‘The best way to learn about new products is to handle them.’ Why COVID failed to stop this gathering

The COVID-19 pandemic was not going to stop one of Europe’s top fishing tackle suppliers’ annual sales gathering from going ahead in preparation for what it considers to be a milestone year for the company in 2021.

Svendsen Sport invited its 82 sales representatives and country managers from all over Europe to its Danish headquarters for the presentation of new products for next year, which was carried out practising the recommended measures to ensure the health and safety of its people. Hans Maasbøl, Svendsen Sport CEO, said: “It was very important to gather people together physically to create the feeling of one company. We arranged team building events, dinner out and product training for all. After the week we experienced, it is clear that we are a cohesive company.”

Thomas Sanotra, Director of Product and Marketing, said: “After a week of product introduction and training, the spirit of the company is as high as ever. We are going into 2021 with one of the best ranges of fishing tackle, covering very innovative bite alarms from Prologic to a whole new rod architecture from Savage Gear and much more.

“The best way to learn about new product is to handle them, see how they perform in real life and hear the story behind the innovation from the product managers themselves. The pure excitement generated by the new products tells me that we are in for an exciting year. It has been tough keeping innovation at the forefront of our minds while at the same time managing the uncertain COVID-19 situation we are all in, but the team have done a tremendous job and I am very proud to see the results. It only gets batter from here.”