Ones to watch: 5 interesting up-and-coming companies exhibiting at IWA

Big-name brands will always get a lot of attention when it comes to trade shows. For many visitors, the idea of being able to see what all the major players are doing is one of the key attractions to visiting any exhibition – it gives you a real temperature check on the latest trends and how the industry is doing in general. But the big guys are just one part of a successful and healthy trade show. Often, it’s the companies you didn’t expect to find that can have the most positive effect on your trip. Those unknown companies, the up-and-comers, the start-ups. Stumbling across these kinds of brands can often be the nice surprise of attending IWA OutdoorClassics – but why do they have to be surprises? In an increasingly competitive market, wouldn’t it be a smart move to do some of your own research and identify smaller companies or first-time exhibitors to visit so you can get to them before your competition does?

The Exhibitor Database on the IWA Website is the perfect place to start discovering some up-and-comers for yourself. I spent a few hours with it and came up with my own list of five interesting companies that I will be checking out on the show floor this year. Maybe it will inspire you to do the same?

Sport-Tech, Germany – Hall 4, booth 4-354a

The more comfortable you are out in the field, the longer you are likely to stay there. At least, that’s the rule that many hunters, shooters, and outdoor enthusiasts live by. Sleeping can often be one of the ways in which this rule falls apart – if you are out camping in the wilderness for multiple days, you need a comfortable place to put your head down at night. German company Sport-Tech appears to have a pretty smart solution to this through its Klymit brand. It produces super-lightweight sleeping pads with a host of smart features that make them ideal for a wide range of outdoor uses. Features such as Body-Mapping Technology that supports the most important contact points of the body with smartly positioned air chambers, or V-Chamber designs that make them comfortable to sleep on whether on your side, stomach, or back. Some of the mats even feature plush foam toppers and loft pockets to help offer incredible warmth and comfort. The mats are available in a wide range of colourways including Realtree camo. I’m getting sleepy just thinking about them…

Bimobil von Liebe, Germany – Hall 4, booth 4-369

Whenever a brand takes a step outside its regular comfort zone and exhibits at a show in an industry that is not its usual market, it’s hard not to notice it while walking the halls. Anyone who happens to stroll past the booth of German leisure and expedition vehicle manufacturer Bimobil will find it hard not to stop for a closer look. The company builds impressive homes from home on Mercedes-Benz, IVECO, and MAN vehicles, covering everything from domestic-style motorhomes to rugged and large-scale expedition-style vehicles that can help outdoors enthusiasts stay out in the wilderness for many days on end. Bimobil promises that all its vehicles include generous storage space, a connection to shore power, an inviting living area, a bathroom, and a kitchen. All of which makes their potential for hunters and shooters very broad. The company has almost 50 years of experience and craftsmanship behind it, which I personally cannot wait to see up close for myself as an avid camper.

Icefox, Germany – Hall 4, booth 4-210

We have already recently highlighted why apparel is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the hunting market, and brands like Icefox are living proof that this part of our industry is thriving. This German company is built around the ethos that clothing made with natural materials will always outperform that made with synthetics. This means every item in its growing collection of hunting clothing for men and women is made from natural materials such as wool, cotton, leather, and fur – the company believes these materials have a clear advantage over anything manmade. In short, nature does it best. The Icefox range currently comprises almost everything a hunter could need for a warm and comfortable trek out into the wilderness, including base layers, jackets, trousers, shirts, hats, socks, gloves and more. Not only are they all made with natural materials, but they also have a classic and stylish aesthetic that any self-respecting hunter would be happy to head outside in.

CARBONOMIX, Slovenia – Transition 3C, booth UE3C-02

The Slovenian Alps are no joke. This rugged and beautiful landscape is an incredibly challenging but also rewarding place for the hunters who stalk the deer, ibex, chamois, and wild boar that live there. So, what better place for a company that specialises in super-lightweight performance gun stocks to perfect its craft? That is the story behind Carbonomix, a Slovenian company that produces carbon fibre stocks for a series of popular rifles including the Tikka T3X and T3, the Blaser R8, and the Blaser R93.  These stocks are not only incredibly light, but they also offer strong resistance to twist and torsion forces, meaning they will last the test of time. They have also been cleverly designed in terms of ergonomics, making these popular rifles even more comfortable to hold and shoot. As well as full carbon fibre stocks, Carbonomix also makes hybrid versions that are made with a carbon and Kevlar composite, which offers impressive vibration-dampening characteristics. Last of all, they just look really cool, and sometimes that’s enough to get your attention.

BUG-A-SALT, Germany – Hall 4, booth 4-150

This last one is a bit of fun, because what is life without that? Bug-A-Salt has taken the usually annoying task of swatting flies and turned it into a tactical field sport with its range of Bug-A-Salt guns. Users can simply add regular table salt into the gun’s hopper and are then equipped with up to 80 shots that can help them take care of unwanted flies and other insects in a safe and non-toxic way. The gun fires a small burst of salt grains accurately at the aforementioned pest and takes care of them without splatting them all over the food you are trying to protect. What is there left to say about this other than can I get one and how soon?

Of course, these five companies are just a small snapshot of what IWA has to offer. Walking the halls, you are likely to stumble across a whole host of innovative and ambitious smaller companies and start-ups looking to make their mark on the industry and secure some meaningful and successful partnerships.

To make sure you don’t miss something that could be of huge value to your business, I’d advise you to do the same thing I did when writing this article and take some time to explore the list of exhibitors online. You can search for exhibitors based on product category, industry, company type, and country – you might just find business connection you’ve long been searching for.