A Closer Look at Accelerate 2022: Asset Development and Outdoor Branding
When the Roanoke Regional Partnership announced the Accelerate 2022 fundraising effort, it included four key strategic areas for the organization’s program of work over the next five years.
- Leadership and engagement. Creating active, engaged leaders and citizens who advocate for the region.
- Talent solutions. Creating a dedicated talent attraction program that builds upon the region’s livability and connects with local college students.
- Targeted marketing. Strengthening marketing to position the Roanoke Region as an energized destination for business and talent.
- Asset development and outdoor branding. Ensuring the region has the product, amenities, and systems in place to propel economic growth.
The plan builds on the program of work adopted in 2012 that took the region to a higher level, creating over the past five years 3,305 primary jobs, 3,459 secondary jobs, $501 million in investments, annual consumer expenditures of $192 million, an increase in per-capita income by nearly 12 percent, and an increase in annual inquiry activity of 27.9 percent. Almost all metrics wildly exceeded goals set in 2012.
The Partnership completed a strategic planning process in 2016 to assess the region’s competitive position and match its program of work to the opportunities and challenges of a competitive, global economy. Business and government leaders helped build the plan.
Here’s a deeper look at the Asset Development and Outdoor Branding part of the plan.
Continue to be an advocate for investment in livability and outdoor recreation assets.
- Conduct a needs assessment for outdoor recreation and livability investment.
- Develop an annual State of the Outdoor Report for the Roanoke Region.
- Continue to develop the Roanoke Outside Foundation as a platform to advocate for investment in outdoor recreation and livability.
- Investigate a regional funding structure to provide sustainable financial resources for development of impactful outdoor recreation and livability amenities.
Grow and create events that build the outdoor recreation and livability narrative and generate operating revenue.
- Continue to grow the Blue Ridge Marathon’s position as a premier American road race.
- Continue to grow GO Fest.
- Identify outdoor-related events such as corporate meetings, trade shows, and association meetings that are fits for Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge outreach.
Ensure that business sites and buildings are available.
- Continue to make progress on work of the Western Virginia Regional industrial Facility Authority.
- Identify and focus resources on a recurring industrial shell building program.
Leverage Partnership strengths to help develop new assets.
- Be an advocate and facilitator for economic development activities taking place around the Health Sciences and Technology Innovation District.
- Provide an economic developer’s perspective on business clusters that would be a good fit for the District.
Do you want to know more about the five-year strategy or how an investment in the Roanoke Regional Partnership can work for you? Contact us to learn more.