How To “SLASH PROOF” Your Development Budget November 3, 2008 - Ted Levine
The budget axe to swing…very possibly in your direction. The current Business Week notes that 32 (or about 2/3 of the US states) are facing budget shortfalls all the way from California (22.2%) to Vermont (0.1%), and an analogous study suggests a similar fate for private or private/public partnership economic development organizations. Yet deep down you know
Second Post Card From Atlanta: How To Communicate With Site Selection Advisors: October 27, 2008 - Ted Levine
On the last day of the IEDC Atlanta Conference (Wednesday, 10/22) a phalanx of 20 professional site consultants had at it with close to 700 development practitioners answering a couple of dozen queries seldom unanimously. But on one point the location advisors agreed: how to and how not to contact them walking a tight rope between apathy on the
Postcard from IEDC’s Atlanta Conference: “Three Moments of Truth” in Place Marketing October 23, 2008 - Andy Levine
One of the highlights of IEDC’s recent Atlanta Conference was a “Branding for Economic Development Success” presentation by Ed Burghard, Executive Director of the Ohio Business Development Coalition. Ed’s not your typical economic development professional. He comes with 30+ years of experience from Procter and Gamble, a company that knows a thing or two about product branding.
Time to Start a Revolution! September 3, 2008 - Steve Duncan
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time…” Ok, so Thomas Jefferson's famous words on revolution, especially those that followed ("...with the blood of patriots and tyrants") are a little harsh for this particular subject. But when you think about the phrase in terms of economic development, the underlying concept is just as true -- every once
Best Practices in Economic Development Marketing: Take a Short Quiz August 4, 2008 - Andy Levine
The most recent edition of DCI’s continuing research study, “Winning Strategies in Economic Development Marketing,” was released last week. Since 1996, we have surveyed corporate executives with site selection responsibilities to determine the “customer’s perspective” on best practices in place marketing. In the 2008 survey, 281 senior corporate executives participated. How in tune are you with corporate decision makers’ frame
Andy, facscinating results. Our studies have not included "dialogue with industry peers," and they should. In our study, business travel ranks highest, as we ask it in terms of "fam tours." Websites are next. We completely concur with 5b -with the advent of community websites and online third party data providers, economic developers are now only being contacted at the short list stage, rather than at the beginning of a search, significantly shortening the time from first contact to decision
Can Travel Marketers Save the Planet? July 8, 2008 - Elissa Doyle
The annual Public Relations Society of America Travel & Tourism Conference is always a rousing opportunity to network with leading travel communicators from across the country, and learn from thought-provoking and industry-leading speakers. This year’s theme, Go For Green!, really hit home, concentrating on how destinations can be environmentally friendly, while attracting tourists who are seeking to minimize their carbon
Promises, Promises: The Latest Trend in Economic Development July 1, 2008 - Todd Lang
What’s the value of a promise? In some economic development circles it’s good for $250 million. A trend around the country is Promise programs, scholarship funds that front the college tuition bill for every student in a community. Kalamazoo kicked this off in 2005 when a masked group of donors pooled their funds to send students to Michigan colleges. Since
"Holistays" - Fact or Fiction; And How Will America's Top Travel Marketers Respond? June 18, 2008 - Karyl Leigh Barnes
Whether you call it a staycation or holistay, as heard earlier this month on The Daily Show it’s clear that given the high price of gas, many Americans are rethinking their summer travel plans. However, despite John Hodgman’s assertion that a “holistay” means not leaving your home - all summer – Americans will still travel, perhaps just not as far or
Celebrating National Tourism Week: What's Happening in Your Region? May 14, 2008 - Peggy Bendel
“Discover Great American Traditions” is the theme of the 25th Annual National Tourism Week, celebrated this year May 10-18. As I looked quickly through our client list tonight, I was looking at so many of the traditions – and personalities - that represent so much of the true America that visitors crave, whether they come from other countries, or other
A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY … May 14, 2008 - Andy Levine
“What’s in a name?” William Shakespeare asked. In the case of DCI, the one word answer is “plenty!” Therein lies a double tale: A few years ago DCI was hired by a State with not surprisingly a Governor from one of the two major political parties. Immediately after he described his decision to the press, he was attacked by the
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