Fishing Lure Convention to Return to Fort Wayne

September 14, 2012

News Release

Fort Wayne, Ind. -- Fort Wayne’s Grand Wayne Convention Center has been selected over convention centers in Dayton, Louisville and other U.S. cities to host a nationwide gathering of antique fishing lure collectors for a second time in July of 2014.

The National Fishing Lure Collectors Club (www.NFLCC.org) held its 2012 national convention in Fort Wayne in July, drawing more than 1,000 visitors from around the U.S. and 3 foreign countries. Organizers say the overwhelmingly positive comments from members made returning to Fort Wayne an easy decision.

“We simply could not have been happier with the Grand Wayne Convention Center, the downtown hotels, and the city itself,” said David Saalfrank, co-host of the 2012 convention. “We played a role in getting the convention here in the first place, but the people of Fort Wayne, the convention center and the hotels are the ones who brought it back in 2014. They did such a super job one member told us he drove 1000 miles to attend the convention and would happily make the drive again if the convention returns to Fort Wayne.”

The National Fishing Lure Collectors Club (www.NFLCC.org) is a non-profit, educational, international organization founded in 1976 to promote fishing tackle collecting and to assist in the location, identification, and trading of vintage fishing-related equipment. The NFLCC encompasses every aspect of collecting fishing-related tackle and ephemera (i.e. reels, rods, catalogs, advertising, minnow traps and buckets, etc.), not just fishing lures.

Grand Wayne Convention Center Executive Director Bob Lister says the downtown community plays an important role in earning this repeat convention business and its economic impact. “It’s not uncommon for first-time visitors to comment on how welcoming and friendly our community is, and on the excellent customer service they receive at our partner hotels and restaurants,” Lister said. He is convinced the Grand Wayne’s strong partnership with Visit Fort Wayne and the community’s investment in downtown improvement is helping the convention center win the often fierce competition for meetings and group events.

The National Fishing Lure Collectors Club’s three-day event in July 2014 will include workshops, seminars, and appraisals of antique fishing equipment.

Source: Grand Wayne Convention Center