Unprecedented Opportunity

Sep. 27, 2010  |  By: Ashlie Hand  |  Category: Economic Development, Marketing KC
Tags: arts, Daniel Pink, KCADC Annual Meeting

Yesterday’s Kansas City Star put the first stream of what will be an ever-growing spotlight on Kansas City’s arts and culture over the next year, and beyond. As a community, we are all excitedly awaiting the opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. As an organization charged with promoting this great region of ours to job-creating projects and potential new residents – we have an unprecedented opportunity.

KCADC was created to take advantage of a flurry of national media attention resulting from the efforts of the Prime Time News Bureau. This was a publicity engine started in the late 70s by Don Hall, Henry Bloch and Charlie Kimball who wanted to leverage the unprecedented opportunity of their time – our new Kansas City International Airport, Crown Center and twin stadiums for the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs.

Even then, economic developers and site location consultants put a huge emphasis on the quality of a market’s workforce and quality of life when evaluating locations for investment. That desire still rings true today.

KCADC will be working closely with our regional partners at the Convention and Visitor’s Association and Arts Council who represent the region’s attractions and assets for arts, culture and entertainment. We will be telling a story, not of an arts renaissance, but that Kansas City is a community with a deeply-rooted arts and culture economy. Arts and innovation are the pulse driving this region and the time has come for us to appreciate how fortunate we really are – then tell the world all about it.

We’ll be starting with our Annual Meeting on November 5, where we’ll present Dan Pink to nearly 1,500 regional business and civic leaders. Dan has written several New York Times bestselling books, including “A Whole New Mind,” and “Drive,” which explain how right-brained, creative thinking will drive the workforce and economy of the future. Dan will share with us reasons for cultivating these kinds of people and jobs in our community – something that should come a little more easily for us in KC.  Dan has some fascinating ideas and research, however, that many of us haven’t been exposed to. Visit www.kcadcannualmeeting.com for more info. Follow Dan Pink on Twitter!