On 23 February 2024, the FACE Communications Working Group met for an insightful event hosted by the Austrian Hunting Association (Jagd Österreich) in Salzburg on the occasion of Die Hohe Jagd & Fischerei fair.

The communication experts within FACE’s membership represented Europe’s national hunting associations and came together for this occasion. This resulted in a diverse group of experts who are dedicated to advancing hunting and conservation across Europe.

A series of crucial topics were on the agenda. FACE’s new work on the social acceptance of hunting in Europe was highlighted. This outlined the strategic points, measures, and goals at both the European and national levels. The participants engaged in proactive discussions on the status of acceptance throughout Europe, as well as the best practices for media campaigns to improve it. Particularly, the Austrian Hunting Association (Jagd Österreich) and the Danish Hunters’ Association (Danmarks Jægerforbund) presented insights from their experience and recent successful campaigns to communicate on hunting to society. It is worth mentioning the Austrian campaign “Das ist Jagd”, which is ongoing, has resulted in impressive outcomes in reach and promotion of the benefits of hunting.

One of the important communications opportunities addressed was the upcoming European Parliament Elections in June 2024. FACE continues to actively work to ensure that Brussels’ policy-making aligns with the interests of sustainable hunting and conservation in Europe. With over 7 million hunters throughout Europe, their important conservation role in benefiting nature, wildlife and society, must be recognised and supported by EU decision-makers. Coordinated actions with FACE members were discussed to discover how to best promote hunters’ interests and values through the FACE Election Manifesto during the upcoming EU electoral campaigns.

Finally, the latter half of the agenda was dedicated to influencers, social media and hunting. We featured speakers from Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Bulgaria such as the Hunter Brothers, Mrs. WildBoar, Christine Fischer and Kalin Georgiev Baldzhiyski. A fruitful discussion was held, and continued out on the fair floor at the Hunt on Demand stand. FACE members were able to obtain a good understanding of the ever-changing landscape of social media and the importance of influencers.

Our Austrian hosts went above and beyond. They provided a great programme for the attendees, refreshments and most importantly a fitting setting for the discussions.

FACE was delighted to have the opportunity to hold its meeting in Salzburg and would like to express its sincere gratitude to our Austrian member for hosting the event.