Today kicks off the annual International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades show, or ICAST as it’s universally known. Over the next three days, thousands of anglers, company reps, and outdoor media members will converge on the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, to ooh and awe over the new gear showcased there.
ICAST technically opened yesterday with conferences and similar events. The exhibition portion of the show runs Wednesday through Friday, bringing hundreds of companies and thousands of attendees together. The 2015 show saw almost 13,000 representatives from the outdoor industry attend, with 270 companies submitting 889 new products for the “New Product Showcase”—a mass of items that covered half a million gross square feet.
In addition to the conventional tackle found at ICAST, the International Fly Tackle Dealer show, IFTD, will be held concurrently in the convention center. New waders, tippet, fly line, and other essential items will debut, with opportunities for attendees to practice casting with the new rods and reels.
Like ICASTs of the past, Sporting Classics Daily will be there to send back videos of the new products and stories of the events. Stay tuned for the best the fishing industry has to offer in 2016!