This document provides information about the Creative Coast organization, which works to attract knowledge-based businesses and jobs to Savannah, Georgia. It outlines Creative Coast's mission to diversify the local economy and highlights the organization's services, which include managing Savannah's economic development website, hosting networking events, and providing support and resources to local entrepreneurs. The document also discusses Creative Coast's transition to generating its own revenue through new initiatives like business memberships and premium online services.

1. Fitz Haile
Director of Marketing, Public Relations & Web
1

2. Who we are...
We are a non-profit organization
supported by The City of Savannah,
Chatham County and the Savannah
Economic Development Authority (SEDA)
that exists to help create, grow and
attract higher-wage jobs and knowledge-
based businesses in Savannah, furthering
the development of an innovation
economy.
2

3. What we do...
‣ Create and manage a leading Savannah website that helps attract new biz and
supports local entrepreneurs.
‣ Manage a blog that generates relevant discussion and awareness of related issues.
‣ We run one of the most successful job and resume boards in Savannah, connecting
talent to jobs and jobs to talent.
‣ Produce events that allow people, ideas and businesses to meet, connect and interact.
‣ Counsel entrepreneurs, and offer professional development and educational
programs.
‣ Collaborate with other related agencies and organizations – ATDC, ASAP, SDRA, SBAC,
SBDC.
‣ Measure, assess and analyze relevant local economic trends.
‣ Stay aware of new developments in the KBB community and get involved in civic
issues that create a better environment for the growth and attraction of knowledge
workers and businesses.
‣ Market Savannah externally as an ideal place for knowledge-based businesses, working
the leads and managing the projects that get generated.
3

4. Why we do it...
‣ To help diversify the economy and highlight and maximize the
area’s unique assets (talent, technology, quality of life, etc.)
‣ KBBs tend to be smaller, more agile businesses that create a more
stable economic environment
‣ Increases the real average wage
‣ Provides a wage growth path for lower wage workers
‣ Helps retain graduates from local universities
‣ Attracts people who are smart, solution-oriented, and progressive
and will invest those qualities in the community
‣ Makes Savannah better, not just bigger

5. 2004 - 2009
We’ve been sailing along doing...
“Create. Grow. Attract.”
12

6. 2009-2010-????
As an organization...
What comes next?
12

7. 2009-2010
“You need to generate
your own revenue.”
(Now.)
12

8. 8

9. (Change.)
12

10. We’ve known this
was coming...
10

11. (But not so soon.)
And it’s our reality.
11

12. That’s why we’ve
been “in the news.”
12

13. 13

14. “Troubled waters?”
We see opportunity.
14

15. But the gist is this:
15

16. How we are funded...
City County
SEDA
12

17. How we will be funded...
County
City
TCCa Revenue
•Membership?
•Sponsorship?
•Premium Services?
SEDA
12

18. So, now what
do we do??
12

19. Is there an
app for
that?

20. Not really.

21. So, the question is...
“How to change, when
change is hard?”
10

22. 10

23. The first step:
Don’t Solve Problems.
Copy Success.
(Find a bright spot and clone it.)
10

24. Enter the
“Transition Team”
(Zelda Tenenbaum, Helen Downing, Brian Murphy, Susan
Isaacs, Radford Harrell, Cathy Hill, Mike Polak, Letty Shearer)
10

25. They’re going to
help us find the
bright spots.
10

26. Speaking of which...
10

27. Our “bright spots”...
Are things that help
YOU.
10

28. For example...
10

29. Did you know...
You can promote your business,
on our website...
for FREE?
10

30. Promote...
Post your press releases, news and events on our website.
‣ In addition to thousands of daily page views on the site, hundreds
of locals subscribe to receive email updates when you do.
Add yourself to our online business directory
‣ Thousands of locals visit every month, and we list over 4,000 local
businesses. You should be there.
Post your jobs/available positions
‣ Over 200 positions have been filled in the last year. Hundreds
subscribe to receive email alerts each time a job is posted.
Add your community actions (new!)
‣ “Good deeds” - i.e. something new and meaningful you are doing
that makes Savannah a better place to live, work and play.
Actions Speak.
10

31. Did you know...
You can receive email alerts
for EVERY type of information I
just mentioned?
(And we have more than 30,000 subscriptions.)
10

32. Did you know...
We have a dedicated staff
person who is committed to
assisting local entrepreneurs
with a variety of issues.
10

33. Support & Assist...
Professional development
‣ We’ve hosted lectures & workshops on intellectual property, grants
& funding, SEO/SEM, social media marketing, and more.
Funding
‣ We offer help and advice on angel financing (and how/if to get it),
debt financing, and grant funding.
Resources and incentives
‣ We can tell you if and what you qualify for, or point you in the
direction of someone who can.
Potential business development activities & contests
‣ We host or parter with organizations like GRA, TAG, CONNECT and
Fast Pitch to host business competitions and mentoring that can
help you gain valuable exposure, experience and even cash prizes.
10

34. Did you know...
We host five different kinds
of networking events for
businesses like yours?
10

35. Network & Connect
Coffee & Conversation (every Tuesday morning @ 8am)
‣ A low-key and intimate opportunity to chat with TCCa staff and a
handful of other locals who like to do the same.
The cSpot (last Wednesday of every month)
‣ In partnership w/ Clark Creative, cSpot provides a casual enviro for
creatives to meet, and build relationships (over beer).
Business Open Houses (about every two months)
‣ We take the party on location to local KBB offices, co-hosting an
event to showcase who they are what they have to offer.
Food for thought (every month)
‣ In cooperation with ATDC of GTS, the event offers small and
medium-sized businesses a monthly place to talk shop, with lectures
offered by expert speakers.
10

36. And of course...
10

37. Innovation Awards
(Where we honor those of YOU who
demonstrate bold innovation in business,
non-profit, education, government &
sustainability.)
10

38. So, to wrap up...
10

39. We are excited
about the future.
10

40. We aren’t sure what
it will look like.
10

41. But we have a
guess.
10

42. While paying respects to manufacturing,
the port, the military, hospitality and
healthcare as the economic giants that
sustain us, we think the next greatest
economic opportunity for Savannah is
the creation, growth and attraction of
businesses based on local colleges and
universities and the unique eco-systems
of talent, resources, infrastructure,
and industry-specific expertise that
evolve around them.
10

43. And we think our
mission is vital to
this community.
10

44. We want to expand
our reach to
everyone and all
walks of life.
10

45. (That means you.)
10

46. So, thank you for
listening.
(And we welcome your input.)
10

47. :)
10

48. Our Vision
The Creative Coast Vision is for
Savannah/Chatham County to become
the economic hub of the most creative,
innovative, and progressive region in
Georgia (and perhaps one day, the
Southeastern US), with continually
increasing opportunity and prosperity for
everyone.
10

49. Questions?
10