Trying to get my bearings straight to see if I need to attend the big expo show. Forgive me if this has been asked before. I go to a lot of fishing and hunting shows and more and more it seems that there is less fishing and hunting involved and much more at these shows involving cooking seasoning salesmen, sunglass dealers, tobbacco hawkers, T-shirt vendors, boat insurance companies, etc,etc,etc,etc,etc. When you take away all this sort of stuff you end up with just a few companies that are really geared towards fishing or hunting. It gets more disappointing every year.

So my question is this, I see something like eighty booths listed for the ICRBE. How many of the companies attending are ROD BUILDING VENDORS and now many are something else? Not trying to offend but it costs a lot of money to travel to something like this and I do not want to show up and find that half or more of the booths have nothing to do with custom rod building. I hope this is considered a fair question and gets a fair answer.

With the exception of the company that donates the fishing kayak door prize (GOPC), all the companies listed on the 2012 exhibitor list cater specifically to custom rod builders or are actively involved in the custom rod building craft.

Over the years I have allowed certain non-rod building vendors to exhibit, but this has generally been limited to those who played some other role in the event. Never have I had more than 1 or perhaps 2 non-rod building related companies to exhibit.

The Expo is a true, all custom rod building event by design. It would be difficult for you to view all the rod building products there in a single day, if even the whole weekend.

..............

OK, the ad I read said that there would be 12,000 rod blanks there to feel and look over. How did you come up with that figure? A guess? Not trying to give anyone a hard time but want to know what I can really expect.

Simple - I called the retail rod building supply companies that are going to be here and asked them how many rod blanks they planned to bring. I added the figures together and the resulting sum was just over 12,000.

If you want to get a better feel for the Expo, visit this photo link and see for yourself. Even then, the photos don't show it all.

[www.icrbe.com]

.............

Cal represent a vendor and have attended each of the events since the first one held in Charlotte -

It would be helpful if you defined your area of interest(s)

I am sure several vendors who sponsor this forum will be happy to communicate with you to clarify what you could expect with products that match your area of interest..

Try the link [www.swamplandtackle.com] Us: Call the phone number listed for my name and call me at the Super Bowl Kickoff Time - I will spend whatever time with you on the phone to answer any question you may have on the large inventory of blank and other components available from Swampland - We are excited about this years show due to roll out of new blanks and components that have never been show at ANY Show!

Cal, I attended my first show a couple years ago when I first started building and repairing rods. I don't remember seeing any booth that was not somehow related to the rod building industry. There were plenty of vendors selling product to give you choices, and plenty of blanks to be purchased and/or handled. Depending upon your interests, the seminars are valuable enough to just attend for them alone. My intentions going to the event were to buy a bunch of discounted products and I did, but the most valuable thing I left with was the knowledge I got from all the builders first hand who unselfishly answered any questions I had and personally showed me how they accomplished what I was interested in. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Steve Chontos

my scoop on the expo is: the best return on my time and money in many days and many ways. i have driven to high point for three or four years in a row for the expo., knowing i am going to get some great deals. the only "carnival" like atmosphere is when giveaways are done. LOL!
good and great deals on many, many facets of rod building from start to finish. i have maybe two dozen blanks waiting for me to do something with, but still plan on going to this expo if at all possible. never been disappointed. hope you get there. tried to email you but your email is hidden.

Thnx for the replies. Just know how some of these shows operate and been disappointed too many times in the past with all the vendors that do not really have anything to do with the topic of the show. Your show sounds like the real deal. Am going to try and come.

Cal, read the exhibitor list on the left!

Cal, the most tellin thing to me when you look at those photos Tom linked to: everyone one of those folks is a rod builder and each one of them is smiling like a kid in a candy store. Some have been building for 50 years some its a few weeks, all still love it.
My problem is trying to get sample/representative examples of most the things i need for the next year before they are sold out and I am there the whole two days!

GO TO THE SHOW ----- YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY

THIS IS AND WILL BE THE ONLY ONE TO GO TOO

GUARANTEED

Bill - willierods.com

I just returned from the Atlantic City Boat show. I know what you mean by venders not related to the subject. There were people frying chicken,selling skate boards and wine. We had one objective and that was to equip the boat with new electronics this year. It took a lot of walking to hit all the manufacturers and then find the dealers among all the @#$%& stuff there, I promise you the ICRBE is not like that. Every booth with the exception of one or two is directly related to rod building. If they are not rod building they are related to fishing. There have been a few wood working booths through the years that were a welcome addition as turning grips is pretty popular. Also 99% of the attendees are rod builders and most are open and honest people that will leave you feeling like you have known them forever. If you stay the weekend there will be some great get togethers in the lobby of the hotel across the street. If you can make it you will not be disappointed ( unless of coarse you don't have time to see it all ). Time flies quickly as there are many seminars and some spill over to the common areas of the show afterwards for some closer instruction. I always go to the show with high expectations and have never been disappointed. Where are you coming in from?

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Because of all the cork and wood turning done by custom builders, I tend to see wood turning company vendors as being directly related to custom rod building. I know I'm glad that they have been to the Expo in the past and the stuff they sell fits right in with what I do as a custom builder.

It's ironic but the smaller rod building shows are the ones that usually fall back on having to fill their booths with stuff not related to custom rod building. You'd think the Expo being as large as it is would be the one not able to fill booths with exclusively rod building stuff, but about every company there is related to custom rod building.

Cal...

The Expo sets the standard for all rod building shows. Nothing else even comes close.
Not only are all the booths related to rod building but the seminars are unparalleled in their scope and detail.

Even the first Expo was a blast and they have gotten so much better each year since.
But meeting and being among so many other nice people who share the same interest is, for me, the best part.

I am happy to make the journey from NY State each year. Frankly it's the best exposition of any kind I have ever attended.

Some have more attendees and more booths.. but none are as targeted and as much fun.

What more can I say... if you go and don't agree I'd be shocked!

DG

Now I am confused. I thought the ICRBE had the most booths and most rod building attendees. Which one is larger?

The Expo is far away the largest rod building event in the world. It not only has more booths, but more actual rod building related exhibitors than any other such event.

Go down the exhibitor list of any rod building show (there aren't many) and count the number of companies listed that are actually involved in custom rod building. At last count, there were 51 companies exhibiting at the Expo in about 75 or 80 booths. Except for Goin' Postal (shipping service for attendees who need to ship parcels home) and GOPC (donating one of the grand door prizes) the other 49 companies are rod building companies. Can you find another rod building event with even a dozen actual rod building companies involved?

Of course, simply being the largest doesn't make it the best, but there is strong evidence that being the best has made the Expo the largest.

............

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Of course, simply being the largest doesn't make
> it the best, but there is strong evidence that
> being the best has made the Expo the largest.



AMEN!

AMEN

go and if you are not satisfied don't go again

you tried the rest --- now do the BEST

Bill - willierods.com

The ICRBE and the Expo are the same event. I think that is what was confusing you. The difference in name. Hope that clears it up for you.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Hello Cal

ICRBE is short for International Custom Rod Building Exposition.

Come on down if you build fishing rods you will NOT be disappointed!!!

Tight Wraps Big Fish.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.