inserts for the brochures.  Maybe techres could email me the original file to delete old/add new dates? (I don't have the tools to edit a pdf, but I can do other files if created in another program - Word, Excel, Publisher.)

Also, we're planning on bringing our netbook and having it ready and open to the webpage to help get people to sign up for upcoming shoots.

And, I see the LTR demo sign - do we typically have an LTR there on display?  I have no problems bringing mine to display if it's been helpful in the past.

[hawkhavn]

Bring the LTR, we usually have one on the table as eye candy, plus everyone can see how Techsights look and sling usage can be demonstrated.
We do need the IN flyer redone with current dates/locations, but it is .pdf.
I will have plenty of printed material already on the table.
The netbook is great.

HH

[AuntieBellum]

Thanks, hawkhavn!

[hawkhavn]

OK, we're official!
I was getting worried because my check had not cleared yet for the table fee.  However, our 1500 registration pack showed up today so we're good to go!

HH

[West]

Hey all,

Some of you know that I will be getting things going on Friday.

I will do the best I can.  If anyone can show up and lend a hand, you'll do me a kindness.  Wandering in blind - and going to be leading the blind...  LOL

Ed,  you're in my prayers.

West

[hawkhavn]

All,

West found the fairgrounds, got registered and is 7th stepping like mad!
Looking forward to tonight's AAR, with SAT/SUN to follow.

Thanks everyone,
Ed

[AuntieBellum]

It was definitely a good day of 7th stepping - I'm convinced we'll see some new people on the line soon! We spent some serious time with a couple people talking through the COFs and LTR set-up, so they were serious!

There is plenty of material left for Sunday. We also left a large Waterman poster that we hoped to get posted at Cabelas. As that did not work out, someone please put it to good use.

And West, it was great to meet you - looking forward to working with you in the future!

[West]

I had a great time, despite my original ideas of my inabilities due to my lack of ASing for a while.

I think it went really well, and Saturday was PACKED, so Im sure that Rimfire and Auntie Bellum did great!

With care,

West

[TBE]

SPQR and I arrived at the designated time and found our table to be in good order. 

We replaced the tear-offs in the men's restroom, many of them having at least half the tabs torn off of them (When we pulled the pages down after the show was over, roughly half were torn off again).

We set in for a good, hard, day of seventh stepping.  I feel that we had a very good day with many, many people stopping by to talk to us. 

I did not keep track, but I would estimate that we made at least three to five good pitches per hour over the course of seven hours.  (a good pitch being defined as having engaged a person or group for five or more minutes after getting past our "elevator speech" and into the meat of our program). 

We had a decent turnout, but not packed wall to wall.   We did have a steady stream of people to ask, "do you shoot rifles?" and got to pitch our elevator speech countless times. 

We met a few AS alumni and all were very positive about their experiences.  We talked to about five people who were on the fence and we did our best to help them over that fence. 

We met several people who had read of us in shotgun news, backwoods home, and on the internet.  We met several others who had heard about us "somewhere" and wanted to know more about us.  I think we will get some shooters from these groups. 

We met several people who had not heard of us, but were very receptive, especially some fathers in their 30's-50's with youngish children and some women of various firearms experience.

We pitched "military shoots free"  to the military, "youth shoot free" to the parents and 18-20 crowd, "LEO's shoot free" to the LEO's, "Ladies shoot free" to the ladies, and "$70 is a pretty good value for two days of marksmanship instruction" to everyone else. 

We were very well received, with no one making any negative remarks or casting dispersions on our program's intent or nature.   

I feel that we will get shooters from the people we spoke to today. 

SPQR has the tote, sign, West's binder, etc. 

Speaking of SPQR, I expect him to be along sometime to give his impressions. 

All in all, I had a great day and I am grateful for the opportunity.

[Rimshot]

AuntieBellum hit most of our notes, but I'll throw a couple thing out there:

The tear offs in the men's room were huge.  I can't say that they'll be directly responsible for shooters on the line, but it's 5 minutes of work for a full day's captive audience and I know we had visitors to the table as a direct response to the tear offs.  The ones placed in the ladies' room didn't get nearly as big a response.  Maybe there could be a more targeted version for just that purpose?  Emphasizing the ladies only shoots, free women and children, that sort of thing?

We had power and kept our netbook on standby ready to pull up event registration pages, but we didn't have a single opportunity to pull it out.  Really the best use we came up with for it was to use the case to haul out the steel targets we purchased.

Waterman was a big attention getter and the whole "nearly 4000 rounds downrange in 3 minutes 50 miles outside Chicago" schpiel bought me enough interest to get past the elevator speech, talk up the heart of the program and get a schedule in people's hands, but most of the attendees I talked to were more interested in shoots close to home.  We gave the 18x24 poster with the Backwoods Home painting a prime spot on the table, but there were maybe a half-dozen non-AS veterans that gave it a second look.  It was just a little short notice for new attendees.  If the 1500 had been 3 weeks earlier we might have gotten more bites.  I think the idea of the 300 shoot will put shooters on the line at our local shoots.

The national media attention drew a few people in.  About 25% of the people who had not attended an Appleseed said they'd heard about us in SGN or on Fox (only one mentioned the NYT).  There were no negative comments about our program or goals.  In all honesty my grandmother was a tougher audience than anyone at the show.

[SPQR]

I pretty much back up what TBE said.  I think we need to put together a smoother message for parents.  I spoke to one LEO and worked in a comment about how my local constbulary was not being properly trained in their AR usage out to the full extent of its abilites and got a response that that was the case elsewhere as well.  We ought to push that.  Tell LEOs in our localities that we can do them real good with their ARs out past 100.

[West]

Well I think the 1500 will turn out fruitful.

Just one question..

Who has my binder?

West

[AuntieBellum]

Rimshot and I left it on top of the plastic bin when we left on Saturday.  Good reading.   

[hawkhavn]

I have it and will return it to West this weekend.

[TheEditor]

The seeds are starting to bear fruit!   

A guy named Steve from Decatur, IL called me today.  Said he first found out about Appleseed at the Indy 1500 gun show, but there were no shoots in his area.  Then he went to the Decatur, IL Gun show, and got the full treatment from the Appleseed contingent, and picked up a flyer for the newly minted Clinton, IL shoots.  He called to find out if there was enough room at the October Clinton shoot for him to bring 8 or 9 shooters. 

You bet there's room.  He's very excited, as well as family and friends. 

Good job gun show crews, both in Indiana and Illinois!

The Editor

[hawkhavn]

Good news! It is nice to hear those seeds we cast into the wind find fertile soil.

HH