Westernbass Magazine - Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - August 2012, Page 18

Westernbass Magazine - Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - August 2012, Page 18

Industry

industry news

by Dan O’sullivan

Story & Photos

on display

ust a couple of weeks ago, the fishing industry completed its mid-year gathering known as iCAst. Put on by the American sportfishing Association, iCAst is the place for companies to show the new products that will highlight their product line for the next year. Companies large and small, established and new come together and put their hard work out in front of the media and the buyers of retailers of various sizes in hopes of making their presence known throughout the industry. Every year, we see hundreds of companies set up booths ranging from a 10-foot by 10-foot size to some featuring thousands of square feet to display their wares. The media arrives in droves to cover the event for their readers and viewers and the buyers make their way around to booths in search of items they believe will have their customers excitedly purchasing throughout the next year, and hopefully beyond. The new Product showcase; which allows attending media the chance to vote on the products that they believe are the cream of the crop at the show, provides a chance for the companies in attendance to highlight their research and development prowess, along with their creativity. At the end of the first day of the show, the winners of each category are announced, along with an overall Best of show product. What i wanted to do, without getting into individual products that i feel hit or missed at the show, was to talk about the spirit of the show. Of course, the business meanings of the

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