by Robert Pittman, Founder and Executive Director
As reported previously in this Reporter, the Janus Forum held February 16-19 at Watercolor in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida was an unqualified success for many reasons – quality networking among economic developers, insights and ideas concerning key issues and wonderful interaction among EDs, consultants and corporate executives. There were so many opportunities to learn and grow professionally including focused discussions among EDs, previews of Conway Data’s latest Governor’s Cup investment results, small-group workshops with site consultants, and interactive panel discussions featuring corporate real estate executives and consultants. All were in agreement that the Forum is a unique and highly effective model for professional growth. The Janus Journal containing the findings and recommendations of the sessions at the Forum will be available very soon.
Participants in the Janus Forum at Watercolor identified over two dozen economic development issues and trends worthy of in-depth discussion, but in the end they voted to focus on two: 1) economic development “under attack” by critics who don’t understand how the process works, and 2) public/private regional ED partnerships. I must admit, the importance of the former topic, economic development under attack, caught me by surprise. After all, in many communities celebration, not criticism, should abound at a time when stronger prospect activity is being reported by many ED agencies. Results of the discussions regarding reasons for increased criticism of economic development practices in some communities and recommendations for addressing that criticism will make for interesting reading in the next issue of the Janus Journal available very soon. These findings remind us of an important principle for building effective economic development program: “internal” marketing, i.e. keeping local constituents apprised of ED program activities is very, very important.
We’ll have more learning and networking in a few weeks when forty or so invited economic developers get together June 8-11 in Lakemont, Georgia with more guest site consultants and corporate real estate executives. We look forward to more interesting discussions, findings and recommendations, but this time in the mountains of Northeast Georgia overlooking scenic Lake Rabun. We’ll share the results of the Janus Forum at Rabun County in future issues of the Janus Reporter and Janus Journal. We invite you to get more involved with the Janus Forum, now operated as a joint venture between the Janus Institute and Conway Data.
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