Background:
In June the National Shooting Sports Foundation hosted the 2008 Shooting Sports Summit in Colorado Springs. The Summit gathered leaders from throughout the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry as well as key leaders from fish and wildlife agencies and conservation organizations to address key challenges that face the future of the shooting sports.

At the core of the Summit was a three-year research project titled, "The Future of Hunting and the Shooting Sports - Research-based Recruitment and Retention Strategies."  The report condenses the findings of one of the largest and most comprehensive studies ever conducted on the factors related to our industry. Funding for the research came from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in the form of a multi-state conservation grant. NSSF commissioned the firm of Responsive Management to conduct the research for the report.

The Summit closed out with attendees committed to taking action on key efforts to reach new hunters and shooters to ensure that our shooting traditions will be a lasting heritage passed on to future generations. To guide the successful implementation of this research the NSSF has developed Task Force 20/20^SM.

Member Organizations:
The Task Force consists of organizations representing manufacturers, state and federal agencies, hunting and shooting organizations, non-government organizations, media, shooting ranges and retailers.  There are 26 different organizations that comprise the Task Force 20/20.

Goal: (Why the Task Force 20/20 exists)
To increase hunting and target shooting participation through a coordinated recruitment and retention strategy and action plan.

Objectives: (What specifically will the Task Force 20/20 accomplish?)

• To increase hunting participation 20% in the next 5 years.
• To increase target shooting participation 20% in the next 5 years.

Action Plan & Strategy: (How will the Task Force 20/20 accomplish the objectives?)
The first assignment of the Task Force 20/20 was to extensively review the action items offered in Chapter 9 of the Future of Hunting and the Shooting Sports. Based on this review, the member organizations identified the following as key areas of concentration:

• Youth shooting programs
• Tailored products and services (using a Marketing Approach)
• Address aging demographics
• Physical access and availability
• A need for the coordination of industry efforts

Assessment: (How will the objectives be measured?)
Several areas will be monitored throughout the five year period (2009 - 2014) to determine progress and overall attainment of the objectives. These include but are not limited to Hunting and Target Shooting.

Best Practices:
Task Force 20/20 will be utilizing the Best Practices Workbook and Tool Kit to guide the implementation of the action items listed above.

It is encouraged that all industry organizations become familiar with this valuable source of information when creating or evaluating new programs and services for hunting and sports shooting.

Using both the Future of Hunting and the Shooting Sports research findings along with the Best Practices Tool Kit will ensure that all industry efforts are coordinated and based on the similar principles.

How can your organization contribute?