Jason Price
So, I came on at Grand Slam Club Ovis the early part of last year. And we're looking for new ways to introduce our organization to the maximum amount of people. Our market has changed. Everyone has been threatening “the markets changing” for the last 10 years. But I think COVID probably sped that up. We had some things that kind of happened internally with GSCO with some convention dates that really got me thinking outside the box. I met with Laird, I think in a coffee shop outside of Memphis, as you were in route from Dallas to Alabama.
The point of that meeting was really just to introduce myself. But Laird made a comment in that meeting. And I left there feeling like there was a partnership opportunity with SCI. We all talk about partnerships in conservation. And most of the time, we’re just talking about it.
But when I left that meeting, I felt like this had the potential to be a true partnership. The full fruition is still ongoing, but I think the sky’s the limit for this. It’s a bigger deal than probably most people will pick up on. But it has the opportunity to be really big; industry changing, and I think it will be layered.
Laird Hamberlin
This is an opportunity to have two great international organizations play to their strengths.
After last year's convention in Nashville, SCI is proving that what Forbes put in their article that it's, you know, “the Superbowl of the hunting industry”. It truly is the greatest hunting show on earth.
Going forward, we’re happy and proud to to continue our partnership relationship and our relationship with GSCO for quite some.
They are part of the Pantheon Award. That is the absolute most difficult award there is to get.
There's all kinds of awards that are out there, some of them around perfectly fine.
But from a conservation standpoint the Pantheon award that SCI and GSCO partner on, truly is the pinnacle of all the awards. And we just took this partnership to the next level.
We’re trying to enhance STIs mission of being first for hunters, and bolstering our efforts to promote conservation and responsible and sustainable practices worldwide.
We're gonna be able to do that by expanding GSCO’s partnership.
And we need to make sure this is clearly communicated: we did NOT acquire GSCO. We did not “take over” GSCO. It is independent and will continue to be. We’re proud of that.
We do have acquisitions that we've made over the years and partnerships and JVs. But this truly is a partnership with SSCO. They're going to be able to leverage our convention in Nashville, by extending in a day to do their work program and their banquet and their fundraiser - and all the vendors will already be there, although they will be leaving on Sunday after the convention. But the GSCO membership will be able to stay there on Sunday and have their life member breakfast and lunch and their dinner. And we’ll all be there. It’s just a huge opportunity.
