It's long after midnight at T.F.M. Headquarters and I am finally home and unpacked from several days spent in Denver at the International Fly Tackle Dealer show.
Simply put IFTD was an experience. I really didn't know what to expect and my plate ended up being quite full making sure that I met with as many Fishy Kid sponsors as possible over the course of two days I was at the show. It was also very neat to meet up writers, bloggers, and other industry types that I've been trading emails and the occasional phone call with over the past two years. I quickly saw the value of IFTD and the networking opportunity was unreal.
There has been a lot of stone throwing and opinions presented for and against AFFTA and the IFTD show over the past couple years and I really wondered what the experience would be as I hit the floor on day one of the show. (T.F.M. hasn't picked up to many stones to toss in either direction since I'm pretty new to the "industry" side of things and I also figure that most don't read this blog for hard hitting negative commentary either.)
Besides the lack of readily available WI-FI in the Social Media Lounge upon arrival on Thursday, overall I really felt that the vibe was extremely positive. Most everyone I talked to was looking towards the future with hope and giving newly appointed AFFTA president of Jim Klug, and a host of fresh board members, the chance to take the organization in a different direction to fit their needs better.
What I do know is that IFTD is more than checking out the latest "gear porn" and scoring free swag. For me it was about meeting people and understanding the scope of the fly fishing industry more fully. I had two very unforgettable days at IFTD and am already looking forward to the New Orleans IFTD show next year. Gumbo and redfish anyone?
Simply put IFTD was an experience. I really didn't know what to expect and my plate ended up being quite full making sure that I met with as many Fishy Kid sponsors as possible over the course of two days I was at the show. It was also very neat to meet up writers, bloggers, and other industry types that I've been trading emails and the occasional phone call with over the past two years. I quickly saw the value of IFTD and the networking opportunity was unreal.
There has been a lot of stone throwing and opinions presented for and against AFFTA and the IFTD show over the past couple years and I really wondered what the experience would be as I hit the floor on day one of the show. (T.F.M. hasn't picked up to many stones to toss in either direction since I'm pretty new to the "industry" side of things and I also figure that most don't read this blog for hard hitting negative commentary either.)
Besides the lack of readily available WI-FI in the Social Media Lounge upon arrival on Thursday, overall I really felt that the vibe was extremely positive. Most everyone I talked to was looking towards the future with hope and giving newly appointed AFFTA president of Jim Klug, and a host of fresh board members, the chance to take the organization in a different direction to fit their needs better.
What I do know is that IFTD is more than checking out the latest "gear porn" and scoring free swag. For me it was about meeting people and understanding the scope of the fly fishing industry more fully. I had two very unforgettable days at IFTD and am already looking forward to the New Orleans IFTD show next year. Gumbo and redfish anyone?
2 comments:
Great finally meeting you, Cameron. And great work with all the Fishy Kid stuff.
marshall
Marshall...great meeting you as well. Hopefully our paths will cross again and soon.
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