EFTTEX 2022 in Budapest ‘will put new products centre-stage’

EFTTEX has been confirmed for this September with organisers promising a renewed sense of purpose and an even greater emphasis on new products.

A new-look and re-energised Best New Product Showcase and a ‘fresh and exciting’ show will be the centrepieces of EFTTEX – Europe’s premier fishing tackle trade show – when it returns in September after a two-year COVID-induced break. Brands and manufacturers are encouraged to pre-register for booths here.

That’s the aim of Zoltán Kékkői, of EFTTEX Trading, the company set up in 2020 to organise future EFTTEX events.

He told Angling International: “This will be a very special EFTTEX this year. Almost three years have passed since the industry last had a chance to meet each other. It has been a very long time and a lot has happened in the interim.

“EFTTEX in Budapest in September will be the place where all that will change. Business partners and friends will be reunited. We will endeavour to bring back all the good things from previous shows along with new ideas to make it more interesting, fresh and exciting.”

One of the central planks of the exhibition will be the Best New Products Showcase. Kékkői said: “Our intention is to make the event more open than before and bring it closer not only to the exhibitors, but the visitors too. The voting and judging processes will be renewed and new rules are on the way. We will also be more proactive in relaying the news of the winning entries.”

He revealed that ideas for the Best New Products Showcase also include a revamped presentation of the products, online voting and the possibility of an app where videos of the entries can be viewed.

EFTTEX will also be bolstered by a series of seminars for visitors covering the issues of the day. “We can promise that everyone will find the topics interesting,” added Kékkői.

In a bid to build a high profile for the show, Kékkői said that bloggers and social media will be used to promote the event in the build-up, duration and aftermath. “We need to be more open and raise media interest. This interaction will also encourage new ideas.”

Despite a number of recent lacklustre shows in the past, Kékkői said that he is pleased to report an ‘absolutely positive’ response from the trade to the event in Hungary. “Preliminary registration is far beyond our expectations and a real buzz has just been ignited. There have been a lot of obstacles to negotiate, but the exhibitors have been very open-minded and the response from the trade has been ‘let’s do it’.

“There is still a real need for companies to attend EFTTEX and each business has its own reasons for doing so – be it picking up new business or catching up with the latest trends and innovations across Europe. This year’s show is also very cost-efficient as EFTTA has kept the price at the 2020 level during the pre-registration period and will not raise them too much after that.”

Kékkői accepted that because COVID is still not a thing of the past, there may be companies from certain regions across the world who may not be able to attend EFTTEX due to travel restrictions.

“These could be offered the opportunity to show off their products online so that they do not miss out on an opportunity to do business. We want as many businesses as possible to enjoy the EFTTEX experience.”

This year’s EFTTEX is being organised by a new company, EFTTEX Trading Ltd. Based in Hungary, it was formed in 2020 specifically to organise EFTTEX. EFTTA-AISBL is a non-profit organisation and the complexities of organising a show were felt to be more difficult than for a run-for-profit company like EFTTEX Trading.

EFTTA emerging from turbulent time

It’s been a turbulent time for EFTTEX and the show owner EFTTA over the last three years. A number of lacklustre shows building up to the last event in Brussels in 2019, where the number of retail visitors plummeted to one of its all-time lows, had many exhibitors questioning the relevance of the show.

Prague in the Czech Republic, which was due to take place in 2020, was viewed by many as a ‘last chance saloon’ for the embattled event.

However, the onset of a global pandemic meant the exhibition was cancelled. Last year EFTTA attempted to put on the show as a two-day event before that too had to be abandoned at the last minute.

Against this backdrop EFTTA itself has undergone major changes with the appointment of a new CEO, the departure of its secretariat, which was responsible for the running of the organisation and its show, the closure of the EFTTA business based in the UK and the setting up of EFTTA-AISBL in Brussels.

EFTTEX takes place at the HungExpo, Budapest, September 14th-16th. Pre-register for your booth here.