AFTA 2026 recap - 2 September 2026
AFTA 2026 was Mazorca's first trade show - and one of the biggest learning experiences we've had so far.
Being my first time building an exhibition booth, I didn't want to tackle it alone. Fortunately, my Dad Dino was able to fly over from WA and help bring it all together.
We took the Monday-night red-eye to Brisbane, collected our hire car and picked up display products that had been express-shipped from our suppliers. From there, we headed south to Byron Bay to collect fishing rods and spearguns from my good mate Jaiden McLean.
Jaiden has played a significant role in the Beyond Backpack coming to life. It was during a big mission off the coast of Esperance that we began talking about the problems with the bags and equipment we were using - and what a truly purpose-built backpack could look like.
After a quick catch-up and pub meal near Brunswick Heads, we were up at 5am and heading for the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Building It From the Ground Up
The booth build itself started around 8:30am and didn't finish until 7:30 that night.
Dad and I built almost everything from scratch: walls, lighting, product racks, display units, signage and even the television bracket. It was stressful, physically demanding and a massive learning curve - but eventually, it came together.
After a late-night Officeworks run and a few final preparations, I got to bed around 11:30pm before getting up to do it all again.
A Tough First Day
The opening trade day was slow for us.
Many buyers already knew which established brands they wanted to visit, and while we had some great conversations, we finished the day without a purchase order or any significant buyer commitment.
After everything it had taken to get there - the travel, preparation, cost and physical effort - I left the venue feeling like I had failed.
That night, I went back to the apartment, edited and uploaded our content from the day, and worked on a new game plan. The only option was to reset and come back with a better mindset.
Everything Changed on Day Two
From early the following morning, the energy around the booth felt completely different.
Foot traffic increased, genuine buyer interest began building, and representatives from some of the biggest names in the industry stopped by.
We welcomed buying teams and senior leaders from Anaconda, BCF, Tackle World and Adreno. Teams from Shimano, Daiwa and Salty Crew also visited after hearing people around the show talking about our backpacks.
Some stayed at the booth for close to half an hour, exploring the range and learning more about where Mazorca is heading. We even began discussing potential brand collaborations.
By the end of the day, we had signed our first purchase orders and from a mix of independents and big box!
After the disappointment of day one, it felt like the momentum had really shifted.
Public-Day Mayhem
The final public day was unlike anything we had experienced.
People had reportedly been lining up since 5:30am, and by the time we arrived, the queue stretched deep into the convention centre.
Once the doors opened, it was mayhem.
Before midday, more than 350 people had signed up to hear more about the Beyond Backpack. By the end of the day, that number had passed 500.
More importantly, we were able to speak directly with anglers and water users about how they would use the bag.
Some wanted it for international fishing trips or multi-week commercial missions. Others pictured taking it to the beach, riding with it down to the local jetty, exploring freshwater systems or simply keeping their gear organised during a weekend on the water.
That range of feedback reinforced exactly why we created it. The Beyond Backpack isn't built for one narrow activity - it's a versatile system designed for people who move between different environments, adventures and ways of using the water.
People even began pre-ordering online during the show to secure stock ahead of its October arrival.
Just the Beginning
After three enormous days, we packed the booth down in under two hours - significantly faster than it went up.
We returned the borrowed display equipment, made the drive back to Brisbane and landed in Perth around midnight. Since then, we've been following up with retailers, progressing collaborations and signing further purchase orders.
The response to our first show exceeded anything we expected, but the experience also reminded us how quickly things can change when you keep showing up. Twenty-four hours after feeling like the entire trip might have been a failure, we had buyers, retailers and major industry brands coming to us.
Next up, Mazorca is returning to Brisbane for the opening of Anaconda's new Brendale Superstore on 5 September, where eight Beyond Backpacks will be on display.
Our first production stock arrives in October and remains limited.
Thank you to everyone who visited the booth, shared feedback, placed an order or simply took the time to hear our story. And a special thank you to Dad for stepping into the chaos and helping me build the whole thing from the ground up.
This was our first trade show.
It definitely won't be our last.
Beyond the Elements.
