Toronto Sportsman Show 2010

Five days and a total of 48 hours of exhibiting to an estimated average total crowd of 120,000 made for an exhausting show. 

Add to the mix 30-minute presentations on the Super Dog stage and the prominent location of my exhibit space and there was little opportunity to sit down. 

I was able to have a quick walk around the show and there certainly was much to take in.  I laid my hands on the new Shimano Cumulus rods – incredibly light and responsive is an understatement.  Sportsman Trophy Plaque was offering an interesting replica mount alternative to the budget minded www.sportsmantrophy.ca.
And www.bestleash.com answered my age-old question of what to do with my dog’s leash when I need to have both hands free.  I also plan to use my new Best Leash to tether Maestro and myself together on the boat just in case one or both of us should fall over-board – it’s usually Maestro who’s taking the plunge.  

Given the variety of audible electronics on active display on my exhibit table, I have no shortage of interested kids.  To make the Show experience for the kids more personal, I’ve started passing out cards to kids with their names in braille.  Parents love it as it opens up a 3-way dialog about vision loss, and the kids get to keep a personalized memento. 

Finally, I want to thank all the great folks at the Canadian National Sportsman Show for their including me in the Show, and to my sponsor Craig Dill from Ontario Portable Boats, who had the booth next to mine and who has become a good friend over the years.  As always, I spoke with a lot of people about fishing and vision loss and I hope I was able to answer their questions and put their minds at ease regarding vision loss.  I also learned a lot, which is always the case, and made a bunch of new friends to boot!