Keynote speaker returns to ICAST to ask, are we actually taking care of new anglers?

Jay Baer, one of the most popular keynote speakers in the US, is back at ICAST.

Baer was a huge hit when speaking at the show’s Industry Breakfast in Orlando in 2017 about selling fishing as an experience rather than a list of technical specs. And he returns with a big question: “We’re creating new anglers circumstantially because of COVID, but are we actually taking care of them?”

The best-selling author of six books on marketing and customer experience also comes with the promise that attendees will hear advice and counsel you can put into practice the next day.

“I never used to fish. Now I fish every single Wednesday with my friends,” says Baer. “Thanks COVID. But even though we’ve got millions of new anglers, it’s actually a blessing and a curse because a lot of those new anglers, like me, don’t actually know what they are doing. The experience they have isn’t necessarily positive.

“They don’t know what gear to use, they break their line or don’t catch anything. We’re creating new anglers circumstantially because of COVID, but are we actually taking care of them? I’m going to talk to you about that at the Industry Breakfast. We’re gonna talk all about the coveted customer experience and what you can, should and, in fact, must do to make sure that we retain all of these new anglers.

“I cannot wait to come back. It’s gonna really give you a lot of advice and counsel that you can put into practice in your own organisation the next day. It’s gonna be fast, funny and functional.”

Announcing Baer’s return, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the organisation that stages the world’s biggest fishing tackle trade show, said: “Jay has some wisdom to share with our industry that will help us retain the millions of people who took up fishing in 2020 – including himself. And as a special bonus, Jay will stick around after the Industry Breakfast to conduct a special Lunch & Learn business seminar, where he’ll take a deeper dive into customer engagement and retention.”

ICAST is returning to an in-person show this year after putting on a virtual programme of events at the height of COVID in 2020. Free to all ICAST attendees, the seminar runs from 10.30am to noon on July 21st at booth 233 on the show floor. No registration is required. Both the Industry Breakfast and the Lunch & Learn seminar are being sponsored by takemefishing.org