2025 National R3 Symposium
The 2025 National R3 Symposium took place in Portland, Maine, from May 19–22, bringing together professionals from across the country dedicated to increasing participation in hunting, shooting sports, angling, and outdoor recreation. Hosted by the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (the Council), the in-person event welcomed 201 registered attendees representing 33 state agencies, 32 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 14 industry partners, four universities, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Council was proud to host an impressive lineup of 46 speakers, featuring some of the brightest minds in recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3). The Symposium featured a dynamic agenda with high engagement across sessions, including “Hunting and Shooting Sports Participation,” “Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Hunting and Shooting Sports,” “Hot Seat Interviews,” and the popular Casco Bay Cruise. Attendees actively participated through the Whova event app, where 84% downloaded the app and generated over 220 messages on the community board, 226 private messages, and 933 profile views.
Networking and collaboration remained a key strength of the event, with two meetups, seven business card exchanges, and strong engagement through curated breakout sessions and trainings. Participants represented agencies, NGOs, and industry partners nationwide, with the top affiliations including CAHSS, DJ Case & Associates, and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
With robust use of digital tools, high session attendance, and enthusiastic participant feedback, the 2025 National R3 Symposium reinforced its role as the foremost national gathering for advancing R3 efforts.
2025 Photo Gallery
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Presentations
2024 National R3 Symposium
The 2024 National R3 Symposium took place from May 29 to June 1 at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Alabama. This annual Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) event gathered 210 professionals from agencies, non-governmental organizations, and industries across the nation. A key highlight was the release of the National Hunting and Shooting Sports R3 Practitioner’s Guide. This guide, the result of a two-year collaborative effort by the Council, The Assessment Group (TAG), TAG Review Panel, and DJ Case and Associates, compiles extensive knowledge from experts in conservation agencies, non-profit organizations, and the industry. Through thorough research and real-world case studies, the guide provides practitioners with essential tools for navigating the changing landscape of hunting and shooting sports participation.
2024 Photo Gallery
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Presentations
2023 National R3 Symposium
The 2023 National R3 Symposium was held May 22-25 in Albuquerque, NM. There were 249 registered professionals, ranging from practitioners to CEOs, representing 107 agency, nonprofit, industry and academia organizations. Sessions addressed hunting and shooting sports participation, tribal R3 engagement, avidity, What Women Want research findings, industry engagement, hunting regulation complexity, virtual resources available to hunter and shooters and more. In partnership with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), the Council continued providing an opportunity for half-day R3 training to provide the foundation and understanding of R3 principles and strategies to inspire success.
2023 Photo Gallery
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Presentations
2022 National R3 Symposium
The 2022 National R3 Symposium was held May 2-5 in Broken Arrow, OK. There were 220 professionals, ranging from practitioners to CEOs, representing over 100 different organizations in the agency, nonprofit, and industry space in attendance. Sessions addressed hunting participation and land access, shooting participation and range access, policy and regulations, technological solutions, social media and marketing, storytelling and mentorship, and diversifying hunting and the shooting sports. In partnership with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), the Council hosted a half-day R3 training opportunity. The session will helped lay a solid foundation and understanding of R3 principles and strategies to inspire success.
2022 Photo Gallery
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R3 PRACTITIONER’S GUIDE
