This month’s digital EFTTEX Awards have been described as ‘crucial’ to the success of next year’s EFTTEX tackle trade show.
Ciro Esposito, one of the three men who have come to the aid of EFTTEX, which will take place at Budapest’s Hungexpo in June next year for the first time since 2019, told Angling International that running the awards this year was necessary to remind people that EFTTEX and EFTTA is still alive and kicking. He said: “After EFTTEX was postponed in 2022 there was concern that as the show had not been held for three years there could have been a feeling of detachment from EFTTA within the industry.
“We wanted to make everyone aware that EFTTA is here and has never stopped working to protect the interests of the recreational fishing industry. It is very important to us that the relationship between EFTTA and its members is kept alive, and hosting the awards and then the show will play an important role in that.
“Personally I believe that manufacturers still want to exhibit at a show like EFTTEX because it gives them many opportunities to show off their products on an international stage. For traders and importers the situation is different as they have other channels to promote the items that they handle.”
Esposito, Managing Director of Italian-based wholesaler and manufacturer Europesca, and Rudi Heger (Traun River Products) and Istvan Pal (Energofish) have been instrumental in resurrecting the EFTTEX awards and show following the pandemic and have been working hard organising next year’s EFTTEX in Budapest, which Esposito promises will be ‘totally renewed’.
“It will not simply be an exhibition, but rather a real event for the recreational fishing industry with several initiatives included. The Best New Products Awards has always been a highlight, but we have several ideas that could become even more important than that.”