Digital Media in NB, It's time to be heard
With the election in full swing in New Brunswick, candidates from every riding are looking to gain the favor of their potential constituents. With the added obstacle that is the COVID-19 pandemic, candidates are especially open to hearing from constituents through alternative means.
What does this mean for the digital media industry here in the Province?
(Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash)
It means, there is no better time for those in our sector to begin talking about the problems that we face as an industry. The unique issues that only those in New Brunswick see, in a time where our industry has been an integral part of dealing with the stresses of the global pandemic. As an owner of a digital media business myself, I know of the struggles that we face in being a competitive environment with not only the rest of Canada but the world itself.
Many of you have stories about the difficulties in building a sustainable business in our industry; about the reductions in support and the hostile view that some people hold about the nature of our business. We all know of talented citizens of New Brunswick that have inadvertently had to leave their home to pursue opportunities outside of the province. With the many supports available to our sector in every neighboring province, it is impossible to blame those who see success elsewhere.
(Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash)
So, how can we as an industry begin to inform those who seek to govern? Email, message, call, or mail your concerns to them, and illustrate to them the struggles that we face as a viable business sector. Outline to them how in every province there are better supports for this Billion Dollar Industry, but we choose to build right here. How the growth of our sector continues to be stifled by reductions in support, and systems that are not built for the nature of our businesses. Show them that we want to create an economic impact for our province, keeping talented individuals here and attract new experts that will bolster our economy. Tell them we want to be in this place; to help it to continue to be the innovative province that we know.
I am asking all game developers, programmers, esports enthusiasts, animators, students, and anyone else interested in the digital media sector to reach out to every candidate. Let them know we have a voice and a story that needs to be heard. Begin informing them so that, no matter who wins the election they all know that we exist and that we are building. If you do not know how to start this conversation, feel free to use this template that I have created to start a respectful conversation about our industry and how they can help to shape its future. If anyone needs help in having those conversations, reach out to me and I will be happy to help in any way that I can.
Find your riding here, and message every candidate today about your story. Only then will they begin to understand how our industry can be a beneficial addition to our already great province.
Connect with me here on LinkedIn or on Twitter if you want to continue the conversation about making NB a better place for the digital media industry.