I recently returned from the 2024 ATA (Archery Trade Association) Show, which took place for the first time in St. Louis, Missouri. FYI: The primary purpose of the industry-only (i.e. trade) event is connecting archery retailers with exhibitors. The general public isn’t allowed into the Show.

Several of the exhibitors I talked to reported strong order writing, particularly on the Show’s first day (January 11). Unfortunately, bad weather (cold, snow and severe winds) hit the central United States on January 12, and I think many retailers left town early to beat the storm. Traffic on the Show floor was lighter (my opinion) during the second and third days. The 2-minute YouTube video below does a good job of highlighting the event.

According to a press release from the Archery Trade Association, this year’s event attracted more than 100 archery retailers to their first ATA Show. Also, retailers were able to get their first look at more than 150 newly launched products, which can all be found in one area on the Show floor called the New Product Launch Showcase.

This year, three of these new products were recognized with awards for their achievements in new product design, innovation and the ability to meet customer demands. These awards are voted on by a panel of industry expert judges. The 2024 awards were announced during the Show’s Industry Celebration event, presented by Mossy Oak. Check out the winners in the three short YouTube videos below.

2024 ATA New Product Launch Gold: StealthRig Lite by StealthRig LLC

“The bino harness was designed with modularity in mind,” said Tyler Stallings, owner of StealthRig, LLC. “Once you have a magnet and quick release it can now fit onto any vehicle that StealthRig comes up with and you now have the engine to run with all these different systems.”

2024 ATA New Product Launch Silver: Hypo 2 Blade by Annihilator Broadheads

“We're bringing our new cavitation technology into this broadhead,” said Brandon Brodie, co-owner of Annihilator Broadheads. “We're also introducing in this broadhead new crosscut technology. It prevents wounds from collapsing and closing on the animal.”

2024 ATA New Product Launch Bronze: HyperLite Climbing Sticks by Trophyline USA

“We didn't want to create something that was just the lightest, just the strongest, just the most compact, we wanted something that did all of it and did it well,” said Nick Betts, director of operations for Trophyline. “It is 33% lighter than aluminum, 22% stronger and three times quieter.”

New Award Categories

The ATA also added six new award categories for the New Product Launch Showcase this year; the winners are:  

• Best New Bow: Ballista MegaBAT by Ballista 
• Best New Broadhead: Hypo 2 Blade by Annihilator Broadheads 
• Best New Release: The Ultimate Flex by T.R.U. Ball and AXCEL Archery 
• Best New Technology: QuivAR - Archery Shot Analysis App by QuivAR 
• Best New Gear: Tetrad Ultimate Duffle Bag by Twisted Iron Hunting 
• Best New Accessory: Tree Gear Collection by JAKT GEAR