Tackle Trade World - January 2024

FEATURE
ICAST
ICAST is the only
sportfishing trade
show in town
The next best thing to being on the water and experiencing the thrill of the catch is
attending the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) – the
biggest tackle show in the world.
Produced by the American
Sportfishing Association, ICAST
is a gathering place for buyers and
media and includes a global array
of businesses from Europe, South America,
Latin America, Australia, Africa and Asia.
Come immerse yourself in sportfishing as
you explore the latest innovations in rods,
reels, fishing gear, lures and much more.
The show returns this year to the Orange
County Convention Center in Orlando,
Florida from July 16th to 19th. If you are in
the sportfishing trades, ICAST is the most
important show of the year. From freshwater
to saltwater and fly to conventional fishing,
it serves up the best experience and the best
products available to the industry.
Getting connected
To provide your customers with the most
in-demand products, you need to know
the right people. There is no better place to
build valuable business relationships than
ICAST.
Manufacturers, dealers and retailers come
from all over the world, every year, to make
valuable connections with those who are
as passionate about your industry as you
are. The show promises opportunities to
deepen connections within the sportfishing
community, to learn about the latest
industry trends and ways to improve your
business, and to expand your industry
16 www.tackletradeworld.com
knowledge.
“Fishing tackle is at the core of ICAST,
but it is so much more, said Blake
Swango, vice-president of trade show and
membership. “Each year we add more to the
overall experience by creating new activities
designed to bring people together, to learn
and to strengthen relationships.”
Why ATTend in 2024?
This year’s show is on track to be the biggest
ICAST ever, with organisers expecting a
bigger turnout, an enlarged footprint and a
greater diversity of products. Here is what
you can expect:
The expanded New Product Showcase,
that ushered in six new categories for
manufacturers last year, is attracting more
entries than ever, with special categories for
traditional tackle, electronics, fly fishing,
women’s apparel, ice fishing and technical
apparel.
The designated flyfishing section is now
a permanent feature of ICAST, with plans
to expand the footprint of the fly fishing
exhibits and bring back the popular fly
casting pond and fly shop.
On The Water continues to be a huge draw
for attendees wanting to test equipment and
participate in demonstrations. The outdoor
portion of the show exceeded expectations
last year and had the largest participation in
history. Expect another bustling experience
in 2024 to usher in the grand opening of the
show floor.
Daily Lunch & Learn business seminars
to expand your knowledge of the industry
are back. Topics will include marketing
tactics, social media hacks and even updates
on trending technologies like Artificial
Intelligence.
Also, all new this year, on Monday, July
15th there is a cool pre-show event called
“Lunkers and Bunkers” where attendees can
take advantage of both fishing and golfing
to benefit Keep America Fishing. This is
the perfect opportunity to get to meet new
industry contacts in advance of the show.
And of course, let’s not forget all of the
after-hours networking events to keep the
conversations going.
“But of course, the real stars of the show
are the products themselves,” said Swango.
“Thousands of people will come from all over
the world to get their first peek at the latest
and greatest products coming to market and
get an edge over their competitors in 2024.”
Registration for ICAST 2024 opens
during the second week of February at
ICASTFishing.org, which also has all the
information you need to plan your trip and
enhance your ICAST 2024 experience.
ICAST
www.icastfishing.org