by David Boyle, ThreadCentral
The ICRBE has long been the largest custom rod building event in the world. Through the skillful ownership of Tom Kirman, the Expo brings together vendors and customers in a weekend event that grows every year. I decided to first attend in the early 2000’s as a way of launching my VisualWRAP software and meeting others in the industry. It was no mean feat – the ICRBE was in North Carolina and I was in Sydney, Australia. It was worth every dollar spent and every mile (kilometre!) travelled.
The tyranny of distance and economic realities meant I could only attend every several years, but by doing so I met many I consider to be legends of the craft, and learned what it takes to put yourself out there, standing behind your own product, in front of real people. Some I’ve met along the way are no longer with us, and it’s a regular reminder to me to never take for granted what you have, be it time, money, health, or friendships.
The many hundreds of people I’ve met through the ICRBE, and everyone I’ve helped through emails and remote login sessions, share something in common: a fascination with rod building and desire to give it a go. To me the ICRBE is the epitome of the various rod building events out there. As a vendor, you have a weekend to market to thousands of customers. As a builder, there is no better place to buy the products (often at special show pricing), see inspirational rods, attend educational seminars, and. most importantly, meet other builders.
The 2026 International Custom Rod Building Exposition will be held on February 28th and March 1st, 2026 at the MC Benton Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem, NC, and I’m very proud and excited to say it will be under new ownership.
Expect to see more of the Expo you have grown to love, along with a renewed emphasis on teaching & learning.
See this link for Tom Kirkman’s press release: