It's not just the awards that the company has won at EFTTEX that has defined the success of the show for UK-based fly brand, Snowbee.
The company has been a regular visitor to the winners’ podium during the highlight of the show – the Best New Product Awards – but its Managing Director, Russell Weston, also acknowledges the role EFTTEX has played in the development of the business lies deeper than the obvious advantages of picking up prizes.
An exhibitor for over three decades, Snowbee has seen its reach grow substantially over that period to a point where it now enjoys healthy distribution across all major countries in Europe and many parts of the world.
"EFTTEX has been integral to building up our network of distributors," he stated. 'We first attended the 1986 show in Birmingham in the UK and have missed just one since. During that time, we have steadily expanded across Europe and the show has played a major part in that success."
Weston believes that EFTTEX maintains its relevance as the conduit between manufacturers and new markets. He says: "If you are seriously looking at the European market EFTTEX has to be the way to go. The major buyers from every country in the region are there as well as a number from other parts of the world. We have had visitors from as far afield as South Africa coming onto our booth.
"We still go there looking for smaller markets that are not covered, but our main objectives have changed over time and it is now an important meeting place for us and our customers. The show can be expensive to attend, but it represents a considerable saving in both time and money if you didn't attend and had to travel across Europe meeting your partners individually."
Weston believes that preparation is key to the success of EFTTEX. He said: "You can't just rock up and expect people to come to you. We schedule meetings on the hour so that we get the most out of it and it works for us."
Last year Snowbee won the Best New Clothing Award for the Nivalis Down Jacket at the show in Amsterdam, to add to previous successes for its fly lines.
"We got great feedback from visitors to our booth after our success. Everyone loved the clothing and asked for versions with a collar and for ladies. They are included in this year's catalogue," added Weston.