PORTLAND, ME – The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) suffered a bit of a setback in mid-May when its chosen candidate to become the group’s new executive director dropped out at the last minute due to personal reasons.
During its May 20 meeting, the MLMC board discussed the situation and decided to reopen its search for an executive director.
“The MLMC is committed to finding an outstanding candidate who can successfully lead the worldwide marketing effort for the iconic Maine Lobster brand,” said Acting Executive Director Marianne LaCroix. “While the MLMC continues the search for a new executive director, the organization is moving forward with a full schedule of marketing programs designed to increase demand for Maine lobster.”
In mid-June, a film crew from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will travel to Maine to gather footage of the Maine lobster industry for the new online education program CIA is developing with the MLMC.
The crew is expected to film scenes of lobster fishing, harbors, and wharf and community activities, as well as several well-known Maine chefs preparing lobster recipes.
“The Maine footage will be interspersed with cooking demonstrations from CIA educators to provide professional chefs and consumers with creative Maine Lobster culinary applications and product quality information,” LaCroix explained. “The educational program, due to be released in September, will be hosted on CIA’s professional chef website, which receives over 50,000 unique visitors each month.”
The program also will be posted and promoted both by CIA and the MLMC on social media sites.
The MLMC premiered its e-mail newsletter, Maine Lobster Insider, in mid-May. Featured articles focused on: the collaborative’s participation in the CIA’s Greystone Flavor Summit in California in April (see CFN May 2014); summit recipes; the Maine lobster industry’s sustainability track record; and the Maine Tourism Association’s new quarterly publication called The Maine Thing, which was entirely devoted to stories about Maine lobster and the state’s lobster industry.
“The Maine Lobster Insider is designed to increase awareness and interest in Maine lobster among consumers and trade customers,” LaCroix said. “It’s a great way to see what the MLMC is doing and to stay on top of what our customers are hearing.”
To subscribe to the free newsletter, visit <www.joinmainelobster.com>. /cfn/
Read the rest and much, much more in the June issue of Commercial Fisheries News.
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