Industry veteran: Show helps SMEs prosper alongside multi-nationals

The lack of a European trade show would give a competitive advantage to the large multi-nationals to the detriment of small and medium enterprises.

That is the view of one of the most influential voices in the European tackle trade and former EFTTA board member Ciro Esposito – a member of the team which helped save last year’s show in Budapest.

The owner of the Europesca brand told Angling International: “A European trade show is essential for the small and medium-sized businesses. For these companies, other modern forms of marketing – such as social media – are less effective than they are for the leading players in the industry.

“Europesca has always considered a European trade show as an important event and that is true for any company whether they are an exhibitor or visitor.

“It is an occasion to personally meet customers, suppliers and colleagues. Our company is traditionally orientated towards our domestic market, but the European market is becoming more and more important to us, especially for specific types of products.

“Our export markets are growing in the Mediterranean and central Europe for our range of Watersnake electric trolling motors which we have been distributing for more than two decades. Every year we attend to show off upgrades to the range”

Despite the presence of two fishing shows in Italy, Esposito said the European show remained a focus for Europesca. “We do not exhibit there because the Italian fishing market has been going through a ‘low phase’ for a long time and unfortunately exhibitor attendances at these events have been very poor.”