The NERBs rolled into Winston-Salem on Thursday night, preparing for our Decorative Wraps class on Friday. This class featured nine students who wanted to learn the Art of making excellent Dec (Decorative) Wraps. There were 7 mentors to sit with each to ensure they were getting every bit of info they needed and to ensure they were doing things the NERBs way.
To say the class was a success was an understatement; it was a fantastic experience for all involved, and each student turned into Dec Wrap Artists before our eyes. I’ve been going to the show since 2005, and this was by far the best show experience the NERBs have ever had.
The “official” start to the show was Saturday at 8 AM, and the second the doors opened, people beelined to the Rod Forge booth. Within a few minutes, the booth was bustling. The Rod Forge team engaged with builders, asking questions and trying to find the proper blank for their fishing application. That initial rush slowed at about 11, but consumers still spent time in the Rod Forge booth until the show closed at 5. It was an excellent day for Rod Forge!!
The NERBs booth was busy with 60 custom rods on display, which drew the attention of anyone who walked past. We had a lathe set up in the booth, and some Dec Wrap class students continued the wraps they worked on the prior day. Many people followed the class online, passing by, asking the students how it went, and checking out their work. Seeing the interest was good; even better, many asked if I would do it again. Giving the people what they want, I decided that next year I will be doing a more extensive class at this show, and I already have several people who signed up.
Sunday is always the slow day at the show, so The NERBs took advantage of lulls in traffic to go over and check out some of the prototype Forge Composite (FC) and upcoming Forge S-Glass (FSG) blanks that the Rod Forge team has been working on. It was good to see so many people engaged and eager to see what we were working on and to get feedback from so many was highly beneficial.
Before I knew it, I looked around, and ten customers were at the booth, watching what we were doing and engaging in the conversation. Most builders do not get to see the design process of a blank, so sharing this info and showing and explaining it to them in person was priceless.
– Billy Vivona
