Rob Carter: Pure Fishing has given EFTTEX a shot in the arm

There’s a renewed energy around EFTTEX this year – and if the reaction across the global tackle trade is anything to go by, 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal edition of Europe’s leading trade show.

The single biggest catalyst for that momentum is the return of Pure Fishing to the show floor. If you follow me on LinkedIn (and you really should), you will have seen that my post in January about Pure Fishing’s return generated the strongest engagement I have ever recorded on the platform. News of the world’s largest fishing tackle company committing to exhibit again sent a clear signal to the industry: EFTTEX matters.

I also like to think it says something else too. I like to think that when Angling International talks about EFTTEX, the global trade listens.

That’s how it should be, of course. If you know your history of Europe’s leading trade show, you will know that Angling International was launched almost 20 years ago to be its key media partner. The very first task of the magazine in 2008 was to help bring the trade together in Rome and ensure the success of the show there at a time when the future of EFTTEX was very much in doubt.

I was part of the Angling International team then, as a young co-owner of the business. Fast forward 16 years and I was also part of the team that ensured continuity for European shows by hosting Angling International LIVE in 2024. It was the year that EFTTEX disappeared from the calendar. We then stepped aside to support EFTTEX on its return in 2025 in Brussels, while continuing to stage the industry awards.

Because of that history and also our connections each year on the show floor (I don’t think anyone else visits as many booths as our team), Angling International plays a unique role in the run-up to EFTTEX and afterwards. For exhibitors, as the much-viewed Pure Fishing post proves, we help shape the conversation around the show prior to its staging. What does that mean? It means this. No matter the size of your booth or whether you are a new or longstanding exhibitor, Angling International offers you a powerful opportunity to convert your commitment to the show into new sales for your business.

Pre-show visibility has never been more important. Retailers and distributors increasingly plan their meetings in advance, mapping out which booths to visit long before the doors open. The brands that win attention early are the ones that walk away with the hottest prospects.

This is where Angling International delivers unmatched value.

As the tackle trade’s No.1 B2B media platform, we reach the exact decision-makers exhibitors want to meet – across Europe and far beyond. Our audience isn’t casual; it’s composed of buyers, distributors, senior brand executives and industry leaders actively looking for the next opportunity. When you promote your EFTTEX presence through Angling International, you’re not just advertising a booth number. You’re positioning your brand in front of the people who determine whether a show appearance translates into real business.

And in a year when anticipation for EFTTEX is running particularly high, that visibility becomes even more powerful. The surge of interest sparked by Pure Fishing’s return shows that the industry is paying attention again.

And when you do, here’s a tip. Think about the offer you will make at the show. Our most successful pre-EFTTEX advertiser in 2025 was a little-known lure factory from China. To make an impression – and make the long trip worthwhile – Goofun announced a special offer in advance and in our pages. To design lure samples for potential customers and have them ready by the time of any meeting at its booth in Brussels. It was work worth €500 and done for free, out of goodwill but also out of a need to draw attention and showcase Goofun’s skills.

It worked well enough to sign up five brand new customers. And well enough for Goofun to be repeating the offer in this February issue of the magazine ahead of China Fish.

It was the coming together of an exhibitor, a good idea and a platform that reaches that exhibitor’s ideal potential customers.

In the months ahead, Angling International will once again be the central platform where exhibitors tell their stories, preview innovations and invite the global trade to their stands in Barcelona in June.

If you’re exhibiting, the message is simple: make sure the world knows where to find you, but also make sure you have a reason for customers to meet you. And make sure they hear it through the one channel the tackle trade consistently trusts.