This will be my first time at the big show. Just to clarify is it ok if I wear a hat with my rod building company logo on it? Don't want to make waves first time out! I know this has come up before?

I would hope this would be common sense by now, but just in case here goes:

I have no problem with custom rod builders who are not in the business of selling supplies or components, wearing their company hat or shirt.

On the other hand, if you are in any way involved with products or services related to custom rod building and do not have booth space at the Expo, be advised that this year I am enforcing a zero tolerance policy on those who attempt, by any means, to advertise, market, network, sell, etc., etc., at the Expo. Don’t get caught wearing clothing with your company name displayed. Don’t get caught passing out business cards, literature, etc., etc. Don’t get caught working from a manufacturer or dealer booth. You will be escorted from the premises and permanently banned.

Everyone is welcome to attend, of course, but those who are not willing to invest in the event have no right to expect to benefit from the event, which is funded by myself and the companies that have purchased booth space. So if you own, operate or work for a company that does not have booth space at the Expo, enjoy the event but keep a very low profile business-wise.

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Thx. I was pretty sure you weren't talking about the custom rod builders just companies but wanted to make sure.

I can't imagine any company that was in the business of making or selling blanks and components would spend the money to come to the Expo and not take a booth there. With all the people that you could market to from a booth it would just seem prudent to have a booth there instead of trying to sneak around and work people in the aisles. But I guess there will always be a few that want to do things on the cheap or on somebody else's nickel. One of the early years when you were in Charlotte there was a guy selling rod parts out of a big grocery size paper bag in the aisle!

Yes, he did that two years running. Fortunately the companies that do these type things are in the minority but we have one or two every year that try to take advantage of the show without incurring any cost to themselves. We've had dealers set up in hotel rooms and then wander the show floor passing out cards and flyers with their hotel room number and offers to sell from the room or the parking lot.

Then there's always a few that think they should be allowed to work out of someone else's booth - a manufacturer from a dealer booth or vice versa. Of course, if I allowed that we'd lose half our booths and the show would no longer be a big enough event to draw enough people to make it worthwhile for anyone.

The list of excuses I get as to why I should allow some to benefit from the event at no charge is beyond any measure of reason. I often wonder if they're really that obtuse or simply hoping that I am. It used to make me mad until I learned from other show promoters that we all have to deal with these things at our events. Chuck Furimsky, who operates the "Fly Fishing Shows," and I get together once a year and share stories about this stuff and laugh about similar they are. This is why all successful events have roughly the same rules in place to prohibit non exhibitors from "working" the shows. You're not only protecting the event itself, but the interests of those companies that bought booth space.


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A little devil's advocate here just to be sure. Say I operate "Steve's Custom Rods" and primarily build rods for sale but do offer some blanks and stuff through my website or facebook page. Where does that put me in terms of the ICRBE?

It certainly doesn't prohibit you from attending the Expo and having a good time with the other builders. What it would prohibit you from doing is advertising, i.e. passing out cards or whatever that advertise your component sales business. I wouldn't want to hear you making a sales pitch to anyone either. It's just a matter of common sense and common courtesy.

Here's a good example - The guys from Hook & Hackle come to the Expo every year. They don't buy booth space, and so they don't wear their company garb, hand out catalogs or make sales pitches in the aisles. As far as I know, they don't sell stuff out of their hotel room. Ron actually called me a couple years ago to make sure they, as dealers without booth space, would be in compliance with the rules and not step on the toes of the companies that had bought booth space. They participate as attendees only, not as dealers, out of respect for the event and those who have bought booth space.

Again, it's just common sense and common courtesy.

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