CEO NOW We have amazing ways to communicate immediately. Whether you are texting, e-mailing, using social media
NSGA OFFICERS
platforms or vehicles such as Teams Messaging or Zoom,
Chairman of the Board Pat Donnelley Donnelley Sports, Twin Falls, ID
you are just a few fingertip keystrokes from a discussion with someone. But what about the art of true face-to-face conversation?
Treasurer/Chairman-Elect Greg Miller Universal Athletic, Bozeman, MT
It may not be as comfortable, but it can also be more revealing since discussions are less filtered, body language and facial expressions are apparent and key
Past Chairman David Labbe Kittery Trading Post, Kittery, ME BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kevin Bezanson Cleve’s Source for Sports, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Bob Fawley Capitol Varsity Sports, Oxford, OH Gordon Geiger Geiger’s, Lakewood, OH David Lynn Dunham’s Sports, Troy, MI Mick Montgomery Denver Athletic Supply, Englewood, CO Ron Rugal B&R Sporting Goods, Shelby Charter Township, MI Jerry Williams Schuylkill Valley Sports, Pottstown, PA NSGA TEAM LEADERS Matt Carlson President & CEO Marty Maciaszek Team Dealer Division, Communications Julie Pitts Director, Public Affairs and President, NSSRA Nick Rigitano Director, Insights and Analysis Jennifer Shaffer Comptroller
points may not get lost in translation. Our opportunities to meet in person were not as readily available the last 18 months as they were under more normal circumstances. Fortunately, they have started opening up again and one of those great opportunities in our industry occurs at the end of September, when we are finally hosting the Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit again. To say the NSGA staff is looking forward to getting together with members of our industry on September 26–28 in Naples, Florida is an understatement after the 2020 Conference was canceled because of the global pandemic. The Conference is great for me as the President & CEO of NSGA to get a direct line on the issues we should focus on and the areas where we can improve. The same is true if you are a CEO or leader of a manufacturer or brand. The big concerns or issues retailers and dealers have may not always make it to your office. And when they do, you may not be getting the full story when it arrives second- or third-hand. At the Management Conference you can get the details directly. There are tremendous opportunities for networking throughout the three days — at receptions, in a resort hallway before or after a speaker session or during the popular Speed Networking on Monday afternoon. What you hear may not be candy-coated or filtered but it will be the full story on ways for you to better meet the expectations of the retailer and dealer community. You may not have an immediate solution to the problems but at least they are on your radar screen to bring back to your organization to address. There are many issues to tackle right now. Particularly when it comes to supply chain disruptions, price increases and product availability. The Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit is also a great two-way street for communication. It is your opportunity as a CEO to offer your perspective to the challenges you have so retailers and dealers have a better understanding. If you have not already registered for the event in Florida, there is still time to do so and take part in these important conversations. If you can’t make it this time, we hope to see you in May 2022 in Scottsdale, Arizona, because your leadership presence is important to the success of everyone in the industry.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is one of many organizations NSGA monitors for important rule changes. 4 | NSGA NOW ®
>> September/October 2021
NSGA NOW (ISSN 1045-2087) is published bi-monthly for members of the National Sporting Goods Association, 3041 Woodcreek Drive, Suite 210, Downers Grove, IL 60515. Phone: (847) 296-NSGA (6742); Fax: (847) 391-9827. Subscription price of $50 per year is included in membership fee. Non-member subscription information available from publisher. Periodical postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NSGA NOW,® 3041 Woodcreek Drive, Suite 210, Downers Grove, IL 60515. © NSGA 2021 all rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
