A drive to Starlight, Indiana today provided a picturesque backdrop that simply cannot be described in words. It got me thinking...of all the time any money we have spent over the last 4-5 years telling the story of Hoosier hardwoods, we might be missing out on an opportunity that wouldn't cost anything, but could generate big bucks for many Indiana communities.
The hilly landscape simply lights up on a sunny day, and creates the fiery scenery that has become legendary in such places as Brown County and Parke County. Certainly the local economy of Nashville peaks when the leaves do. I can even recall the area being featured on the Today Show several years ago.
Well, guess what? The magic moments are brought to you by none other than Premium Indiana Forest Products! Those are OUR hardwoods at work, casting off their annual spectacular blaze of glory before blowing away to meet their eventual fate at the teeth of a rake or a damp forest floor. The window of time to see the fall colors is brief, and closes quickly.
It's time to take ownership of this show. It's a two week infomercial waiting to happen, and a chance for us to tell our story to the masses, who annually flock to the highways to take in the beauty. Are we bold enough to resolve ourselves to a mission? By this time next year, could IHLA jump start our state's tourism industry, by producing Indiana's first annual "Hoosier Fall Spectacular?"
Just as our annual convention draws so many from industry, so too could this event draw thousands to many, many communities throughout the region, all following along special maps that we provide to download on the Internet. Between now and then, we could work to provide opportunities for hotels, restaurants, Beds & Breakfasts, wineries, markets, furniture companies, cabinet makers, the Forest Discovery Center, and many others, to purchase a listing on the map. Those preferred "attractions" could also be featured in an event magazine, which would showcase towns, sights, and articles promoting Indiana's forests and our industry. It would also include educational articles about our sustainability and economic impact, blended in among keepsake pictures, local recipes, and history.
There could even be a "blow-out" event, rotating from Bean Blossom to French Lick, or Turkey Run, or anywhere else, that would be the "Woods-stock" festival, with music, art, maple syrup chain saw carvings, pumpkins, and more. It would be like sponsoring the state fair every year! What better way to put the Premium Indiana Forest Products logo in front of so many, so often.
Nothing like Highway 60 to Dow Knob Road to inspire the imagination. Who's in??
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