RURAL ECONOMIES CAN GROW BY POOLING TALENT AND RESOURCES

Will provincial Regional Economic Networks (RENs) work insularly, or think courageously and invite other areas of the province (and other RENs) to work together in their economic turnarounds? My experience tells me that's where our achilles heel might lie. 

Among the benefits REN claims, one is to "pool resources and combine talents to increase effectiveness, strengthen potential and improve outcomes".

Maybe rural counties need to think regionally to prosper, reports Josie Musico, in the case of rural west Texas that has seen a population decline over the past decades, and an out-migration of youth -- what I call next generation talent.

The Unites States Department of Agriculture's "Stronger Economies Together" (SET) program was set up to build rural economies. SET encourages people to think as regions rather than focusing on individual communities. Their website reads, "The purpose of SET is to strengthen the capacity of communities/counties in rural America to work together in developing and implementing an economic development blueprint that strategically builds on the current and emerging economic strengths of their region."

Let's hope Regional Economic Networks being set up in Nova Scotia helps rural economic development. The Ivany Report issues an economic and demographic clarion call to action, "most dramatically in our rural regions". REN has its work cut out for itself.

"WHEN YOU HAVE TO EAT WHAT YOU KILL, YOU LEARN EXTREMELY FAST"

Can you imagine what would happen to our Nova Scotia economy if just 1% of all Nova Scotians started their own business next year? Wouldn't that blow economic hardship out of the water and lend an Ivany-Report-kick-in-the-pants kickstart to our quality of place!

I came across James Altucher's inspirational slide show on "40 alternatives to college" that epitomizes the spirit of the entrepreneurial mindset -- a mindset that can change the way we work, live and play -- a Georgetown Conference mindset. Altucher's first alternative to formal education is to "Start a Business". He tells us "whereas previously we've created generations of innovators and creators, now we are creating a generation of young people mired down in hopeless debt". Pretty incendiary stuff, but he does drive the point home. Jump in at the deep end and learn to swim.

So how do we innovate in a rural environment? Beyond Altucher's and Georgetown's mindset we can get ideas from 'Small Business Ideas for Rural Towns' and the Canadian Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship. We can learn from many real-life examples, such as Chemainus, British Columbia; Rosebud, Alberta; Prince Edward County, Ontario; Fulton, Kentucky, and Hardwick, Vermont. As Gail Lethbridge posted in Halifax' Chronicle Herald "Avoid insularity. It’s OK to look beyond our own borders and be inspired by the way they do things elsewhere. It’s OK to check out Estonia’s story or Wisconsin’s."

Industry Canada reports (2004) that almost 1/3 of all small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are based in rural areas, with the greatest percentage in the Prairies. Interestingly, 2/3 of these businesses are in non-agricultural and non-primary industries (such as mining, fishing, forestry). Rural SMEs tend to be self-employed and smaller than urban SMEs. 

So, how do you build an entrepreneurial culture? Having studied hundreds of rural landscapes, interviewing thousands of entrepreneurs, and investigating dozens of rural development strategies, Don Macke and Deborah Markley (2006) conclude that the key lies with proactive, civic (NGOs, government, community, .. ) leaders who create an entrepreneurial environment. Invest in your local residents. Build support systems.

Becky McCray, author of "Small Biz Survival", tells us in "20 Small Business Ideas for Small Towns": be uniquely local; use what you know; look at existing businesses; use someone else's research; and, search idea sites and feeds. McCray lists nine small town and rural business trends for 2014, including growing Stage 2 businesses (10-50 employees).

This Blog is about being creative in a rural environment, and that involves "doing", and "just saying yes". Rural economic development starts with pulling up your sleeves, being courageous and visionary, working together, and maybe even starting your own business. 

WHAT DO THE FILMS "OUTLANDER", "TITANIC" AND "DEV-CON 4" HAVE IN COMMON?

According to Wikipedia, Outlander, Titanic and Dev-Con 4  are among eighty-two big screen films with shots on location in Nova Scotia. Who knew? We have geography that appeals to the film industry. 

The film industry in Nova Scotia can play a significant role in kickstarting a revitalized Nova Scotia rural economy. I see two thrusts. First, rural areas can find and promote film shoot locations, to attract location scouts and film crews from around the world. Second, rural areas can develop tourism products based on film.

FILM SHOOT LOCATIONS

Location Managers and Scouts find locations that set the stage for film, television, commercials, music videos and advertising. They work with the directors and producers. To promote rural film-shoot locations and attract film crews and investors, you need to do more than simply re-paint your white picket fences and hope that passers-by take notice. You need to be proactive. Film shoots require support -- people, facilities, utilities and resources. One needs to easily locate and secure this support. Also, considerable energy is required to research and catalogue each potential location. 

MovieMaps.org is a global directory and Google map of movie and TV show filming locations. On this site you lookup where your favorite TV show was shot or discover movies that were filmed near you.

Visitbath.co.uk/film shows backdrop locations for film makers interested in areas in and around Bath.

While the above examples point in the right direction, they are sparse. My research shows that there exists untapped potential in creating valuable online and interactive film-shoot location maps and databases.

FILM-INDUCED TOURISM

Film-tourism works. Claudio-Elena Tuclea and Puiu Nistoreanu (2011) relate the impact of film to film-induced tourism and recommend ways to maximize this relationship for economic and cultural development.

I have previously posted related items in this and other blogs (Storytelling; War of 1812)  . How many people have visited the graves of those who perished with the sinking of the Titanic then toured Halifax? Who has browsed the shoot location and the Nova Scotia town of Shelburne where the 1994 film The Scarlet Letter was created? 

We can learn something from the Welsh Tourism Movie Map in North Wales and consider creating something similar here.



This map gives you a sample of the variety of films and television programs shot in North Wales, and will tempt you to come and visit the location settings for yourself such as: Casanova (BBC 2005); Backbeat (Beatles 1994); From Russia With Love (1963); Chronicles of Narnia (2008); Clash of the Titans (2010).

Hemispheresmagazine.com predicted in 2012 that the American remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo would boost tourism in Stockholm, Sweden, by 3 to 4 percent, translating into hundreds of millions of euros. In the 2006 article "Promoting Destination via Film Tourism", Hudson and Ritchie (Journal of Travel Research, 44,387-396) note that the film Field of Dreams increased tourism numbers in Iowa, USA, by 35,000 visits in 1991.

New Zealand is now affectionately known as "Home of Middle-Earth" after the wildly popular film The Lord of the Rings helped boost visitor counts by 40% between 2000-2006, according to Hemisphere Magazine.

Tourism Magazine (2010) states that 3-6% of visitors to the UK visit film locations during their stay. CNN Travel reports that India's Ministry of Tourism has built "an entire Land of Pi" tourism campaign. In a study in Italy, New Zealand and Sweden, Sue Beeton, CNN Travel author and professor at LaTrobe University, Australia, found people often change travel plans in an area when they are aware of activities related to film. 

Beeton points out that, however, "there is a lack of integration between most tourism commissions and film commissions". In an interview between Switzerland's Anthony Lack and Dr Peter Bolan (University of Ulster, Ireland) Bolan endorses a need for greater collaboration between tourism and film officials. 

CONCLUSION

A well presented geography, people and resources (in map form on a website, for example) can attract film-location scouts, film production crews and investors from around the world. Successful film tourism can boost destination tourism and visitor numbers. This, however, calls for collaboration between film and tourism stakeholders and visionary leaders with some influence. The right players need to play together in the same sandbox.

With developments in new media and communication technology this task should be made easier today.