Robert Boudrie - Area 7 Director Candidate

Industry/Sponsor Relations

I served as business manager and prize coordinator for the AWARE Invitational from 1993 through 1995, and I have considerable experience dealing with sponsors. Active industry participation, and the visibility it generates in the gun press, is crucial to the success and further growth of our sport.

In order to improve vendor relations, we should:

Welcome Vendor's Products - We should provide a division in which individuals using currently available consumer handguns are "fully competitive". USPSA needs to welcome individuals who own the type of handgun you would currently find in a gun shop to participate without penalty or competitive disadvantage within their division. In order to protect our member's investment in equipment, this should be done as a new division, without changing existing divisions.

Marketing Partnerships - USPSA should pursue "marketing partnerships" with vendors. Manufacturers should be given sponsorship credit for marketing activities which recruit new USPSA members (for example, including a USPSA membership application in the box with selected models of handguns). If we can get a few major gun manufacturers on board, this could put our name in virtually every gunshop in the country.

Clear and Unambiguous rulings - Vendors need to know what is acceptable in USPSA competition, and they must have the confidence that USPSA's rulings will not "waffle." (we have had some problems, and loss of sponsor goodwill, in the past when rulings changed, or were not properly understood in the first place) I will propose that all USPSA/NROI rulings pertaining to equipment permitted in various divisions be in writing; filed with the USPSA office; and made available on the USPSA web site. I will also propose that only the official written rulings be considered official USPSA policy.

	Welcome Vendor's Products - We should provide a division in which individuals using currently available consumer handguns are "fully competitive". USPSA needs to welcome individuals who own the type of handgun you would currently find in a gun shop to participate without penalty or competitive disadvantage within their division. In order to protect our member's investment in equipment, this should be done as a new division, without changing existing divisions.
	Marketing Partnerships - USPSA should pursue "marketing partnerships" with vendors. Manufacturers should be given sponsorship credit for marketing activities which recruit new USPSA members (for example, including a USPSA membership application in the box with selected models of handguns). If we can get a few major gun manufacturers on board, this could put our name in virtually every gunshop in the country.
	Clear and Unambiguous rulings - Vendors need to know what is acceptable in USPSA competition, and they must have the confidence that USPSA's rulings will not "waffle." (we have had some problems, and loss of sponsor goodwill, in the past when rulings changed, or were not properly understood in the first place) I will propose that all USPSA/NROI rulings pertaining to equipment permitted in various divisions be in writing; filed with the USPSA office; and made available on the USPSA web site. I will also propose that only the official written rulings be considered official USPSA policy.