Think Outside: Virtual Outdoor Show
by Melissa Norris
Think Outside. It’s both a mantra and the name of our new virtual trade show for Alaska’s fishing and hunting community. When the news of COVID-19 set in, it became a moment of deep reflection for many of us. Now isolated, we could no longer be around each other each day, and our clients began feeling the stress from the potential business downfall we all faced. All of us faced the fears of what this sickness could mean for our loved ones and ourselves.
What do you do in a time like this? You can feel despair around you and it can so easily set in. I am blessed to have several powerful forces in my life who fill my ears with positive messages. I was also born with a do-anything attitude fostered by an independent mother and an abundance of self esteem. So what I did during this trying time was think about what Fish Alaska and Hunt Alaska could do to bring positivity to our community. It became clear to me that an online event that was both entertaining and informational while bringing our community together with some of our favorite experts would be a win for all. We were not seeking financial gain for this. It’s a free show.
I ran the idea past a couple of my trusted souls, my business partner Marcus near the top and we decided it was a good idea to expend the manpower to get this done. We would have little to offer if it weren’t for our incredible supporters and industry experts who were willing to share their time and expertise to help outdoor enthusiasts learn. We all have countless hours behind this new endeavor and hope to make it an annual event, growing stronger each year. We already have plenty of ideas for next time. Like you, we hope to be able to go back to in-person sporting trade shows soon, but we can still use something like Think Outside to bring the tourist community to an Alaska trade show as well as a local community to our specific writers/producers who really know the minutiae of the sports.
We hope you’ll take your time perusing Think Outside. There are over two dozen excellent seminars produced by industry experts where you’ll glean something new on any topic. And the forty or so exhibitors displaying their businesses with us are top supporters and companies we can easily recommend you choose. Note a handful of show specials provided for this event by some of the industry’s best. Lastly, don’t forget to enter to win part of over $35,000 in prize giveaways supplied by our incredible sponsors. You have until July 10th to sign up. Get out and fish and hunt as much as you can this summer. Life is too short to skip what you love most, just be sure to make safe choices and keep other’s best interests in heart too. We hope our new virtual show is a nice break in your day from some of the dreadful news out there. Thank you for viewing Think Outside.
Melissa Norris is the Publisher of Fish Alaska and Hunt Alaska magazines since their inception in 2001. She is also the lead creative director for Peak Run Media, siblings Marcus and Melissa’s sister company that focuses on web creation, SEO and general advertising agency support to select clients.