The Fly Fishing Retailer World Trade Expo in Denver Colo. again came to a close with healthy attendance and an increase in square footage and exhibitors. Larger booths and the addition of 26 new exhibitors contributed to the 3.9% increase in booth space while the number of retailers in attendance remained stable at 3,200. According to preliminary attendance figures for 2005, 1,255 total buyers from 711 unique retail businesses attended Fly-Fishing Retailer. In 2004, 1,288 buyers from 712 stores attended.

“Day one was on par or better than any day of Outdoor Retailer, and day two was even better,” said Brian Cousins of Cloudveil, a new apparel exhibitor at Fly-Fishing Retailer. “I’ve been amazed at the traffic, not only the retailers in the booth but the number of bodies from each retailer. There’s a lot of great energy here.”

While many vendors were pleased with the overall experience, apparently not all were prepared to fully attend to their retailers. One retailer told BOSS that while the show is very important for the fishing community, and has not diminished in its influence, it was “off from prior years.” This was not necessarily due to show management; rather it was due to a few of the more established vendors being, “disassociated with the customer.”

In spite of isolated complaints over a few vendors’ attitudes, the show itself was judged to be a success, with solid pre-show events and a series of business seminars held throughout the show, which included significant new data on the size and scope of the fly-fishing industry, as compiled and released by AFFTA as well as the Outdoor Industry Association.

Environmental issues were also a key theme of the show, with new initiatives challenging the growth of aquatic invasive species drawing crowds. “The surprise for us at the show was the response to environmental initiatives,” said Casey Sheahan, Patagonia’s fly-fishing director. “I think that retailers are starting to respond to the urgency to support all the invasive species issues around the country. For me, it was quite heartening to see enthusiasm for some fundamental values and initiatives.”