EFTTA will continue to regulate the number of Chinese tackle companies seeking to attend EFTTEX or join EFTTA, it was announced today.
At the recent ICAST50 show in Las Vegas, the EFTTEX team received bookings and information requests from more than 20 American companies, and also discussed the regulation of Chinese exhibitors with Li Jiang, Secretary General of the China Fish show.
EFTTA President Gregg Holloway said: “We are liaising in order to appropriately regulate applications of Chinese companies to EFTTA and EFTTEX.
“We want to ensure that only credible companies join our association and through our new relationship with Li Jiang, he will only recommend Chinese companies to EFTTA whom he feels would add benefit to the association and the exhibition.
“All applicants to EFTTA will still need to apply individually to the Board of EFTTA for their approval and must be a bona fide company if they are to be successful in their application.”
Gregg dismissed suggestions that EFTTEX organisers were actively courting Chinese companies at ICAST, adding: “There is a lot of confusion in the marketplace about the two shows. Our presence at ICAST was to meet companies from around the world to clear up any confusion and promote EFTTEX as the most successful fishing tackle trade show in Europe.
“Our staff attended the show in order to meet and greet EFTTA members and discuss the EFTTEX show with current and potential future exhibitors. If we had wanted to ‘court’ Chinese exhibitors in particular we would have attended China Fish.”
The announcement comes after DHP – organisers of the Tackle Trade World exhibition, launched in direct competition to EFTTEX – attended the China Fish show and promotes Chinese companies in their trade magazines.
EFTTEX 2008 is being held for the first time ever in Rome from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th June 2008 at the brand new Fiera Di Roma Exhibition Centre, close to Fiumicino Airport. Within days of completing EFTTEX 2007, more than 5,200m2 of stand space has been sold for the 2008 show.