I am reading Daniel Pink’s book “A Whole New Mind” about the transformation of our economy. It is an interesting read and I agree for the most part with his assertions about the future. I had read an article by Pink in Fact Company magazine a while back and by luck was able to hear him speak when we were in New York last month. I am fortunate to be in a business that cannot be automated or sent overseas but I am trying to think about the implications for Maine Outdoors, my industry and in fact the Maine economy.
The hunting and fishing industry in Maine is by any measure hopelessly behind the economic times. It currently relies on an aging clientele that will diminish over the next twenty years. We need to develop new ways to reach a changing market but for the most part are relying on old methods and past success to carry us along. The annual State of Maine Sportsman ’s show was this past weekend and while I missed Saturday I was there on Friday and Sunday. This is an event that I always remember for being so crowded that you could barely walk around. Both times when I was there this year it was possible to see from one end of an isle to the other. The crowd was light at best. While I do not have the attendance figures and I am sure that they are a closely guarded secret (read not available for anyone) my simple look down the isle method is a good enough measure for me. My take on the show in Orono was the same there were not many people in attendance on the day that I was there and the other days had been impacted by the weather.
So what we have is a group of small businesses and conservation organizations who have been able to depend on these outdoor shows in the state to generate a significant portion of their income, struggling to react to the change. I do not have the answer or even a new direction to head off in but clearly this one is in a downward spiral. Interesting though the department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is reporting budget surpluses which should indicate that license sales are over projections. So for the short term at least the market is not shrinking but definitely changing.
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