The Roanoke Regional Playbook for Attracting Gen-Z (Part 1)

Sunset shot of Downtown Roanoke
Downtown Roanoke at sunset.

For the past 10 years or so when it came to workforce/talent recruitment, it has been all about millennials: How do they think? What do they value? How much will they spend on avocado toast? But now, millennials are old news as recruiters set their sights on the new kids on the workforce block—Gen-Z.

Gen-Z, those born between 1997-2012, are the newest generation entering the labor force, and site selectors (the folks who help businesses determine where to relocate or expand) are very focused on this group. When looking for a potential site for a client, talent is a top concern—they need to know that a region can attract this age group to fill future jobs. And it’s clear Gen Z is fast becoming a significant portion of the workforce.

Young black woman working in a downtown office building smiles while talking with two colleagues

Thanks to technology, site selectors can analyze trends and make accurate predictions for 20 to 30 years down the road. And those projections for the Roanoke Region are looking pretty darn good. During a panel discussion in October 2023 with five nationally recognized site consultants, attendees learned what consultants are looking for and what the Roanoke Region has done to set itself apart.

Brian Corde of Atlas Insight, who led the historic Wells Fargo project, noted that Gen-Z is smart, frugal, and interested in minimalist living. They’re choosing locations because they want entertainment options that are inexpensive or free. Outdoor access is a great example of that. They’re leaving confined urban spaces for more open space, sunny days, and the ability to keep more income in their pockets. Wells Fargo saw all of that in the Roanoke Region, and because of the work the region is doing, they are confident the trend of attracting Gen-Z workers will continue.

Site Consultants discuss Gen-Z trends at a panel discussion hosted by the Roanoke Regional Partnership.

And just what is the work the region is doing? It comes down to two important initiatives: placemaking and talent attraction. And the Roanoke Region’s strategic efforts on both of these fronts are paying off. In this post, we’re focusing on placemaking.

Investing in Placemaking and Livability Efforts

In 2008, the Roanoke Regional Partnership recognized that to attract business, you had to attract people. And to attract people, your community must be a place people want to live. Thus, the Partnership started the Roanoke Outside Foundation with the mission of building community through the outdoors. We had to shift the mindset of viewing the region’s mountains and streams as wallpaper and instead view them as tools for economic growth.

Roanoke Outside has worked to educate residents about outdoor recreation opportunities in their own backyard, marketed the region as an outdoor destination, created brand-building events (the Blue Ridge Marathon, Roanoke GO Fest, and Go Cross cyclocross race), and developed outdoor assets to attract visitors to the region and build community pride.

group of standup paddle boarders at carvins cove
Stand-Up Paddleboarding at Carvins Cove.

Fifteen years later, these efforts have and continue to produce success:

  • The region’s residents have become our greatest ambassadors. Roanoke has been named Top Adventure Town for three of the past five years.
  • Dozens of outdoor service-related businesses have opened to support community needs (e.g. a climbing gym, bike shops, outdoor equipment rentals, and food and beverage establishments around these assets).
  • Roanoke Outside started Project Outside, a dedicated fund to support outdoor capital improvement projects, maintain key outdoor assets, and help launch and support businesses in the outdoor sector.
  • There are weekly meetups throughout the region for biking, running, hiking, and trail building, and RoanokeOutside.com even features a Create-An-Adventure tool to help folks plan their outdoor adventure.
  • The Blue Ridge Marathon is internationally recognized as one of the World’s Toughest Races and attracts thousands to Roanoke each year. The weekend also features the Down by Downtown Music Festival where local venues come together for four days to showcase the local music scene.
  • Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge Go Cross is a UCI event now live-streamed on Discovery Plus, Global Cycling Network, and Eurosport.
  • Roanoke GO Fest welcomes 40,000 attendees to downtown Roanoke each fall and has attracted new outdoor businesses while supporting the existing outdoor sector.
  • Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge launched a multi-million-dollar marketing campaign focusing on the region’s outdoor adventure opportunities.
  • The region earned an IMBA Silver-Level Ride Center designation, the first on the East Coast.
  • The Women’s USA Olympic Cycling Team, Team Twenty24, made Roanoke its training headquarters.
  • Roanoke hosted the USA Cycling Amateur National Championships in 2022 and 2023.
  • Virginia’s Blue Ridge hosted an IronMan sprint triathlon from 2021 to 2023.
  • Roanoke College started its first cycling team.
Marathon Runner at Mill Mountain Star
Runner at the Blue Ridge Marathon poses in front of the Roanoke Star.

From top to bottom, the region has embraced its identity as an outdoor community—one that values and invests in its natural assets. Coupled with a low cost of living, a burgeoning arts and cultural scene, incredible dining, and a great climate, the region will continue to attract Gen-Z residents and employees.

This is only part one of this two-part series. You can find part two here which focuses on the region’s talent attraction efforts and the strategies that are moving the needle in attracting and keeping quality people in the Roanoke Region.