|
SALT LAKE CITY (Sept.
8, 2001) – The fourth
annual Fly-Fishing Retailer
World Trade Expo ended
its three-day run today
after registering a
total attendance of
3,156, versus 3,132
last year. Some 1,194
buyers attended from
617 stores, versus 1,374
buyers from 756 stores
in 2000.
The 2001 show at the
Salt Palace Convention
Center featured 309
exhibitors in 657 booths,
compared to 305 exhibitors
in 650 booths last year.
“We were pleased about
this year’s turn-out
after initial concerns
about the soft economy
and tight travel budgets,”
said Dieter Tremp, group
trade show director.
“We have practically
every large store here,
most of the medium-sized
stores, and some of
the small stores, including
a number of international
retailers such as Germany’s
Rudi Heger GmbH, and
Flyfishing Brinkhoff.”
The continued strength
of the FFR Expo seems
to mirror increases
seen in the industry
itself. Sales of fly-fishing
gear and clothing increased
18.1 percent since 1998
according to a recently-released
retail study titled,
“The Fly Fishing Market
in the U.S. 2000.” The
study was commissioned
by the American Fly
Fishing Trade Association
(www.affta.com), the
423-member organization
of fly-fishing manufacturers,
retailers, outfitters,
guides and specialty
media, based in Kelso,
Wash.
According to The Leisure
Trends Group, Boulder,
Colo., which conducted
the retail study, U.S.
fly-fishing sales in
2000 amounted to $678
million, compared to
$572 million in 1998,
with overall dollar
sales up from 1999 in
all regions – particularly
the Rockies and the
West. “Fly-fishing is
one of the few sports
that is growing in the
U.S.,” said Leisure
Trends’ Jim Spring.
The FFR Show is where
the entire industry
comes together to see
what’s new and hot,
learn more about running
a profitable business,
discuss environmental
issues, and consider
programs aimed at increasing
participation, especially
among the young. “I
come to the FFR Show
as often as I can because
I don’t want my customers
to ever be more educated
than I am,” said Jake
Hood of White’s Outdoor,
Spokane, Wash.
Art Van Rensselaer
of the Ugly Bug Fly
Shop in Casper, Wyo,
agrees, “The market
has become increasingly
competitive. We need
to talk to manufacturers
and representatives
to stay current with
new technology.”
Gordon Bentley of Bentley’s
Outfitters, Eden Prairie,
Minn., says, “It was
a good show. We were
able to see all the
major manufacturers
we needed to see. It
was a valuable opportunity
to rub elbows with the
upper echelon management
of our important vendors.”
Show Highlights • New
Products – Fifty companies
announced new products
in the show’s 2001 New
Products Review, and
135 were displayed in
the New Products Area,
presented by Abenaki
Publishers, Inc., publishers
of American Angler,
Fly Tyer, and Salt Water
Fly Fishing.
W.L. Gore & Associates
invited retailers to
enter their massive
Windstopper Storm Cube
mobile climate chamber
to test garments in
45 degrees F. temperatures
and winds of 21 mph;
Walden Sports displayed
specially-rigged kayaks
that provide fly anglers
with a way to quietly
sneak up on fish, and
cast into little-traveled
banks of rivers and
lakes, without the expense
of a powerboat; ADG
International Marketing
introduced new third
generation titanium
fly rods at introductory
prices starting $189.99;
and Jim Teeny displayed
a line that glows in
the dark for night fishing.
• New Youth Fly-Fishing
Association – Sister
Carol Anne Corley, nicknamed
the “Tying Nun” for
her appearance on the
“David Letterman Show”
two years ago, came
to FFR to seek support
for the newly-established
U.S. Youth Flyfishing
Association (www.youthflyfishing.org).
The non-profit seeks
to become a national
clearinghouse for information
on youth fly-fishing
programs.
Other fly-fishing personalities
at the 2001 show included
Stu Apte, Barry and
Cathy Beck, Chico Fernandez,
Karen Graham, Lefty
Kreh, Mel Krieger, Flip
Pallott, Rick Ruoff,
Wanda Taylor, Dave Whitlock,
Jose Wejebe, and Joan
Wulff.
• Fly-fishing Merit
Badge – Terrence O’Connor
of J. Austin Forbes
Ltd. distributed information
about the Fly-Fishing
Merit Badge which requires
a Scout to learn casting,
fly-tying, knots, and
catch and release techniques.
• First Youth-operated
Fly-Fishing Shop – Cortland
Line Company participated
in the announcement
of the first-ever youth-operated
fly fishing shop and
environmental education
center. The Community
Fly Fisher, funded by
HUD and the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation, opens in
October in Ithaca, N.Y.
(Contact: Shahab Farzanegan,
smf22@cornell.edu).
Farewell to Salt Lake
With the conclusion
of the 2001 show, retailers
and manufacturers bid
a fond farewell to Salt
Lake City after four
years. “Salt Lake has
been great to us, helping
the association grow
from a fledgling organization,”
said newly-elected AFFTA
president K.C. Walsh
of Simms Fishing Products.
“The move to Denver
was made after numerous
surveys indicating a
desire to return to
a more centralized location.”
The 2002 FFR Show will
be held at Denver’s
Colorado Convention
Center on Sept. 12-14,
2002, and Sept. 11-13,
2003.
Group trade show director
Dieter Tremp believes
the relocation will
result in a substantial
increase in attendance.
“If we’re at 80 percent
of the buying power
in Salt Lake, we’ll
be at 95 percent in
Denver,” he said. “After
years of hard work,
the fly-fishing market
is poised for its final
breakthrough. The fifth
anniversary FFR Show
in Denver will be the
industry’s milestone
event.”
The American Fly Fishing
Trade Association represents
423 fly-fishing manufacturers,
sales representatives,
retailers, outfitters,
and specialty media.
AFFTA is based in Kelso,
Wash. at 360 636 0708;
fax 360 636 3971; info@affta.com;
www.affta.com. Rori
Coward is managing director.
VNU Expo is located
in Laguna Beach, Calif.
Group trade show director
is Dieter Tremp. The
official trade show
publication is Fly-Fishing
Retailer Magazine. Telephone
949 376 8135; www.flyfishingretailer.com.
# # #
Editor’s note: The
FFR 2001 New Products
Review is available
by e-mail from blumassoc@aol.com.
Media contact:
Jeff Blumenfeld Blumenfeld
and Assoc. PR 203 855
9400; blumassoc@aol.com
Dieter Tremp Fly-Fishing
Retailer 949 376 6276;
dtremp@billcom.com
9-8-01
|
