by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s economic development efforts around the Super Bowl may not produce immediate results, says its chairman, but just wait.
“It’s going to be what we wanted,” said Wachovia’s Bob Helms, who spoke Friday to the Downtown Council. “This city is on a roll. We have great momentum. The Super Bowl will be a catalyst in attracting businesses.”
Helms detailed the work that the Chamber has done to date and what will happen during the game week during his speech at the River City Brewing Company. It was his first address as the Chamber’s new chairman in the tradition of being the Council’s first speaker of the new year.
“I think we’ve had a clever campaign aimed at potential businesses,” Helms said. “We started with a target of about 12,000 companies who we felt had what we wanted: high wages relative to this market and had somehow expressed an interest in Jacksonville.”
Those companies have been getting frequent — and clever — postcards designed by St. Johns and Partners that link the Super Bowl to a positive aspect of what Jacksonville has to offer, such as the nation’s largest parks system.
“The demographics of the Super Bowl guests are exactly what you dream of when you talk about growth,” he said. “These people fit the profile of people you want to do business with.”
Of the 12,000, about 300 have been identified as what Helms called “high probabilities.”
These CEOs also have been getting mailings, but theirs have been expensive.
Again using clever themes, the monthly mailings have included gifts such as sunglasses, binoculars and golf shirts, all with a message themed to a particular aspect of the area.
“We want to emphasize that we have a sunny environment,” Helms said. “We have 320 days of sun a year. What does a CEO in Seattle think of that?”
The prospect list was trimmed further to the companies that appear to be the best prospects for either relocating here or establishing a presence in Jacksonville.
He said that invitations would be sent to about 75 companies but not all will be able to accept.
“We’ll host representatives of 15-20 companies and we’ll do it right,” said Helms. “This is expensive, but it’s going to be worth it. We’ll have parties, river cruises and other top-drawer opportunities.
“We’ll host them at the game, of course.
“The invitations, are as good as the visits. When CEOs are invited, they remember.”
But don’t expect moving vans rumbling down I-95 anytime soon.
“These are not decisions that are going to be made quickly,” he said. “We have the opportunity of a lifetime, to be one of only 12 cities to have a Super Bowl.
“We can sell this city. It’s an easy sell.”
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The Council starts its mentoring program with the Randolph School this month with members working with students from 8-8:30 each morning.
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About 60 attended the breakfast meeting and, in a show of hands, most agreed to go ahead with a meeting on Feb. 4 despite the Super Bowl activities.
The next meeting will be Jan. 21 with Ch. 47 general manager Susan Adams Loyd as the
speaker.