UNE outdoor business students provide marketing ideas that aid local land trust
University of New England senior Aaron Hayes knew the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust managed campsites across protected islands in Cape Porpoise in a corner of developed southern Maine that looks remarkably like the wild Downeast coast. What Hayes didn’t know when he gave a marketing presentation to the Trust on Dec. 4 as part of the UNE’s Outdoor Business and Innovation program was that the land trust’s leadership would take his recommendations to heart.
The Trust’s feedback on the marketing ideas that came out of Hayes’ Eco-Tourism class went beyond constructive pointers and praise. Executive Director Tom Bradbury, who had a hand in protecting all those islands, said his team plans to put many of the students’ ideas into action.
“It's amazing what a new set of eyes and a fresh perspective can bring to a situation,” said Bradbury, noting the students’ work will be valuable as the trust creates a new website this coming year. “They talked of how campers could share their ‘magic moments' with others, and, in the process, give the general public a glimpse as to why we protect these special places. What pleased me most was they did all of this with a great respect for the islands themselves.
“They understood our desire to let people discover these hidden treasures, but also our need to protect them from overuse, which would diminish the experience for all,” Bradbury added. “For all of this, we are grateful."
This kind of close collaboration with thought leaders in Maine’s outdoor industry is not unusual in UNE’s Outdoor Business and Innovation program, which was the first of its kind in New England when it was launched two years ago and remains one of only a few programs in Maine addressing the need for skilled workers in the field.
Outdoor recreation is one of the leading industries in Maine, contributing $3.4 billion to the state’s economy and providing 5% of all jobs in the state.
For his part, Hayes (’27) in UNE’s College of Business wants to contribute to the outdoor industry workforce.
“Throughout my experience with KCT, my group and I were able to provide valuable insight regarding sustainability and possible impact reduction methods for the organization. Not only that, but other groups of students were able to provide in-depth marketing and website structure solutions,” said Hayes, who’s majoring in sustainability and business.
The business courses taught by Teaching Professor Aimee Vlachos this semester, including Hayes’ Eco-Tourism class, showcase the rich opportunities UNE business students are provided to engage with outdoor industry leaders so they can test the waters of the outdoor business fields they want to pursue.
As the director of UNE’s Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Business and Innovation program, Vlachos, Ed.D., often says experiential learning isn’t just a piece of her curriculums in the College of Business: It’s what she does.
Her Eco-tourism class’s work with the Kennebunkport land trust is but one example of the real-world experience she offered UNE business students this fall.
In addition, two of Vlachos’ students were recently appointed to the state’s Maine Outdoor Brands Student Advisory Board, and she brought four students to Ireland to volunteer at the NFL’s first regular season game in the country when the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin’s Croke Park.
Vlachos also leveraged her NFL contacts to provide her entire marketing class with the opportunity to beta test a new NFL game app, which was created by Jimmy Rooney, whose family owns the Steelers. And she regularly invites outdoor leaders to engage with her class, including a former owner of the North Face brand and a director of Main Street Skowhegan, the nonprofit that works to bolster the outdoor economy in central Maine.
“It’s essential that these business students experience not only a high level of outdoor entrepreneurial business acumen;, it’s critical that they meet leaders in the outdoor industry who inspire them to network, brainstorm, and converse with the best,” said Vlachos, who, before coming to teach at UNE launched the successful nonprofit Wahine Kai International, an organization promoting amateur women's surfing that now includes 15 chapters nationwide and a membership of more than 500.
The Maine state Office of Outdoor Recreation (OOR), which advises UNE on its Outdoor Business and Innovation curriculum, noted the potential for future outdoor leaders graduating from UNE and the school’s experience-driven curriculum.
“The University of New England’s new outdoor business and innovation degree program plays an important role in strengthening Maine’s economy by preparing students for in-state careers in one of our strongest and fastest-growing sectors, while directly supporting the goals of Maine’s 10-Year Outdoor Recreation Economy Roadmap to expand education and training pathways,” said Jeff McCabe, the ORR director. “Programs like this help position Maine as a national trailblazer in the outdoor recreation economy by amplifying our world-class natural assets, innovative businesses, and rich heritage to drive long-term economic growth.”
But the kind of hands-on experience Vlachos offers her students not only develops career-ready graduates schooled in the unique challenges of the outdoor industry — the collaborations between business majors and industry thought leaders motivate those students, said Owen Rivard (Business Administration, ’27).
“Being able to share our ideas directly with the people who maintain that eco-tourism space made the work feel much more meaningful than a typical assignment,” Rivard said.