NWCT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT 2018 NORTHWEST HILLS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Fiber + Mobile = Economic Development A nonprofit corporation
Objectives
Why Is It Important? Immediate and forthcoming JOBS Area will be more attractive to EMPLOYERS YOUTH friendly communities A future-proof economy and INNOVATION ready Improved Public SAFETY Telecom SAVINGS
What’s New?
Let’s ConneCT www.northwest-conneCT.org
NWCTFOODHUB@gmail.com
NWCT Regional FOOD HUB Renee Giroux, Food Hub Manager • 10 participating farms in Year 1 • Broad Street, Torrington warehouse • Website in development • Funding support from: o NWCT Community Foundation o Draper Foundation o PSHC o NHCOG o Housatonic Heritage Area o Ellen Harcourt Brace Foundation o CT Department of Agriculture o Individuals
Visit the Northwest Hills Regional Trails Page: northwesthillscog.org/ nhcogtrails
GOALS: 1. Attract and retain young residents 2. Protect water quality and natural resources 3. Support farm businesses and protect farmland 4. Strengthen our town centers and Main Streets 5. Meet the needs of our older adult residents 6. Continue to foster regional collaboration and resource sharing Data & toolbox can be found at northwesthillscog.org
CEDS GOALS GOAL: Develop focused, strategic, realistic set of actions that NHCOG, the 21 member towns, Chamber, NWCT EDC, NWRWIB, and other partners in the region will take over the next 5 years. The objectives of these strategies will be: 1. Grow the Business Clusters that Drive NWCT’s Economy and Encourage Entrepreneurial Development to Create Jobs 2. Ensure a Workforce that meets the need of NWCT’s employers 3. Support the retention and expansion of our existing businesses 4. Invest in the infrastructure needed to foster business growth 5. Actively market our assets and opportunities; Celebrate regional collaboration & successes
NWCT Regional Housing Council Cornwall Housing Corporation • • Goshen Housing Trust Kent Affordable Housing • Litchfield Housing Trust • • Foundation for Norfolk Living Salisbury Housing Trust • • Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission Sharon Housing Trust • Sharon Housing Authority • • NWCT Habitat for Humanity Washington Community Housing Trust • • Washington Housing Commission • (new) Barkhamsted Housing Trust (new) Falls Village Housing Trust •
CelebrateCT Award Honorees Nov. 2017
Christian Allyn Selectman North Canaan
What can NWCT do to attract young people?
1. Engage Young People -Work to ensure that young people have financial capability to be able to live and contribute to our community in their own unique way.-
2. Polished cultural and digital presence:
3. Innovation Hubs/Shared Office Spaces
4. Micro-Apartments Providence Arcade
4. Micro-Apartments- Example: 560 on Main Willimantic
5. Significant towns within an united area
Janet Carlson CEO, One Eleven Group Chair, Cornwall EDC
Why Did We Move to NW CT?
Why NWCT? ● Weekenders to start. ● School was the deciding factor. ● Moved company and key employees. ● Life-based business. Work-life balance ○ Surrounded by nature ○ Community focused ○ ● Low tax rate. ● Part of a community. ● Can make a difference. Photo Credit: BM Photography
What Can YOU Do?
Next steps: Revamp EDC site ● Dinner parties/events with weekenders/visitors ● Ongoing social media outreach for school and EDC ● Support NW ConneCT ● Cohesive print and social media ad campaign ● Support www.discovernwct.com ● Heavier on social media ○ Geo-fencing ○
Support DiscoverNWCT
The Website Almost 53K pageviews ● since the launch in 2016 Top website visitors come ● from New York, Connecticut (Torrington, Salisbury, Hartford, New Haven, New MIlford), and Boston 57% of site visitors find ● DiscoverNWCT directly through an organic search Tourists and weekenders ● become full time residents!
Facebook Instagram Currently at 1,764 page likes showing a 26% growth Newly created account with almost 700 followers and since taking control of the DiscoverNWCT Facebook growing daily. page
Twitter Social Media Overview 220% growth in Twitter followers and audience 8% of site visitors are brought directly from social media interaction sources
E-Newsletter One designed for town representatives ● and business owners to share their specials and events One designed for tourists, visitors and ● locals interested in upcoming events in NWCT Town Outreach & Press Releases Regular distribution of press releases sent PR out to online bloggers, CT Office of Tourism and regional papers Awareness Acting as the tie between the CT Office of Tourism and the local business owners to educate on new marketing opportunities and statewide tourism programs/events
Contact One Eleven Group Janet Carlson 860-672-0043 janet.carlson@oneeleven-group.com oneeleven-group.com
#AEP5
$34.4 million in Spending (2015) in Northwest Connecticut Organizations $21.5M Audiences $12.9M
Jobs Supported (FTE) 812
State & Local Government Revenue $3.4 Million
NWCT Economic Development Summit 2018 Attracting Rural Entrepreneurs to the Northwest Hills Benjamin Paletsky January 30, 2018
Back to the Country
Urban Labs and Co-working Urban Labs are ideal to solve Urban Challenges “ Bean- bag” culture is not for everyone Overhead costs
We need a Vision Defining the Litchfield Hills with a unique value proposition Providing thought leadership to the rural lifestyle we love Nurturing a culture of Rural Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs take calculated risks and build new economies Rural The average age of a successful startup Entrepreneurs with over $1MM in revenues was 39 ** Who We Are Excel at seeing opportunity and leveraging available resources
Establish America’s First Rural Lab We can do this There are existing models to replicate, improve, and apply The concept requires further development to be ready for primetime A Rural Lab would be highly marketable to the region
NWCT Economic Development Summit 2018 Thank You Benjamin Paletsky bpaletsky@cultivatepg.com
Actions/Goals: Rural Labs • Advocate for Policy • Create Networks: Investors, Forums for Thought Leadership, Link to greater resources, Space alignment (Factories to Fields), Support resources, find temp housing, engage urban universities, engage VC divisions in tech sector • Celebrate -Plan Annual Rural Labs Conference in NWCT • Create a problem to solver culture - design challenges • Marketing heavily to target markets • Create the persona of the rural entrepreneur … • Promote existing, attract NEW talent
“The consequences of refusing to reimagine where and how we work threatens the American dream as we know it .“ Stephane Kasriel
National Rural Lab Initiative
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