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Compared to the general fishing population, custom rod builders are few and far between.  This is why an event like the Expo, which must support anywhere from 40 to 50 manufacturers and dealers exhibiting in 85 to 90 booths, will only work in a handful of possible locations here in the U.S.

 

There just aren’t enough rod builders in any particular region to support an event the size of the Expo. Put the event in the wrong place and you wide up with a regional event which at best will only draw a few hundred builders. This leads to financial losses for the exhibitors and precludes them exhibiting in the future. In other words, the event dies.

 

The International Custom Rod Building Exposition has enjoyed tremendous success these past 9 years. Luck, however, has had nothing to do with it. You don’t get lucky 9 times in a row!

 

Others have attempted to emulate the Expo but none have succeeded. Not for lack of trying or sincerity, but for a failure to understand the demographics of the craft and therefore not being able to locate their event in a place which meets all or at least most of the necessary criteria required in order to successfully stage something like the Expo.

 

The RodMaker Magazine mailing list provides a good general overview of rod building demographics in the U.S.  When you look it over, you see that well over half of all the rod builders live east of the Mississippi River. If you want the event to be within a single day’s drive of the greatest number of rod builders, you’re faced with the fact that the event must be held in the eastern third of the Country.

A nearby international airport is an absolute must – we’re talking about it being within 15 miles or so of the event facility. Amtrak is nice, but not altogether required. Major interstate highways should run within a very few miles of the event facility and lodging.

 

Weather is your next concern.  Northern winters, along with the similar harsh winters of the Southern Appalachian Highlands, put any such event at huge risk. So, you need to stay south of the Mason-Dixon line for the best weather luck. But not too far south or you’re no longer within that single day’s drive for most of the builders.

 

Only a few locations then become apparent. Atlanta is one of the top convention towns in America. It has almost every single thing going for it in terms of being a great place to host an event like the Expo. There’s just one catch – the bulk of the rod building industry is made up of mom-and-pop type companies. Only a handful could afford the cost to exhibit in a place like Atlanta.  So, regretfully, scratch Atlanta. While it would be great for ICast or AFFTA, it’s just a tad bit out of the ICRBE’s reach.

 

Further south than Atlanta takes you out of that single day’s drive of most of the rod builders. So now you turn and look north of Atlanta, but not too far north – remember that the chance of a bad winter storm increases the further north you go.

 

So now you come to Nashville, Knoxville, Asheville or Charlotte. All have a lot going for them.  But the high altitudes of Knoxville, and particularly Asheville, put you back in danger of major winter storms. The other two are still very much viable.

 

Raleigh just built a new convention center in its downtown. It’s one of a few cities that could make an outstanding location for the Expo all the way around. It certainly meets just about all the necessary criteria involved. I like Roanoke and Richmond too, but they miss on at least a few of the criteria needed.

 

And of course, High Point isn’t the home of the world’s largest trade show for no reason – the International Home Furnishings Market has been here since 1911 and neither Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco nor Atlanta have been successful in their many attempts to lure it away.  Imagine that.

 

Sister city Greensboro isn’t half bad but presents a few logistics problems for out of towners – it has convention facilities galore, but most are single hotel/convention complexes. Nice as they are, they can present logistics problems when your crowd prefers more than one hotel.  The city’s large coliseum complex, is nowhere near walking distance of any hotel.

 

The bottom line is that everyone would like to have the Expo in their backyard. The reality is that such a thing just isn’t possible – not if you want something the size of the Expo to succeed. There are only a handful of places where this particular event is possible and tomorrow I’ll give you a great hint/riddle as to which one I’ve chosen.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

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What you can’t see in this panorama, are the folks sitting in the chairs lining the back wall from one side of the hall to the other, nor the people seated at the tables set at the back right and far left hand side of the room. One other thing you can’t see is the look of relief on my face as I realized that once again, we wouldn’t exceed the 450 person carrying capacity of the room.  But it was close, very close.

 

I never know beforehand just how many folks are going to show up – there is no registration required. So there’s always a bit of apprehension as subscribers start pouring into the hall. I never relax until I can see the end of the line and can then do a quick mental check to make sure that those remaining outside, will all fit, inside.

 

The RodMaker Reception has become a staple of the International Custom Rod Building Exposition. Held every year since since the 2nd Expo, it offers an opportunity for the magazine subscribers who are in town for the Expo to relax, meet and talk with other rod builders. They eat, drink, and have fun while hoping to win one of about 100 free door prizes. The door prizes for 2012 included a large assortment of high end rod lathes/wrappers, blanks, components, tools, etc. The odds of winning something are about 1 in 4. Not bad at all, and there is no cost to enter. Everybody gets a chance, the same chance, to win. About 100 people did just that.

 

There are no speeches nor presentations. Just a few quick words concerning the Expo’s opening time and perhaps a few mentions of other pertinent items. That’s it – food, fun, fellowship and lots of free stuff. RodMaker is the only entity in custom rod building that does this for it’s customers. I hope to be able to continue doing it, for a long, long while.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

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While I was preparing the photos from last year’s Expo for inclusion in RodMaker, I kept running into a common theme in nearly all of them. No, not custom rod building, although that’s surely the overall reason for the event. Rather, in every single photograph I opened, I was confronted by wide grins and smiles on the faces of those who attended and displayed.

 

People come to the Expo for a lot of reasons. Some are here for the big savings on blanks and components that companies only offer during this once a year event. Others come to attend the Expo seminars and increase their rod building knowledge by leaps and bounds.

Some builders say the camaradarie with other builders is why they travel here, often from very long distances. Others say it’s the chance to talk to the actual people who own and operate the companies that make all these fine products for us. After all, who knows a product better than the people who actually design and make it? And there’s more of those people here than at any other rod building event in the world.

Of course we get some media folks too. They’re here to shoot photos for their publications. And we get some general tackle industry people here as well. They’re here to find out what the upcoming trends in fishing rods are going to be.

Yet while these comprise the reasons most state when asked, I think there is an even greater reason they come to the Expo each year. Look at their faces – they’re here to have fun.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

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Got a note from Greg Stotesbury at AFTCO Mfg. last week asking me why AFTCO wasn’t on the list of exhibitors for the upcoming 2012 International Custom Rod Building Exposition. After all, AFTCO was among the very first to purchase booth space for the event. The reason was that I simply made a mistake and omitted them – something I’ll now correct below with my sincere apology  for the omission:

 

Exhibitors for the 2012 International Custom Rod Building Exposition

 

 As of October 15th, 2011

 

AFTCO Mfg.

 

American Tackle

 

Angler’s Envy

 

Angler’s Resource (Fuji)

 

Angler’s Roost

 

Batson/Rainshadow/ALPs

 

Bingham Enterprises

 

Decal Connection

 

Fishsticks

 

Hydra Fishing, LLC

 

Jim Upton Weaving

 

Ken and Lana Preston Rods

 

Lamiglas, Inc.

 

Mar Ktruz LDA Cork

 

Mickels Custom Rods

 

Mud Hole Custom Tackle

 

NERBS – Northeast Rod Builders

 

North Fork Composites

 

Renzetti, Inc.

 

Roddancer

 

RodMaker Magazine

 

Schlesinger Wood Turning

 

Seeker Rod Company

 

Skin Shop USA

 

St. Croix Rods

 

Sticks ‘N Bones

 

Swampland

 

Talon Graphite

 

Tiage USA

 

Trondak U-40

 

Woodworkers Shop

 

More TBA by October 20th, 2011

 

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Custom rod builders who rely on the internet for the bulk of their rod building information and education will always lag behind those who subscribe to RodMaker.

When did you first hear of Micro Guides, Carbon Skinned Grips, The Common Cents System, Marbling, Free Form or Beaded Wraps?  When you attend a rod building seminar and watch a demonstration on how to flock your own grips, inlay snake skin, create a true “threadless” guide wrap, or spin your own metal components, did you stop to wonder where the presenter learned the technique? When you saw your first Birch Bark Grip or Off-Angle Inlay, did you wonder where these were first unveiled? The answer to all of the above is, of course, RodMaker Magazine. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

RodMaker is first with most of the new ideas and methods that make the modern rod building craft what it is.  The hundreds of completely new, innovative and ground breaking techniques that have appeared in RodMaker over the past 15 years have only trickled down to the internet months, and in some cases, years later.

While RodMaker has long been known for the high quality rod building information it presents, it’s also a very attractive publication. While the appearance of a magazine is secondary to the information it presents, being able to present that information in a pleasing, easy on the eyes format is an added benefit to the reader.

RodMaker is printed on heavy, bright white, glossy stock. Of course, this costs more to print and mail than a publication done on lesser stock, and although not absolutely necessary, it goes a long way in providing the reader with a sturdy and substantial magazine that is suitable for long term reference.  Many, if not most RodMaker subscribers, save their RodMaker copies for years on end.

So how much does such a high quality publication, with the newest rod building techniques and methods cost? Not much, really.  Six full issues, mailed to your doorstep, is just $27.95. That comes out to just $4.66 per issue. Last time I checked, a Big Mac Value Meal was considerably more than that, and while tasty, won’t teach you a thing about building better custom fishing rods.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

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Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I have no desire to host another International Custom Rod Building Exposition. I didn’t intend to stay with it after the record setting 2010 event, but relented and did host the event again in 2011. And then that one proceeded to set new attendance and sales records. Seemed like a great time to go out – on top!

 

In fact every single Expo has surpassed the previous one. And even the very first one held back in 2004, small by recent standards, was larger and more successful than any other rod building event in history. So with so much success, why not continue?

 

The thing is, hosting an event on this scale, for what amounts to a relatively small craft and industry, and yet needing to pull in attendees from all over the world, entails a tremendous financial risk. To this day I’m the only person that has been willing to assume that sort of risk to do something on this scale for the craft and industry. Frankly, I have never and will never make dime on the Expo. My bottom line would be the same with or without it, and with it there is always the possibility of something happening that resulted in a loss of tens of thousands of dollars on my end. The safest bet for me is not to do it.

 

To that end, I waited a long time before making a decision this year.  I kept hoping that somebody, anybody, would step up to the plate with some event, any event, that would benefit the larger mainstream craft and industry. That way, I could slip out without feeling too bad about not hosting another Expo. It didn’t happen.

 

Last week I was talking with a dealer who mentioned that the Expo accounts for almost 30% of their yearly business. That followed with two more dealers who said roughly the same thing.  This past weekend I got a note from a well known builder who wanted to know if I had any idea how much fun the builders have at the Expo and how much it means to them to have something like this. I guess those things sort of escaped me while I was busy counting beans.

 

The bottom line is that nobody else is willing to do it. If I don’t do it, nobody else will. And as much as I really didn’t want to do it again, I feel almost compelled to do it in support of the craft and industry. Without it, custom rod building will most likely never again have an event on the same scale and quality as what the woodworkers, turners, knife makers, etc., do. So… okay, I’ll do it.  We’ll have a 2012 Expo. Details are on the official event website at www.rodexpo.com.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

P.S. Those that know me are fully aware that I don’t do anything halfway.  If I’m going to do another Expo, I’ll make it the best in our history. Thus, the 2012 International Custom Rod Building Exposition will be even bigger and better than the 2011 event. Count on it.

 

Volume 14 #2 issues of RodMaker are arriving in readers’ mailboxes this week. Most will have them within the next 10 to 14 days. Included in this issue:

Legacy – The No-Foregip Rod by Rich Forhan

Past & Present – Ferrules by C. Boyd Pfeiffer

Lana’s 3D Marlin – by Ken & Lana Preston

The Rose Wrap – by Billy Vivona

2011 International Custom Rod Building Expo Report

Deadlift Capacity – by Tom Kirkman

History – Ceramic Guides

Letters

Rod Building News

Photo Gallery

Q&A Column

Rod Building History

Volume 14 #3 will mail June 1st. Don’t miss it!

Tom Kirkman

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Most rod builders recognize the International Custom Rod Building Exposition as the world’s largest custom rod building event. What many don’t know, is where it got its start.

While attending Barry Serviente’s 2003 Fly Fishing Show in Charlotte, NC, I approached him about the unused space in the Charlotte Convention Center. Turns out he was paying for more than he could use. A deal was struck to take that unused space and turn it into the 2004 National Rod Builder’s Show.

Looking back at that 2004 event, it seems very small by comparison to today’s “Expo.” But at the time it was by far the largest rod building event ever undertaken. At the time, there were no large scale rod building events held anywhere. Most of the rod building events of that time period were seminar based events where perhaps 25 to 100 or so guys met for a weekend of camaraderie and learning. The National Rod Builders Show took that experience and expanded it beyond what anyone thought possible at that time. The entire concept of bringing together exhibitors, vendors, rod builders and seminars into a single event was new. And it was something that few thought could be done.

The original slate of exhibitors in 2004 included American Tackle, Batson Enterprises, Mud Hole Custom Tackle, Custom Tackle Supply, Trondak U-40, RodMaker Magazine, Mickel’s Custom Rods, REC, Renzetti Inc., Carolina Fish Sticks, Lon Blauvelt Rods, Ken’s Custom Rods and Lamar Reel Seats. That number constitutes barely a fifth the number that display at the Expo these days, but it was still the largest gathering of rod building exhibitors up to that time in history.

The show, which many felt was doomed to failure, not only succeeded but laid the groundwork for what is known as the “Expo” these days. It’s spawned a number of other similar events, although none have managed to keep pace with the Expo. The secret to the success? If I had to list one thing that stands out it would be the fact that the Expo supports the craft and industry, instead of the other way around. And that hasn’t and won’t change as long as I’m involved.

Tom Kirkman

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Working with two very different mediums within the same craft gives me somewhat of a unique perspective on rod building demographics. One thing I remain sure of is this – the mainstream rod building craft is not centered around the internet. At least not yet and from my perspective, it won’t be for a long time to come.

Occasionally I’ll do a cross reference between the forum database (www.rodbuilding.org) and the magazine mailing list (RodMaker).  I’ve never found more than a 10% cross over. The folks who use the forum and the folks who take the magazine are not even remotely the same folks!

The actual numbers are interesting too.  In 9 years the forum has gathered just over 7,000 registered users. In 14 years, the magazine has gathered just over 85,000 subscribers. A staggering difference even when you factor in the slightly longer period in which the magazine has been around. In fact, if you were to take every active user on every internet rod building forum and chat room combined, you wouldn’t likely come up with more than a few hundred rod builders at best. Toss in all the registered lurkers who view but never post and you might stretch that figure out to a couple thousand. Maybe. Conversely, RodMaker holds a constant readership of over 15,000 rod builders. Again, a staggering difference.

Most component supply dealers stopped printing catalogs a decade ago – choosing to focus solely on internet based businesses.  But the largest and most successful component supply companies continue to publish print catalogs. Why do they continue to spend so much money printing and mailing all those catalogs in this, the internet age? Simple – they’re smart enough to know that the bulk of the mainstream rod building craft isn’t centered around the internet. Most builders can’t be reached via the internet – they’re simply not there. To reach them you have to go the direct mail route. I find this to be true where the International Custom Rod Building Exposition is concerned as well. Less than 10% of the roughly 2300 who attended last year listed the internet as their source for information on the Expo.

Sure, most rod building folks are aware of and certainly use the internet, but they don’t spend a great deal of time there. Not the vast majority at least. The rod building craft is far larger than many imagine – but you’ll only find a tiny slice of it on the internet. Companies and individuals who are seeking to market to, or participate with the mainstream craft should keep the big picture in mind.  When you focus all your resources on the internet, you’re missing 90% of your potential market.

Tom Kirkman

Tomorrow – where the rod builders live…

Because we can…

There is only one truly large scale event dedicated solely to custom rod building – the International Custom Rod Building Exposition. Let me qualify that statement a bit – by large scale I’m referring to more than a few dozen or even a few hundred attendees. I’m talking about an event whose size is at least on par with the main events for similar crafts as ours, such as wood turning, knife making, etc.

Although we started in conjunction with another event – The Fly Fishing Show, we quickly outgrew that relationship and moved on by ourselves. There was some concern among the industry that first year out on our own. More than a few felt that this craft couldn’t possibly support and sustain a large scale, dedicated rod building event. It had never been done nor even tried. Those fears were allayed, however, about an hour into that first solo event. Since then we’ve enjoyed further growth and success each and every year. So much so that we’re now receiving inquiries from other groups that wish to piggyback on our event!

Thus far I have denied all such requests. Granted, I could double the booth sales and double the gate receipts by adding another event, expanding into fishing tackle or allowing another group to join the Expo. And I could do it for only an additional 20% increase on my end.  Thus it would seem a no-brainer, for my benefit anyway, to go ahead and expand the Expo’s scope. And… if my only concern was myself, I’d do it in an instant. But there are more folks to consider in any such decision.

Almost universally, the vendors who attend and display at the Expo tell me that they like the fact that nearly every single person at the event is a custom rod builder.  When they spend time talking to someone there, they know they’re talking to more than a possible customer – they’re talking to a likely customer.  As soon as I add fishing tackle or another show, the vendors would spend a good deal of time with folks who really aren’t in the market for what they’re selling. Which cuts down on the time they can spend with custom rod builders. We know this to be a fact because it happened every year we were in with The Fly Fishing Show. From the vendors’ standpoint, there is a certain advantage to keeping the Expo entirely dedicated to custom rod building.

There’s yet another reason that I continue to deny requests from other groups to join the Expo. It has to do with the fact that over the last 30 some odd years that various rod building seminars, events, etc., have been taking place, the general consensus among most in the industry and the craft has been that a truly large scale event dedicated solely to custom rod building just can’t be done. It’s impossible. Or so they’ve said. The craft was just too small and too spread out to be able to draw enough builders to support a large group of vendors and activities. To some extent, that line of thinking wasn’t entirely without reason. The demographics involved certainly preclude any limited, regional event from getting very large. And yet I believed that properly and extensively advertised, and with the acceptance of a certain financial risk, a large scale event dedicated solely to custom rod building could draw enough people from enough distant locations to make such a thing a success. I proved it with the Expo. To be honest, there is some satisfaction in proving the experts were wrong and continuing to do exactly what so many said couldn’t be done.  Better than any extra money that would result from diluting the Expo with another event.

The success of the Expo this past decade has spawned other events hoping to achieve a similar success. But none have been able to do it, at least not on the same scale. (Of course, having more rod building events of any kind is a good thing – if you find one in your locale, try to attend and keep it going and growing.)

The bottom line is that it is a feather in the cap of the custom rod building craft to have something of our own that is on par with the main events for other similar crafts. To this day, the Expo remains the only large scale event dedicated solely to custom rod building. You’ve probably heard it said that there is nothing else like the Expo – and the fact is, there isn’t.

Tom Kirkman

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See for yourself:    http://www.icrbe.com/id16.html