eDevelopments: Great River Economic Development Foundation

 

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Tourism IS Economic Development

Tourism Collage

 

GREDF president, Marcel Wagner, had the opportunity to attend the 3rd Annual Illinois Economic Development Summit: Bridging Illinois, formerly known as Downstate Voice, in Urbana last week.

 

The Summit agenda focused on:

  • Bridging the differences between rural and urban Illinois to strengthen the Illinois branding message;
  • Recognizing the increasing importance of tourism and how it is directly tied to economic development; and
  • Brainstorming on how to build greater partnerships and collaborations statewide to better tell the story of communities in Illinois.

Attendees heard presentations from 12 different speakers, representing small business as well as local, state, and federal issues related to economic development & tourism.

TourismImpact 

Jan Kemmerling, Assistant Deputy Director with the Illinois Office of Tourism gave a presentation entitled: Marketing and Branding Illinois. Did you know annual travel expenditures in Illinois total over $30 billion? And the Illinois tourism industry employs over 275,000 people?

 

Visitor spending in Adams County in 2011 was $89 million*. 730* Adams County jobs in 2011 could be attributed to the tourism industry. *Source: 2012 QACVB Annual Report 

 

As Ms. Kemmerling's presentation outlines: Tourism IS economic development, and CREATES a better quality of life for Illinois residents.

 

Thank you to our partners at the Quincy Area and Convention and Visitors Bureau, as well as the hundreds of tourism-related service providers throughout the area for their roles in promoting the Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, region to visitors. Your work strengthens our economy and improves our quality of life.   

 

Check out upcoming fall events at seequincy.com. UnitedWayInitiative
 

EARN IT.

KEEP IT.

GROW IT. 

 

United Way Financial Stability Initiative

 

Last week, the United Way of Adams County kicked off their Financial Stability Initiative - Earn It, Keep It, Grow It. Did you know as many as one-third of working Americans do not earn enough money to meet their basic needs? Wages have not kept pace with the rising cost of housing, healthcare and education, and currently, 40 million Americans are working in low-paying jobs without basic health and retirement benefits. 

 

To address obstacles that prevent hard working families from getting ahead financially, the Income Leadership Delegation, a program of United Way of Adams County and the Alliance for Building Community, has developed a proposed Financial Stability Initiative. The Initiative consists of four strategies with distinctly measurable outcomes: Junior Achievement, Ready for College/Ready for Work, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and Financial Coaching. 

 

This Initiative is aligned with the United Way's intention to invest in efforts that promote the building blocks of financial stability and economic success. When families are living well, are safe, protected and economically self-sufficient, they make a positive contribution to the quality of life in Adams County.

 

For more information about the Financial Stability Initiative and its four strategies, visit the United Way website.