Keynote and Featured Speakers
Join us on Wednesday and Thursday for our General Sessions.
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
The Next Big Thing: Artificial Intelligence and the Recreational Fishing Industry
General Session
11:00 a.m – 11:45 a.m.
Emerald Ballroom D/E
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) are hot topics in the outdoor recreation industry—and everywhere else, for that matter. The media explosion about how GenAI can be used to create content across platforms is raising everyone’s awareness of the pros and cons of this technology.
This session will introduce some fundamental explanations about how AI and GenAI work and how they are being deployed in the recreational fishing industry. This talk will address GenAI in relation to content creation and marketing, as well as the role AI is playing in consumer engagement and other aspects of the industry.
Presenter
FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Analyzing the Numbers: Looking at the Future
General Session
9:15 a.m. 9:45 a.m.
Emerald Ballroom D/E
Southwick Associates President Rob Southwick and RBFF’s Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications Stephanie Vatalaro will provide an overview of the new U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service survey numbers and RBFF’s survey data.
Presenters
FEATURED PANEL:
Policy, Management and Conservation: How is Recreational Fishing Faring
General Session
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Emerald Ballroom D/E
ASA Government Affairs Vice President Mike Leonard will provide an overview of the top policy issues impacting the sportfishing industry. A moderated panel of fisheries management and conservation experts will discuss the pressing and emerging challenges for fresh and saltwater fisheries.
MODERATOR
Presenters
Thursday, October 5, 2023
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Piercing Through the Noise
General Session
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Emerald Ballroom D/E
There is an extraordinary amount of noise concerning the status of the economy today and what the future will look like.
Using an analytical approach, Patrick Luce will take a dispassionate look at the trends that define the economy up through 2025.
He’ll examine key industries to determine what phase of the business cycle they are in and what the future looks like for each. Some industries are faring better than others; it is important you know which industries/markets they are in order to potentially mitigate the impact of business cycle decline.
Management objectives consistent with his forecasts for inflation and interest rates will provide actionable takeaways for attendees.
Presenter
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Observations On Consumer Retail Spending
General Session
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Emerald Ballroom D/E
Don Unser, president of Thought Leadership for Circana, formerly NPD, will share Circana’s observations on consumer spending from their rich data assets of over $3 trillion of U.S. consumer spending.
Don spends time with the CEOs who represent the largest players in the U.S. retail sector. He will highlight the most important trends in consumer spending and what can be expected for the future, including the sporting goods categories and recreational fishing.