Sitting here on a chilly, slightly damp, gray morning, with all of the calculating and analyzing and totting up of the Industry Report in my metaphorical rearview mirror, I have this last task on the to-do list before we put the issue to bed, which is to write this letter.
Over the course of my work on this data, which began in late March, no word has come to mind more than “uncertainty.” Will there be tariffs? How much and when? Will there be a recession? Will grant funds get pulled? Will construction costs push projects beyond reach? Because the data was collected in January and February of this year, the impact of this uncertainty isn’t necessarily reflected in the numbers.
Every time the word “uncertainty” has popped into my head, I’ve heard the echo of David Bowie’s voice from 1997’s “Earthling” record:
I don’t want knowledge.
I want certainty!
In a Mojo interview Bowie said he was paraphrasing Bertrand Russell (the exact quotation is “What men really want is not knowledge but certainty”), and expounded: “… rather than make you more perplexed and worried, it actually lightens the load when you realise there are no certainties. It’s much easier to let go of things and not see them in such a serious light all the time. You realise that life is created by the things you do each day, that it’s nothing more than the sum of the things you’ve done in the last 24 hours. That’s life!”
Indeed.
This month we bring you the 19th iteration of our annual State of the Industry Report. It’s based on responses from more than 1,400 professionals who graciously took the time to answer our 50-question survey to let us know how things stand at their facilities. It’s a snapshot in time, if you will. But it’s a snapshot we’ve taken in the same place, at the same time for 19 years running, and so—even amidst rising and falling waves of uncertainty—it’s a helpful tool for seeing how recreation, sports, fitness, and aquatic facilities have evolved, and are continuing to evolve over the years.
It’s a useful tool to see how your facility measures up. The data here can help you get an idea of how you fit into the industry—where your operations, programming, and plans are outstanding, and where you might like to do some more work. From there, let go, and get on with doing the daily work of creating the very unique and relevant impact that you make for your facility, its visitors, and the community around you.
Good Luck Out There!
Emily Tipping
Editorial Director,
Recreation Management
[email protected]
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