1. Help the players get better because it is good for the team;
2. Give the players ownership and listen to their input;
3. When something is broken fix it;
4. Always do the right thing; and,
5. See Rule No. 1.

Not surprisingly these same rules can apply to, say, a fly fishing trade show…:

1. Help the (Forum) get better because it is good for the (fly fishing community);
2. Give the (attendees) ownership and listen to their input;
3. When something is broken fix it;
4. Always do the right thing; and,
5. See Rule No. 1.

Just a thought…

On a business note, we are continuing to set up our store in Fergus this weekend so if you are in the neighbourhood please drop in and say hello! The phone number at our new fly shop is 519-787-3474.

A few years ago I was so disappointed with the show as an exhibitor that I sought out the President of the Izaak Walton Club after the event to impress upon him the importance of changing the venue so the show could grow. I was told in no uncertain terms that because the show was profitable for the club the organizing committee at the time was not interested in making any changes. After explaining to him that the majority of the exhibitors felt the show was on the verge of collapse and were not interested in returning unless improvements were made – starting with a better venue – he explained the rational behind the Club’s preference to stand pat was simply because there was no other venue in which to move at an affordable price. His final comment (I am fairly certain out of exasperation) was something along the lines of, “Go ahead and find a venue if you think you can but we don’t think there is one out there.” So I started asking people on the organizing committee and, more importantly, other exhibitors what criteria would make for a better show and I was told the following:

1. Accessibility for the majority of attendees
2. Venue size (both floor plate and ceiling height)
3. Availability of seminar rooms
4. Immediate hotel accommodation
5. Dinner venue at the facility
6. Parking
7. Affordability

There were other less important criteria given such as ease of set up for exhibitors but I focused on the above critical items and decided that if no one else was going to find a better venue I would do it myself. So over the proceeding year and a half during my normal course of business whenever I had a few moments I visited every hotel and conference facility between Pearson Airport and Kitchener that I thought might offer a better solution. It is worth noting that as I visited potential venues I shared my findings with other exhibitors to get their feedback because I wanted to make sure I would not be perceived to be steering the decision in any way. As an aside I can now say without reservation that if you do a search on Googlemaps for “conference facilities” you will come up with a surprisingly long list of facilities which have no business being included on the the list such as the cesspool of a hotel located near the racetrack in Campbellville. What goes on in the minds of the owners of these facilities is puzzling to say the least but such is the wonder of online search tags!

If you overlay the 7 criteria listed above on the search results from Google you come with a manageable list and if you visit every facility as I did you will come to the same conclusion: the best venue is the Hamilton Convention Centre and it is so for a number of reasons – not the least of which is price. Think what you will but this venue is more central to the vast majority of fly anglers than any other. The venue also has the ceiling height necessary for an indoor casting lane (that for the record is VERY difficult to find). It is one of the few venues with seminar rooms contiguous to the exhibitor hall and one of fewer still with a hotel nearby (in this case it is attached to the convention centre). On top of the above the Hamilton Convention Centre has plentiful inexpensive parking and FREE parking options within an easy walk of the door for those who prefer to not pay the $8 it cost for the day in the Convention Centre’s parking facility. Perhaps most importantly, the Hamilton Convention Centre is incredibly affordable and the staff are very accommodating.

The Forum venue did not change because of my efforts. It changed because of the efforts of Sheldon Seale and the rest of the Izaak Walton Club who voted for change and I thank them for stepping outside of their comfort zone this year. The new venue put the Forum back on the right path and it deserves our support. We now have to focus on giving those who complain about the distance they have to travel a good reason to attend in future. Some in the fly fishing community are professional complainers who like to stir the pot and I respectfully suggest that if they are not willing to help implement the change they are so vocal about wanting to see it is time for them to stop criticizing those who are volunteering their time and effort to help.

We need your help to make the 2013 Forum a success so please contact the club and offer to volunteer for a committee. It is fun to get involved and a great way to meet the members of the local fly fishing community. Anyone can complain – that is the easy thing to do – but it is time to put up or shut up…