In most spaces the answer to these questions is overwhelming “ No .”
What the players do not see is the added costs for logistics and administration of these events . Players don ’ t see the increases in insurance , transportation , general maintenance , payroll , taxes , and general operational costs .
Without these insights , the price hikes translate as simple greed .
How do we heal ? And what happens when we don ’ t ?
Social media is not the only remedy , but it is an easy start . It allows for inexpensive platforms to share insights into our personal and professional experiences , and it is being underutilized by folks in the industry at-large .
Large steps have been taken in other places as well . Tom Cole , President of Major League Paintball and the National XBall League , used the Summit Awards Show in Las Vegas this past March as an opportunity to start some of these conversations . How do we bridge the gap between the two arms of paintball ?
Can we find common ground between all of the stakeholders ? Following the Summit , the rumblings and the chatter was everywhere , but attention seems to have waned and moved elsewhere .
It is essential that this conversation continue . All parties in this industry should be thinking about ways to effectively communicate their stories , because when we utilize the tools that we have available to share our perspectives , it opens up discourse and creates understanding . With understanding , we can create a unified audience . And with a unified audience , we expand our ability to grow .
The paintball industry has an opportunity right now to invest in itself through the use of creative media tools to inform its audience : the players . And it is important that they find ways to do so . Because without the players , the game cannot grow . But without the industry , the players will return to the roots of the original Survival Game . They will always find ways to do what Austin Gast did when he first started : go into the woods and shoot some friends .
0116 paintball . media magazine