FEATURE ICAST MAXIMISING ICAST: TIPS & TRICKS FOR YOUR VISIT Australian fishing tackle pro Billy Parsons explains how to make the most of a tackle and gear-filled ICAST this summer in Orlando. It takes 24 hours to travel from Melbourne, Australia to Orlando, Florida but Billy Parsons, the general manager of Australian tackle supplier J M Gillies has been boarding planes and crossing the Pacific for more than a decade to attend ICAST, the annual trade show produced by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA). It’s the largest recreational fishing tackle trade show in the world, bringing together more than 12,000 attendees from 73 countries last year. “Everyone’s in one place,” says Parsons. “That’s the big thing for us. If we couldn’t do ICAST, it would take 10 trips oversees to see various people. So, the economy of doing it all in one place is the biggest advantage to us.” Often, Parsons flies back to Australia with product orders in tow and pallets of new SKUs en route to a warehouse on the other side of the world – some of which have never been seen on retail shelves before. This year, ICAST has announced exciting additions like the ICAST Fly Shop and expanded New Product Showcase categories. Parsons has plenty of tips ready to help new attendees make the most of their time on the show floor. 18 www.tackletradeworld.com SUPER TUESDAY Kicking everything off, this is the day for attendees to enjoy Florida’s famous sunshine while potentially landing a legendary big bass in the ICAST Cup Bass Fishing Tournament, presented by Major League Fishing, or test products in action at ICAST On The Water Product Demo Day. The fishing kicks off at 5:30am, with a 9am weigh-in preceding the gate opening at Product Demo Day at 10am. It is capped by the New Product Showcase Preview Reception, which allows credentialed buyers and media to enjoy appetisers and drinks while voting for the best new products in 37 categories. “Going to the New Product Showcase the night before the show opens is a good use of time,” Parsons adds. “Everyone can see anything that is new. You can go right in and pick products that are interesting. And sometimes, if it’s super-interesting, you can quickly go to that manufacturer the next morning and try to make an exclusive deal.” WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY Show doors officially open at 9am after the State of the Industry Breakfast. And while many retail teams hop right into meetings, Parsons directs his crew to keep the first half of the day open. He schedules no meetings until noon, in order to give his team time to walk the show floor and scout out new products. In between meetings, carve out time to attend at least one of the daily Lunch & Learn business seminars. With a range of topics covering marketing, social media and customer engagement presented by leading experts, these free seminars are a valuable tool to spark new business improvement ideas. Billy Parsons Midweek also offers an opportunity to swing by the ICASTing Pond and FlyCASTing Pond to try out rods, reels and line or the all-new Fly Shop booth. FRIDAY Parsons recommends circling back with new connections on Friday. “If we’ve got a new business opportunity, we go back in and make sure that we are 100 per cent locked down. Generally, that’s a second meeting where we might be going in and writing an order. We sometimes literally go line-by-line and order a new range of products.” The final day also offers your last opportunity to scope out the Marine Accessories Pavilion, presented by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. DOWNLOAD THE ICAST APP Parsons says ICAST has a very good show planner app, which he uses every year. A month before the show, he uses it to see who is exhibiting and log preorganised meetings and dinners. “I also look for new exhibitors,” he adds. “I go in and map them out to have a pre-show plan of where I am going to go. If you don’t plan it properly and map it out, you can run out of time.” The ICAST app can also inform you of breaking news from the show and keep your calendar tidy. It’s available on both iOS and Android platforms. ICAST www.icastfishing.org
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