This will be my eighth year of attending ICAST, and every year it becomes more and more enjoyable. Like anything, that comes with experience and the understanding of how it all works.
For someone that’s never attended ICAST, this is the fishing industry’s biggest expo where companies introduce their new products. Whether it’s electronics, rods and reels, baits, scents, clothing — this is where all the companies reveal what they’ve been working on.
It’s a pretty cool week, both for the companies and for the anglers who are eager to see the new items.
After attending ICAST for several years, I have a pretty good rhythm of how to work this show. It’s a lot, but it’s not like the Bassmaster Classic Expo with thousands of fans. This is an industry trade show for the companies, buyers and media where you have to have a badge.
At a consumer show, we’re doing a lot of autographs and meet-and-greet type things, but ICAST is more product-based. I’m showing up a booth with my backpack, pulling out that company’s hat, shooting video on new and existing products and talking with buyers and media representatives.
I enjoy interacting with fans, but ICAST is more business. I might be at the Sunline booth shooting a video on one of our lines, and then I might be at HUK promoting the new Summer Flip Flops.
ICAST is a lot of work, but it also has a relaxed element. There’s usually an afternoon social hour at several of the booths where you might be hanging out with the president or CEO of the company. We have dinners in the evenings, and I’ll participate in a YETI/Turtlebox golf tournament before the show.
All of this creates a great opportunity to meet people and establish new relationships. Whether you’re a content creator looking for opportunities to offer your skills, or a professional angler seeking sponsorship, ICAST is a great networking event.
The first couple of years I attended ICAST, I wasn’t as established in the industry, so I was looking for companies to work with. I’m always looking for new opportunities, but at this point, all my niches are filled, so I’m just there doing my job.
This year, I’ll be splitting my time between Sunline, HUK, Johnson OD, Turtlebox, Sea Clear Power and Mossy Oak. All of these companies will have an interesting assortment of products on display, so I’m looking forward to playing my role in helping them with the promotions and media work.
I think the role a professional angler plays in this process is huge. In the typical scenario, you’ll have everybody from the company’s engineers to the CEO to content creators attending ICAST, but the insight an angler can offer comes from countless hours on the water. Everybody’s input matters in the big picture, but when it comes to how a product performs in the field, that professional angler is the one who can tell you what works and what doesn’t.
One very important part of ICAST I always enjoy is the time I get to spend hanging out with other team members and all the different people I work with through email, phone calls and Zoom meetings.
ICAST is mostly about new products, but it’s also about making and maintaining relationships.
