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LIVE WORK GROW Market Street brings original insights and clarity to the evaluation and revitalization of the places where people live, work and grow. Through honest and informed assessments, Market Street can equip you with the tools to create meaningful change. Our solutions successfully merge our experience and expertise with the economic and social realities of our clients. Market Street’s community clients are successful at creating stronger programs, increasing operational budgets, and creating new quality jobs that improve the quality of life in their communities. Blueprint September 2009 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS PROJECT OVERVIEW ................................................................................................ 2 STEERING COMMITTEE ............................................................................................ 4 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 5 Regionalism Objective 1: Promote a greater understanding of regional challenges and opportunities. ............................................................................................................. 7 Objective 2: Better link Coachella Valley communities through programs that foster regional identity- and relationship-building. ................................................. 9 Objective 3: Build the capacity to advocate for issues of importance to Coachella Valley constituencies. .............................................................................................. 12 Economic Diversification Objective 1: Develop comprehensive internal and external economic development marketing programs for the Coachella Valley. ................................. 15 Objective 2: Effectively develop the Valley’s identified target sectors. ................ 22 Objective 3: Provide comprehensive data collection and analysis services for regional stakeholder groups. ................................................................................... 41 Objective 4: Provide entrepreneurs and small business persons the resources necessary to succeed. ............................................................................................... 44 Objective 5: Ensure existing Valley businesses are retained and expanded. ....... 47 Workforce Excellence Objective 1: Optimize primary and secondary education in the Valley. .............. 54 Objective 2: Fully leverage regional higher education and workforce development institutions......................................................................................... 61 Quality of Place Objective 1: Leverage local and regional partnerships to provide effective public services for Coachella Valley residents. .................................................................. 74 Objective 2: Continue to enhance the Coachella Valley’s capacity in arts, culture and recreation amenities. ........................................................................................ 77 Objective 3: Support the development of quality housing options for residents of all ages and incomes. ............................................................................................... 81 Objective 4: Ensure that sustainable development patterns are supported and enforced. ................................................................................................................... 84 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 87 APPENDIX A: PERFORMANCE ATTAINMENT AND TRACKING METRICS .................... 89 APPENDIX B: BEST-PRACTICE PROGRAMS ............................................................. 91 Blueprint September 2009 2 PROJECT OVERVIEW Recent events in the national and global economy are unprecedented and have certainly affected all of California and the Coachella Valley. This project represents a great opportunity for the Valley to assess its current competitive position and prepare for what will be a new and different future. Understanding this reality, the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP)— working with key local partners—has launched a process to create a new regional Blueprint for the Coachella Valley. Funding support for the Blueprint was provided by the cities of Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage, Riverside County, the Imperial Irrigation District, University of California Riverside Palm Desert Graduate Center, the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and the Building Industry Association. National economic development consulting firm Market Street Services was retained to help facilitate this effort. At the end of the months-long process, the Valley will have an actionable, consensus and forward-thinking strategy to become competitive for the high-value jobs being created in the New Economy. The components of the process include: Competitive Assessment: This report included an analysis of a combination of factors that determines a community’s competitiveness as a place of business for entrepreneurship, existing, expanding, and relocating companies. The key findings and recommendations of these reports helped inform the development of the Coachella Valley’s Blueprint. Original research into the latest economic structural dynamics in Coachella Valley was complemented by an understanding of the trends affecting the local population. Market Street compared Coachella Valley to the Wine Country in California, Tahoe-Reno in Nevada and California, and Naples, Florida. The Valley was also profiled against the state of California, and the nation so the region’s competiveness could be put into perspective. Extensive qualitative input collected through interviews, focus groups and an online survey supported the quantitative research. Target Business Analysis: The Analysis included quantitative and qualitative research to determine the most promising business sectors for Coachella Valley to pursue. Many times, communities lack focus or attempt to capture opportunities that do not fit their assets and reality. This Analysis provided specific information and a needs assessment on future sectors for the Valley to pursue. Marketing Assessment: The Assessment included a thorough review and assessment of local marketing efforts to determine if they reflect best-practice Blueprint September 2009 3 methods for increasing awareness and investment in the Coachella Valley. Specific recommendations for enhancing the effort are contained in this Blueprint strategy. Best-Practices Analysis: The report identified a number of communities similar to the Coachella Valley and how they’ve achieved success. While there was no attempt to directly “copy” these programs, there were lessons that were applied to the development of the Valley’s Blueprint. Blueprint Strategy: The four preceding research components led to the development of the Economic Blueprint strategy itself. The plan confirms and enhances existing programs and efforts and provides recommendations for developing the capacity necessary to be competitive in today’s economy. Implementation Plan: The final and perhaps most important step in this process involves centering on “how” the strategy will be put into practice. There will be a specific “game plan” created to address each goal in the strategy. Benchmarks and measures will be assigned and a one-year priority Action Plan will be followed by plans for the following years. The Implementation Plan will enable local stakeholders to successfully activate the Blueprint’s recommendations. At the end of the Blueprint development process, the Coachella Valley will have – for the first time – a comprehensive regional strategy to unite local governments and constituencies behind a forward-thinking action plan for positive community and economic change. It will not be implemented wholly by any one organization or entity, but rather will benefit from a comprehensive regional action plan to bring the strategy’s recommendations to fruition. Indeed, the implementation of the strategy will bring together regional stakeholders in new and different ways to partner on programs and efforts designed to enable the Coachella Valley to prosper. The Steering Committee would like to acknowledge the dedication, insight, guidance and hard work that the late Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson contributed to this process. Blueprint September 2009 4 STEERING COMMITTEE A diverse Steering Committee was established to provide guidance and leadership over the planning process. The Committee was selected from both public and private sectors to provide broad representation from local constituencies. The group’s oversight ensured that the development of research reports and the Blueprint itself was reflective of the Coachella Valley’s true competitive issues and opportunities. Chairs Roy Wilson, Riverside County Supervisor Rich Ramhoff, The Desert Sun Richard Oliphant, Oliphant Enterprises Coordinating Co-Chairs Carolyn Stark, UCR Graduate Center Palm Desert Kay Hazen, Kay Hazen and Company Steering Committee Jeff Beckelman, CVA Fred Bell, BIA Colbi Cataldi, Riverside County Rick Daniels, City of Desert Hot Springs Tom Davis, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Kathy DeRosa, Southern California Edison Jim Ferguson, City of Palm Desert Cynthia Flores, CSUSB Palm Desert Eduardo Garcia, City of Coachella Alex Gomez, CVMACC Mark Grabhorn, Cardinal Health Terry Green, Pathways to Success Stephen Hoffmann, Canyon National Bank Janel Huff, Southern California Edison Fred Jandt, CSUSB Palm Desert Shellie Karabell, Desert Cities Bus. Report Pat Kelly, Granite Construction Carlton King, IID Tom Kirk, CVAG Bill Kroonen, College of the Desert Ted Lennon, LDD Desert Development Inc. Pamela LiCalsi, College of the Desert Bob Marra, The Public Record and Wheelers Martin Martinez, Carreon Foundation Dr. Lori McCune, PS Unified School District Kevin McGuire, Palm Desert National Bank Glen Miller, City of Indio Andrew Montgomery, El Paseo Bank Lee Morcus, Kaiser Restaurant Group Mike Napoli, Absolute Return Group Peter Nelson, Coachella Valley Water District Barry Nestande, Office of Sen. John Benoit Fred Noble, Wintec Wind Energy Roger Nuñez, CVMACC Jerry Patton, College of the Desert Don Perry, KPSP Local 2 Bill Powers, Pacific Western Bank David Ready, City of Palm Springs Mary Roche, City of Indian Wells Yvonne Parks, City of Desert Hot Springs Brett Schoenfield, The Riviera Resort & Spa Dick Shalhoub McDonalds Restaurants Karolee Sowle, Desert Regional Medical Cntr. Chauncey Veatch, Coachella Valley USD Jeff Wattanbarger, BIA Steve Weiss, CVAN John Wessman, Wessman Development Lorie Williams, City of Coachella Blueprint September 2009 5 INTRODUCTION The Coachella Valley has come together to shape a comprehensive regional strategy that will define its future success. The Blueprint plan is an ambitious, comprehensive and forward-thinking strategy that addresses the challenges the Valley faces to be competitive and the opportunities to better diversify its economy, raise local wealth, train youth and adults for high-wage careers and continue to enhance the region’s enviable quality of life. Moving forward with the Blueprint will require that Valley communities and leadership think differently about what constitutes community and economic development and regional cooperation/participation. While its history has been focused on local growth – predominantly in residential, retail and hospitality development – the Valley’s future must be increasingly directed towards regional solutions. Both internal and external pursuit of employment growth will be defined by a more unified and collective approach to growth. The Valley must strive to speak with one voice to best advance its economic development prospects. It will not be simple to incorporate a more regional focus to the Coachella Valley’s community and economic development activities, nor will it happen overnight. But failing to do so will threaten the Valley’s evolution to a more diverse, year-round economy. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Valley’s public and private leadership to come together in new and positive ways to ensure that the region’s promise is fulfilled. The Blueprint strategy focuses on four primary goal areas. These are: Regionalism Economic Diversification Workforce Excellence Quality of Place The four goals are interrelated and must be approached systematically. Failure to achieve results in one goal area significantly threatens the prospects of the others. Economic development has never been more competitive than it is today. If the Coachella Valley does not succeed, another community will. Because the Valley is starting late in the regional community and economic development game, it has further to go to be competitive with communities that have been thinking and acting regionally for years – some, even decades. Patience, persistence and positivity will be required. But the Coachella Valley has an ace up its sleeve that puts it ahead of many regions trying to reinvent themselves in the New Economy. The Valley is a place people – and companies – want to be. The challenge will be to create a community that embraces its regional identity and acknowledges that local success benefits the entire Valley. REGIONALISM Regionalism September 2009 7 Though regions are now the definitive geography for economic competitiveness, the Coachella Valley has little significant history of thinking or acting regionally in terms of comprehensive economic development. The establishment of a true regional identity and framework that will enable Coachella Valley communities to compete and thrive in the global marketplace. OBJECTIVE 1: PROMOTE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF REGIONAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. The effectiveness of the Coachella Valley’s regional programs and initiatives will partially be determined by the degree to which local public and private leaders, economic development staff, and key stakeholders embrace their roles as stewards and participants in regional efforts. A region that exists in name alone will not succeed in competition against those that truly operate as cohesive units. Strategy 1: Provide opportunities for Valley constituencies to be informed about the benefits of regional economic partnerships. ACTION 1: Develop a volunteer Speaker’s Bureau to make presentations on regional economic competitiveness and development. 1) Seek participation from respected and influential public and private leaders. 2) Develop a PowerPoint presentation and printed materials for use at the informational meetings. 3) Secure commitments from local groups and membership to support regional economic development efforts through donations of time or resources. 4) Ensure that the presentations are made to both English- and Spanish- speaking constituencies. Regionalism September 2009 8 ACTION 2: Organize and lead public information sessions to enable residents and businesses to become educated on regional issues and strategies. 1) Leverage all necessary partnerships to effectively promote the sessions. 2) Strive to make the sessions interactive to give attendees the opportunity to ask questions and/or respond to inquiries using electronic-voting devices. 3) Consider hosting sessions at popular Valley events, festivals, and gatherings. o Secure time on event programs or space at festivals to promote the Valley’s regional economic and community efforts. ACTION 3: Secure commitments from the Valley’s English- and Spanish-language media to consistently promote and report on regional issues, programs and achievements. 1) Consider producing updates on implementation of the Blueprint strategy to be published as a newspaper insert or broadcast as a monthly feature on television and radio news programs. o Ensure information is provided to both English- and Spanish- language media audiences. 2) Ensure that progress towards attainment of performance benchmarks is consistently communicated to all media partners. ACTION 4: Publish a quarterly newsletter on the Blueprint process. 1) Feature updates and information on each goal area and corresponding initiative. 2) Provide printed copies of the newsletter and post the file electronically on government, chamber, institutional and regional organization websites. 3) Determine the need to produce the newsletter in Spanish as well as English. Strategy 2: Connect influential Valley leadership with representatives from best-practice regional programs. ACTION 1: Coordinate trips for key Valley leadership to visit top Western U.S. regions. 1) Schedule trips roughly once per year. Regionalism September 2009 9 2) Adjust invitee lists to ensure that a broad range of Valley stakeholder groups are represented by trip attendees. 3) Plan trip itineraries to include engagements with local public and private officials and visits to local program-sites and developments realized through regional development efforts. 4) Coordinate meetings with representatives from local governments in the host community to highlight the benefits of regional partnerships. ACTION 2: Invite – as feasible – Valley leaders to attend regional conferences and organizations’ annual meetings. 1) Leverage programs with a regional-competitiveness focus or component for the educational benefit of Coachella valley elected officials, department staff, corporate executives, institutional directors and influential public citizens. 2) Ensure attendees communicate the key “takeaways” of the events back to their local constituencies. OBJECTIVE 2: BETTER LINK COACHELLA VALLEY COMMUNITIES THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT FOSTER REGIONAL IDENTITY- AND RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING. The process of becoming a unified regional entity involves much more than just acknowledgement of its need. Proactive, directed and ongoing effort must be applied to the bringing together of diverse communities and constituencies under the Coachella Valley banner. This process is often viewed as contrary to localities’ instincts to prioritize their own economic and community interests. However, if the true benefits of regionalism can be embraced, its component communities will ultimately appreciate the proven benefits of collective participation, cooperation and coordination. Regionalism September 2009 10 Strategy 3: Host regional issues forums and conferences. ACTION 1: Foster partnerships between the Valley’s regional economic development organization, CVAG, Riverside EDA, Coachella Valley Water District, BIA, and other organizations with a regional focus to design, coordinate and host the events. 1) Ensure the forums effectively convey the challenges and benefits of regional participation to impact key issues and strategies. 2) Engage local chambers, governments and stakeholder groups in issue- identification efforts and the planning and development of regional events. 3) Plan events – as necessary – to inform Spanish-language speakers as well as English speakers. 4) Heavily promote the events through all necessary local channels. Strategy 4: Support the creation of new or enhanced regional stakeholder networks. ACTION 1: Consider development of a Regional Council of Chambers. 1) Formalize a partnership of Coachella Valley chambers of commerce through the creation of a Council of local chamber representatives. o Leverage existing regional organizations to inform the Council of potential opportunities for discussion and engagement on regional issues that could be impacted by local activity. 2) Apply the influence of the Council towards advocacy and lobbying efforts directed towards enhancement of the Valley’s business climate and economic prospects. ACTION 2: Assess the potential to create additional regional networks. 1) Initiate discussions with regional and local constituency leadership to determine the viability and benefit of developing networking platforms and associations. 2) Potential networking opportunities include: o Faith-based community o Gay and lesbian community Regionalism September 2009 11 o Racial and ethnic minorities o Social service entities o Neighborhood groups o Youth-serving organizations Strategy 5: Fund and develop an internal marketing and branding initiative. ACTION 1: Partner in the design, programming and implementation of the effort. 1) Assemble a roster of local stakeholder groups – including CVAG to leverage its current initiatives – to collaborate on the development of the internal marketing initiative. o Pool personnel and programs from Valley organizations as effectively as possible for the common purpose of internal marketing. 2) Better coordinate local stakeholder groups around a consensus brand and message to promote the Coachella Valley to those who live and work there. o Take utmost advantage of public relations and marketing efforts already being implemented by local stakeholder groups. o Coordinate messages as necessary to speak with one voice to the community related to priority issues and efforts. 3) Seek a local public relations firm that could potentially offer in‐kind services to develop and help implement the program. 4) Translate elements of the program into Spanish as needed. ACTION 2: Consider the potential to create a training “curriculum” from the internal marketing initiative. 1) Utilize the curriculum as a tool to train local employees and business “ambassadors” in the nuances of the region, its history and existing/future resources. o Offer elements of the curriculum in Spanish for non-English- speaking employers. Regionalism September 2009 12 OBJECTIVE 3: BUILD THE CAPACITY TO ADVOCATE FOR ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO COACHELLA VALLEY CONSTITUENCIES. Strength in numbers is one of the most important reasons for communities to develop effective regional partnerships. Whether the matter is regional, statewide or national in scope, bringing a strong, united coalition to bear on the issue exerts much greater influence on decision-makers than piecemeal lobbying. Strategy 6: Partner with CVAG to assess local needs and advocate for development of needed capacity enhancements. ACTION 1: Support CVAG in its development of a list of priority infrastructure needs and a strategy to develop enhanced capacity. 1) Ensure representation from interests specific to water supply and distribution; roads and highways; transit capacity; power supply and transmission; flood control; sewer capacity; and Broadband and wireline communications. o Fully leverage any and all existing constituency groups. o Prioritize the maintenance and enhancement of the I-10 corridor. 2) Inform the priority development list with key needs of the private sector and development community. 3) Leverage influential public and private leadership to compel regional and state agencies to prioritize the Valley’s list of key projects. o Use key projects as priorities for the Valley Action Group’s agenda. Strategy 7: Develop an annual Coachella Valley Joint Legislative Agenda for the Valley Action Group to leverage. ACTION 1: Conduct a discussion process to bring regional partners together to achieve consensus on the Valley’s top legislative priorities for the coming year. 1) Ensure that Valley communities are able to speak with one voice on the projects and policies needed to make the region more competitive. o Leverage all key local groups such as the Palm Springs Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee and similar groups at other regional organizations. Regionalism September 2009 13 2) Incorporate the infrastructure-need list developed by CVAG into the Agenda. 3) Communicate the Agenda to the Valley Action Group for lobbying and advocacy efforts. Strategy 8: Apply resources towards favorably impacting policies and legislation critical to the Coachella Valley business climate and economic competitiveness. ACTION 1: Consider plans to retain in-house or contracted lobbyists to advance Valley-supportive legislation statewide and nationally. 1) Evaluate existing Southern California state and national lobbying efforts to determine the potential to advocate for Coachella Valley-serving interests. o Assess whether the work of the Valley Action Group – in its existing or a potentially expanded role – could alleviate the need for contracted lobbyists. 2) Ensure lobbyists prioritize passage of the Valley’s Joint Legislative Agenda. 3) Leverage the lobbyists to advance the prospects of key projects advocated by the Coachella Valley Infrastructure Team. 4) Assess the potential to partner with other Inland Empire communities to fund and advise a lobbying team for service in Sacramento. Strategy 9: Work to best leverage the Coachella Valley’s status as a federal Census County Division. ACTION 1: Work with state and federal data bureaus to regularly update regional information for this designation. 1) Determine the potential to partner with the state and federal statistical bureaus to provide them consistently updated regional data for the Coachella Valley Census County Division to be included in the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. 2) Assess the potential to further leverage the CCD designation to provide site consultants, researchers and corporate relocation professionals with recent Valley data on an ongoing basis. . ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION Economic Diversification September 2009 15 High concentrations in cyclical, largely low-paying employment sectors risk continued instability in the Coachella Valley economy. Greater diversification through development of high-wage sectors that will boost regional wealth and increase economic sustainability. OBJECTIVE 1: DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARKETING PROGRAMS FOR THE COACHELLA VALLEY. Ensuring that companies and talent across the state and nation understand the Coachella Valley’s competitive advantages and targeted industries is critical to building a more sustainable regional economy and increasing local wealth. It is also incumbent on regional and local economic development organizations to leverage all potential assets, attractions, events and amenities to attract and sell top prospects on the Valley as a relocation destination. As such, the Coachella Valley’s regional EDO should invest in developing a full three- to five-year marketing strategy; the internal components of the strategy will take initial precedence as the Valley builds up its marketing capacity. The strategy should consist of a timeline for all marketing activities, performance metrics, and budget estimates. Strategy 1: Refresh or create a new brand identity for the Coachella Valley’s regional economic development organization to build brand awareness within the region and beyond. ACTION 1: Refresh the logo and tagline of the regional EDO. 1) Ensure the new logo is modern and reflects the sophistication of the region. 2) Incorporate words into the tagline that are familiar with external audiences. ACTION 2: Continue to align the regional EDO with the CVA’s tourism marketing efforts, including brand identity. 1) Capitalize on the CVA’s marketing initiatives to positively impact the region’s external perception. Economic Diversification September 2009 16 2) Leverage CVA programs to reinforce marketing messages and avoid brand confusion in the larger marketplace. Strategy 2: Develop an inbound economic development marketing program. ACTION 1: Leverage dynamic regional events and destinations for hosting corporate- relocation professionals and external prospects. 1) Begin planning inbound marketing events at least six months prior to the visit. o Attempt to schedule inbound marketing activities around major athletics, music and arts events. 2) Pay all travel and accommodation expenses for guests and their spouses. 3) Limit the length of formal presentations about the region. o Develop a comprehensive presentation to capture awareness of Valley assets for attendees at inbound marketing events. o Conduct strategic driving tours of the Valley catering to the specific interests of the visiting professional(s). For industrial prospects, highlight such elements as access to transportation infrastructure, utilities and telecomm capacity, Foreign Trade Zones and sub-zones, governmental agencies and natural resources. For visitors in “creative” industries, showcase Coachella Valley’s assets through trips to specific restaurants, hotels, and other dynamic venues. 4) Identify CEOs, retired executives, and celebrity residents willing to serve as marketing champions for the region. o Feature them in print and electronic marketing materials. o Invite them to play a role in CVEP’s in-bound site selection events and interaction with prospects. 5) Invite Southern California-based regional and national organizations to the Coachella Valley for their conferences and conventions to solicit business- owners to relocate. o Focus on diverse organizations from manufacturing, sales, Latino, media and trade categories that could relocate events to the Valley. Economic Diversification September 2009 17 Strategy 3: Create a doorstep marketing initiative targeting individuals who visit the Valley but own and manage businesses elsewhere. ACTION 1: Fully leverage Coachella Valley group meetings and conventions. 1) Partner with convention and visitor organizations to cross-promote the Valley’s attractions and economic development potential. 2) Ensure a visible economic development presence directed towards targeted audiences at Valley events. o Host receptions, exhibits, or invite top industry executives to stay an additional evening to explore the Valley and build relationships with regional EDO staff and board members. ACTION 2: Target influential leisure travelers visiting the Coachella Valley. 1) Update a regional economic development marketing video and air it on in- room hotel television networks. o Also consider developing new media strategies including electronic messaging and informational e-mails to targeted decision-makers. 2) Develop a brochure touting the region as a business destination specifically targeted at leisure travelers. o Partner with proprietors to allow distribution of the brochure in mid- to high-end Valley hotels, shopping centers, golf clubs and resorts. o Seek partners in the time-share industry to identify visitors taking advantage of these units as a component of the doorstep marketing initiative. 3) Consider developing advertising and signage touting the region at Valley airports. o Include an effort to capture awareness of Valley assets for military personal who come through local airports. 4) Fully leverage opportunities to reach potential relocation prospects at special events, tournaments, festivals and summits. o Seek marketing and sponsorship opportunities at visible tournaments like the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and Kraft Nabisco Championship and the BNP Paribus Open. Compel regional economic development staff to meet with club directors and identify ways the “do business here” message can be communicated to tournament visitors. Economic Diversification September 2009 18 o Develop strategies to effectively reach prospects at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Stagecoach Festival, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Summit and other major events. Strategies may include: Doing extensive pre-research on attendees to determine industry representation and number of decision-makers that will be present. Reaching out to key attendees to set up informal meetings at the event. Preparing specific discussion points and – potentially – marketing pieces like DVD-Roms with short marketing presentations – to present to key attendees. Offering to coordinate follow up visits to the industry representatives home office at some point in the future to continue discussions on business opportunities in the Coachella Valley. Strategy 4: Develop a well-researched outbound marketing program. ACTION 1: Leverage enhanced regional research capacity to identify priority relocation prospects. 1) Concentrate efforts on the Coachella Valley’s identified target business sectors. 2) Determine key external markets to focus on for prospect identification. o Assess the Valley’s cost-competitiveness related to certain target regions; for example, Silicon Valley. o Conduct extensive pre-research to inform officials and volunteers making outbound marketing trips on key talking points and competitive dynamics. 3) Leverage existing relationships between Valley officials and executives with key external prospect firms. Economic Diversification September 2009 19 ACTION 2: Mine viable relocation leads from business retention and expansion (BRE) efforts. 1) Determine if buyers, suppliers or other firms with relationships to existing businesses could be target candidates for relocation. 2) Seek to capitalize on existing business relationships with incumbent firms to initiate dialogue with relocation targets. o Utilize research capacity to fully review and assess the prospect’s corporate dynamics, competitive needs and relocation history. ACTION 3: Attend key external conferences and meetings. 1) Focus only on high-value events in the Valley’s target business sectors. 2) Partner with Southern California and statewide economic development entities on trip planning and on-site marketing and relationship-building. 3) Consider bringing local executives with existing relationships to conference attendees to the high-value events. Strategy 5: Develop a regional branding and external marketing program for the Coachella Valley. ACTION 1: Engage in a process to create a unique and effective brand and tagline for the Coachella Valley’s economic development marketing campaign. 1) Ensure that the brand and message incorporate the Valley’s strong capacity in lifestyle, recreation, arts and culture, industrial competitiveness, resort destinations, festivals and special events, and other distinguishing regional elements. 2) Integrate the brand and tagline into all advertising and collateral-development efforts. 3) Ensure consistency – as warranted – with the campaigns of the CVA and the Valley’s component cities. ACTION 2: Identify priority media and markets for external marketing investments. 1) Consider a multi-channel and target-specific campaign maximizing advertising exposure to key decision-makers in the Valley’s target business categories and high-value external markets. Economic Diversification September 2009 20 o Focus on certain key markets for niche campaigns promoting the Valley’s resources in its targeted clusters. 2) Utilize online media and websites for influential business publications in the Valley’s external campaign. ACTION 3: Contract with a qualified public-relations firm or sole proprietor to publicize the Coachella Valley’s competitiveness as a destination for companies and talent. 1) Consistently provide the PR firm with story ideas related to the Valley’s businesses, talent and competitive infrastructure to promote with local and national media. 2) Effectively coordinate all economic development PR efforts with those managed by the CVA. Strategy 6: Optimize electronic and print media and collateral as consistently updated, targeted marketing tools. ACTION 1: Create a best-practice, dynamic website for the Coachella Valley’s regional economic development organization. 1) Ensure the site is informative, easy to navigate, concise and makes effective use of photos, data, video, quotes and other graphics. o Keep site architecture flat and clean to quickly escort visitors to the information they need. 2) Clearly identify the Valley’s target sectors and provide comprehensive, easy to download data and information on each target. 3) Optimize searchability by integrating keywords into homepage copy and linking from other websites in order to improve rankings by search engines. 4) Develop a comprehensive and regularly updated “links” page directing the site-user to Coachella Valley, Riverside County and statewide resources. o Provide detailed descriptions for key local programs and organizational partners. Economic Diversification September 2009 21 ACTION 2: Develop an e-newsletter for regular distribution to internal and external audiences. 1) Ensure the e-newsletter includes updated information on all regional business activities. o Be consistent on timing the newsletter’s release, whether monthly, quarterly or annually. 2) Develop a distribution list of influential site selectors, targeted prospects and other key audiences. ACTION 3: Effectively leverage social media for economic development marketing purposes. 1) Utilize outlets such as Twitter and Facebook to promote the Coachella Valley during periods of high visitor traffic, for example, during film and music festivals and entrepreneurs events. 2) Consider involving local young professional organizations in organizing and launching the social media campaigns. ACTION 4: Develop a strong array of marketing collateral. 1) Create a PowerPoint template and slide library that can be customized to create effective sales presentations. 2) Develop a “regional overview” brochure that highlights the Valley from a business perspective. o Focus on topics related to infrastructure, business climate, workforce, and quality of life. o Offer a PDF version of the brochure on the regional EDO’s new website. 3) Design a simple, standard-sized pocket folder or folio to house the regional EDO’s marketing materials. o Produce a mailing envelope large enough to hold the pocket folder and sturdy enough that contents are not damaged during shipment. 4) Create target audience datasheets. o Demonstrate to target audiences that the regional EDO is attuned to their needs by crafting datasheets (or brief brochures) that highlight the Valley’s assets specific to the industry. o Offer PDF versions of the datasheets on the regional EDO’s new website. Economic Diversification September 2009 22 5) Develop identically formatted datasheets for each Valley community. o Include an overview of the community, showcasing its unique assets, competitive resources, demographic profile, major employers, and location. o Post PDFs of the datasheets to the website. 6) Design stationary and business cards featuring the regional EDO’s new logo and tagline. 7) Create a series of coordinated print, radio, and television advertisements to support the targeted-marketing campaign, customized to: o Specific venue and event involvement. o In-room hotel network segments. o Ongoing local, paid media placements. OBJECTIVE 2: EFFECTIVELY DEVELOP THE COACHELLA VALLEY’S IDENTIFIED TARGET SECTORS. Economic development investments are most effective when they can be applied to focused opportunities for local growth. The identification of target sectors for the Coachella Valley to pursue was the result of significant quantitative and qualitative research. Successfully realizing regional job growth and investment in these sectors will take a three-pronged approach concentrated on existing industry expansion, growth in small business and enterprise development, and targeted attraction of outside firms. Healthcare and Life Sciences Strategy 7: Effectively market the Coachella Valley as a destination for health, wellness and life sciences companies. ACTION 1: Design a component of the Coachella Valley’s external marketing program related to the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector. 1) Consider developing specific media and materials highlighting the Valley’s strengths in Healthcare and Life Sciences. o Integrate messages related to positioning the Valley as a destination for health, nutrition and wellness activities. Economic Diversification September 2009 23 o Consistently assess the potential to recruit companies in diverse sectors – including nutritional product and pharmaceutical manufacturing – to the Valley. o Create a unique URL or a stand-alone page on the regional economic development website focused on Healthcare and Life Sciences in the Coachella Valley. o Create consistently updated one-sheets and promotional materials marketing the sector. 2) Leverage the Valley’s diverse stock of quality housing as a regional attractor and relocation incentive. 3) Prioritize media and markets for dissemination of messages related to promoting the region’s Healthcare and Life Sciences economy. Strategy 8: Work with existing sector businesses and leaders to grow Healthcare and Life Sciences in the Valley. ACTION 1: Expand the focus and membership of the Career Pathways Initiative’s (CPI) Healthcare Industry Council. 1) Invite participation from non-services businesses, including manufacturing and life sciences representatives. 2) Charge the Council with providing insight and assistance into target- development activities. 3) Continue to staff the meetings and translate Council conversation into strategic mandates. o Ensure that strategic dynamics are broadened to include economic as well as workforce development activities. o Determine potential opportunities to target non-local associates and/or acquaintances of Council members for relocation to the Coachella Valley. 4) Effectively leverage the Inland Empire CEO meetings of the Hospital Association of Southern California. o Work with the Committee to enable top hospital administrators to determine how the region’s hospitals can better partner on efforts related to clinical research, training-program development, public policy and advocacy, talent recruitment, healthcare affordability, and linkages between public health and the built environment. Economic Diversification September 2009 24 o As feasible, provide minutes of the meetings to the regional EDO to leverage for target-development activities. 5) Partner with Valley cities, Riverside County and state EDOs to address strategic issues related to permitting and regulations, site and building availability, taxes and incentives and provision of infrastructure. o Consider the potential to jointly influence health-insurance providers to broaden coverage to underserved constituencies and raise policy reimbursement rates. ACTION 2: Seek to develop teaching capacity at the region’s major hospitals. 1) Through a partnership of the Valley’s three major hospitals, assess the potential to provide a teaching component at one or more of the facilities. o Investigate a potential funding and/or programmatic linkage to the new UC-Riverside medical school slated to open in 20121. 2) Seek public and private money and grant awards to fund the development of multiple residency slots at the Coachella Valley teaching hospital(s). ACTION 3: Leverage sector representatives for target-marketing purposes. 1) Incorporate Healthcare and Life Sciences leaders into a regional Ambassadors Program. o Leverage local leaders for conversations with external prospects and/or site-selection professionals on the Coachella Valley’s benefits as a location for Healthcare and Life Sciences businesses. 2) Seek to utilize sector leaders’ offices and facilities as sites for hosting relocation prospects and as destinations for inbound marketing events. 3) Capture quotes, comments and stories from sector leadership for incorporation into external marketing materials and website content. 1The proposed UCR School of Medicine will enroll its first class of 50 medical students in the fall of 2012. Due to budget constraints, however, development of dedicated campus buildings will likely be delayed. Economic Diversification September 2009 25 Strategy 9: Seek to establish a stronger research and development presence in the Coachella Valley. ACTION 1: Initiate a partnership among major regional healthcare establishments and the Valley’s four-year university branches to form a Health and Wellness Research Consortium. 1) Formalize a structured partnership between top public and private Coachella Valley healthcare entities to share resources through a research consortium. 2) Establish research priorities with a clear vision for translation of findings into potential enterprises. 3) Seek public, private, foundation and grant monies to fund initial and ongoing research activities. 4) Leverage UCR and CSUSB main campuses to attract (perhaps on a loaned basis) researchers to work with the Valley consortium. 5) Reach out to key entities outside the region to determine the potential for them to establish a research presence in the Valley. o Potential partners include Loma Linda University, UCLA, Children’s Hospital of Orange County and City of Hope. 6) Strive to co-locate researchers and research activities in a single location. o This location could either be at an existing campus or hospitals in the region such as DRMC or EMC that already have considerable research on-going. o Eventually, seek dedicated space to house the consortium. 7) Pursue long-term plans to fund and develop a business-incubation facility affiliated with the research consortium. o Link activities with small-business-development programs focused on the Valley’s healthcare and life sciences sector. Economic Diversification September 2009 26 Clean Technology/Energy Strategy 10: Effectively market the Coachella Valley as a destination for Clean Technology/Energy companies. ACTION 1: Design a component of the Coachella Valley’s external marketing program related to the Clean Technology/Energy sector. 1) Seek to position the Coachella Valley as one of the nation’s most sustainable and green-friendly regions. o Leverage local efforts and companies in all external marketing and public relations activities. 2) Design a short-term “clean and green” marketing agenda in advance of longer-term regional marketing-development efforts. o Bring together key regional stakeholders currently involved in developing and implementing “green” and sustainable development projects and strategies. o Determine how best to incorporate existing program dynamics into a cohesive message promoting the Coachella Valley as a clean energy and technology destination. o Seek one-time contributions from regional partners to design a website, marketing brochure and – potentially – CD-Rom demonstrating the Valley’s competitive strengths for “clean and green” businesses. Leverage County, Southern California and state-level economic development partners to effectively market the Valley for clean energy employment. Consider sending regional economic development personnel to key state and national conferences focused on the “green” economy.” Ensure that Coachella Valley Clean Technology/ Energy materials are distributed at these meetings. 3) As a component of longer-term, comprehensive economic development and targeted marketing efforts, update and/or develop specific media and materials highlighting the Valley’s strengths in Clean Technology/Energy. o Integrate messages related to positioning the Valley as a destination for “clean and green” companies and programs. Economic Diversification September 2009 27 o Clearly identify areas in Valley cities where "green industrial" development can occur, either through existing buildings or shovel- ready projects. o Create a unique URL or a stand-alone page on the regional EDO’s website focused on Clean Technology/Energy in the Coachella Valley. o Create consistently updated one-sheets and promotional materials marketing the sector. 4) Leverage the Valley’s diverse stock of quality housing as a regional attractor and relocation incentive. 5) Prioritize media and markets for dissemination of messages related to promoting the region’s Clean Technology/Energy economy. Strategy 11: Work with existing sector businesses and leaders to grow Clean Technology/Energy in the Valley. ACTION 1: Expand the focus and membership of the "Green Build" Subcommittee of the Career Pathways Initiative’s Advanced Technology Industry Council. 1) Invite participation from representatives of all key Clean Technology/Energy companies, institutions and organizations in the Coachella Valley. o Seek membership from utilities, private power-generation firms, researchers, green builders, clean-energy consultants, agriculture representatives, local government clean-energy-program managers, and others. 2) Charge the Council subcommittee with providing insight and assistance into target-development activities. 3) Continue to staff the meetings and translate Council subcommittee conversation into strategic mandates. o Ensure that strategic dynamics are broadened to include economic as well as workforce development activities. 4) Fully leverage efforts launched in Valley cities to capitalize on the “green” economy. o Partner with Valley cities, Riverside County and state EDOs to address strategic issues related to permitting and regulations, site and building availability, taxes and incentives and provision of infrastructure. Economic Diversification September 2009 28 ACTION 2: Seek to better promote and/or enhance green-power options in the Coachella Valley. 1) Partner with regional utilities to increase awareness of locally available green- power-purchasing options. o Ensure local homes and businesses are aware of their options related to “distributed generation” programs and equipment. Determine the capacity needed for local utilities to offer on- site consulting, resources, and education to help residents and businesses create environmentally-sound homes and workplaces. o Promote Southern California Edison’s Self Generation Incentive Program, the California Energy Commission’s Renewable Energy Buydown Program, and Imperial Irrigation District’s (IID) incentive on qualifying Photovoltaic (PV) systems. Identify resources to enable the IID to install sufficient PV systems to meet demand. 2) Survey top U.S. regions to assess additional green-power-purchase programs that could be designed and implemented in the Coachella Valley. ACTION 3: Leverage sector representatives for target-marketing purposes. 1) Incorporate Clean Technology/Energy leaders into a regional Ambassadors Program. o Leverage local leaders for conversations with external prospects and/or site-selection professionals on the Coachella Valley’s benefits as a location for Clean Technology/Energy businesses. 2) Seek to utilize sector leaders’ offices and facilities as sites for hosting relocation prospects and as destinations for inbound marketing events. 3) Capture quotes, comments and stories from sector leadership for incorporation into external marketing materials and website content. Economic Diversification September 2009 29 Strategy 12: Establish a culture of “green entrepreneurship” in the Coachella Valley ACTION 1: Work with existing small business development and entrepreneurship support entities to educate them on Clean Energy/Technology start-up possibilities. 1) Connect small-business-support personnel with regional Clean Technology/Energy company representatives to educate them on the dynamics of green-business operations and management. 2) Consider the creation of a detailed Guide to Green Business Development to assist would-be entrepreneurs with the process of launching a clean-energy company. o Promote and create incentives for enterprise development in the Valley. These include: fast-track permitting, existing local incentives zones, and state/federal grants. Research federal stimulus monies available to incentivize green-building retrofits and determine the potential to launch small businesses in this field. Determine which additional incentives may be offered to clean technology start-up efforts. ACTION 2: Leverage the Valley’s Early-Stage Capital Fund (see Objective 4) for seed and gap financing for regional Clean Technology/Energy start-ups. 1) Seek out regional clean-energy companies, state and federal governments, and wealthy clean-energy-supportive philanthropists in the Valley to help capitalize the fund. o Determine the need to establish a separate Green Technology Fund underneath the Early-Stage Fund. ACTION 3: Initiate longer-term plans to develop a Clean Energy Incubator in the Coachella Valley. 1) Look to partner with UCR-Palm Desert or CSUSB-Palm Desert to launch an affiliated Incubator on either’s campus. 2) Develop on-site – or leverage main-campus – commercialization-assistance capacity to help transition incubated companies to the marketplace. Economic Diversification September 2009 30 3) Work to broker contractual agreements between incubated companies and regional utilities and Valley cities to leverage the start-up firms’ technologies to improve efficiencies and/or enhance consumer choice. 4) Actively promote the Incubator to entrepreneurs and nascent clean technology firms in higher-cost California regions. Strategy 13: Proceed with efforts to develop a regional Coachella Valley Sustainability Plan. ACTION 1: Look to the planning and approval process for the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan for guidance. 1) Ensure that the partnerships, coordination and conversations leading to the Conservation Plan’s passage inform the Sustainability Plan development process. ACTION 2: Formalize and leverage local partnerships to launch “green community” initiatives in all Coachella Valley cities. 1) Consider existing Coachella Valley sustainability initiatives as regional models. o Craft a sustainable-community process blueprint from existing programs such as the Palm Desert Sustainability Plan and the Palm Springs Path to a Sustainable Community. o Designate city officials/staff as sustainability ambassadors, working with other Valley cities to plan, develop and launch sustainability initiatives. 2) Leverage the Coachella Valley Association of Government’s (CVAG) efforts to bring Valley cities together around sustainability issues to determine ways to effectively link local efforts through the regional Sustainability Plan framework. ACTION 3: Incorporate strategies for management of key natural resources into the Plan. 1) Build on the regional momentum of Plan development to focus on issues related to the Valley’s water supply, air quality, and desert landscape. Economic Diversification September 2009 31 ACTION 4: Capitalize on opportunities to use public forums to broaden local, state and national awareness of the Valley’s sustainability efforts. 1) Consider additional unifying events such as the recently signed pledge by Valley mayors and council members committing their cities to inventorying greenhouse gasses. 2) Fund, develop and convene additional regional events such as the Coachella Valley Energy Summit. 3) Incorporate regional efforts into public relations efforts promoting the Valley for residents, companies and visitors. ACTION 5: Consider incorporating an advocacy component into the regional Sustainability Plan. 1) Form partnerships among city and county officials to lobby publically for issues related to sustainability and green-economy development. o Issues may include: additional tax and cash incentives for green development and entrepreneurship; planning mandates linking land use and transportation infrastructure; and caps on carbon emissions to make renewable energy sources more cost-competitive. 2) Engage elected officials at the state and federal levels to advocate for issues vital to the Coachella Valley’s green economy. 3) Direct local and regional governments and economic development organizations to join the American Council on Renewable Energy and other key industry associations. o Leverage association memberships to address regional competitive concerns and advance Coachella Valley clean/ green energy initiatives. Economic Diversification September 2009 32 Supply Chain Management/Logistics Strategy 14: Effectively market the Coachella Valley as a destination for Supply Chain Management/Logistics companies. ACTION 1: Design a component of the Coachella Valley’s external marketing program related to the Supply Chain Management/Logistics sector. 1) Strive to link the Valley in the minds of external companies and site-selection professionals with the dynamic logistics economies of the Inland Empire. o Pursue joint-marketing activities as available with Inland Empire economic development agencies and state officials. 2) Consider developing specific media and materials highlighting the Valley’s strengths in Supply Chain Management/Logistics. o Integrate messages related to positioning the Valley as a destination for warehousing, distribution, wholesale trade, and supply-chain management companies. o Create a unique URL or a stand-alone page on the regional economic development website focused on Supply Chain Management/ Logistics in the Coachella Valley. o Create consistently updated one-sheets and promotional materials marketing the sector. 3) Leverage the Valley’s diverse stock of quality housing as a regional attractor and relocation incentive. 4) Prioritize media and markets for dissemination of messages related to promoting the region’s Supply Chain Management/Logistics economy Strategy 15: Work with existing sector businesses and leaders to grow Supply Chain Management/Logistics in the Valley. ACTION 1: Gain a more detailed understanding of the sector’s current capacity. 1) Conduct an assessment of the Valley economy to identify existing firms in this sector. 2) Determine the current supply-chain linkages of warehousing, distribution and wholesale trade firms. o Map these linkages to determine key origination/destination markets and the Valley’s role in external supply-chains. Economic Diversification September 2009 33 3) Approach company leadership to serve more active roles in regional economic development practices. ACTION 2: Utilize key Supply Chain Management/Logistics representatives to help inform an Action Plan for the sector. 1) Form a Strategic Task Force among the region’s top public and private leaders in this sector. 2) Work with Task Force members to develop an Action Plan for growing Supply Chain Management/Logistics in the Coachella Valley. o Identify top competitive concerns and opportunities to address proactively through the Action Plan. o Determine how to most effectively leverage California Senate Bill 375 in positioning the Valley for growth in this sector. 3) Fully leverage assets such as the Valley’s highway connectivity to Mexico and regional Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs) into action planning. o Determine the potential to develop additional FTZs in the region. 4) Determine how to best utilize Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport as a lynchpin of regional sector development. o Ensure the Action Plan includes specific strategies for integrating the Airport into the coordination and facilitation of sector development efforts. 5) Assess the potential to transition the Strategic Task Force into an ongoing role as the Coachella Valley Logistics Council. ACTION 3: Leverage sector representatives for target-marketing purposes. 1) Incorporate Supply Chain Management/Logistics leaders into a regional Ambassadors Program. o Leverage local leaders for conversations with external prospects and/or site-selection professionals on the Coachella Valley’s benefits as a location for Supply Chain Management/Logistics businesses. 2) Seek to utilize sector leaders’ offices and facilities as sites for hosting relocation prospects and as destinations for inbound marketing events. 3) Capture quotes, comments and stories from sector leadership for incorporation into external marketing materials and website content. Economic Diversification September 2009 34 Strategy 16: Develop regional small-business-support capacity for the Supply Chain Management/Logistics sector. ACTION 1: Work with existing small business development and entrepreneurship support entities to educate them on Supply Chain Management/Logistics start-up possibilities. 1) Connect small-business-support personnel with regional Supply Chain Management/Logistics company representatives to educate them on the dynamics of the sector’s operations and management. 2) Determine the need to source additional program-design assistance from Inland Empire organizations more familiar with the dynamics of small- business development as it relates to Supply Chain Management and Logistics. o Utilize networks of economic development and government officials to identify industry experts to counsel Valley institutions on best- practice development dynamics. 3) Integrate information on Supply Chain Management/Logistics support capacity into all small-business promotional materials and SourceLink activities. Strategy 17: Fully leverage the Coachella Valley’s location in the Inland Empire as a growth-driver for the Supply Chain Management/Logistics sector. ACTION 1: Initiate outreach to Inland Empire economic development organizations. 1) Leverage SB 375 as the impetus to discuss the Coachella Valley’s potential role as a link in the supply chain from ports and top state and national markets to the logistics hubs of the Inland Empire. 2) Ensure Coachella Valley sites identified for logistics development are listed in Riverside County and Inland Empire property databases. 3) Identify potential shared competitiveness issues that could lead to joint- advocacy efforts in Sacramento or Washington, D.C. Economic Diversification September 2009 35 ACTION 2: Leverage expertise from CSU-San Bernardino. 1) Seek to partner with the William and Barbara Leonard University Transportation Center at California State University San Bernardino on local assessment and development efforts. o Identify potential Valley issues, districts, projects or strategic opportunities that could benefit from analysis by affiliated Center faculty, researchers and students. o Determine if a Center faculty member or researcher could be relocated to CSUSB-Palm Desert on a loaned basis to study the Valley’s logistics sector. Strategy 18: Ensure competitive infrastructure is provided to support Supply Chain Management/Logistics development. ACTION 1: Identify priority locations for the development of a multi-modal logistics park. 1) Charge the Supply Chain Management/Logistics Strategic Task Force with determining the most viable location(s) for local development of multi-modal warehousing and distribution capacity. o Initially prioritize sites adjacent to Cochran Regional Airport and/or located in regional incentives zones. 2) Partner with city economic development staff and elected leadership to optimize the competitiveness of the chosen site(s). o Assess needs related to infrastructure development of all types, including road, rail, utilities and telecommunications. o Determine the capacity of local government to effectively prepare the site(s) for development. Assess all potential funding mechanisms to facilitate site preparation. 3) Coordinate with regional, county and state economic development organizations/departments to effectively market the selected site(s) for logistics projects. o Ensure Coachella Valley sites identified for logistics development are included in the Riverside County and Inland Empire property databases. Economic Diversification September 2009 36 ACTION 2: Ensure infrastructure development needs inform regional planning and capacity-development processes. 1) Partner with CVAG, the Riverside County Economic Development Agency (EDA), the Western Riverside Council of Governments and other key state and local agencies to include logistics-related infrastructure-development needs in planning processes and reports. 2) Coordinate advocacy for target-sector-related infrastructure development with Coachella Valley-wide infrastructure planning. ACTION 3: Assess the potential for Coachella Valley firms to better leverage the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. 1) Commission a study to determine existing connectivity to the ports and impacts from port-related commerce. o Identify key competitiveness issues and needs to be addressed to better leverage the ports for regional economic development. 2) Include priority recommendations from the study in ongoing Supply Chain Management/Logistics strategic implementation activities. Creative Arts and Design Strategy 19: Develop a strong, multi-faceted external marketing effort to promote and grow the Creative Arts and Design economy. ACTION 1: Contract for the development of a best-practice marketing and branding plan for the Coachella Valley’s creative economy. 1) Position the Valley as a cost-competitive, dynamic and growing location for arts and media businesses and talent. 2) Develop a unique, stand-alone website geared towards marketing the Coachella Valley for Creative Arts and Design businesses. o Leverage a variety of new media technologies and social-networking websites to spread the word on the Coachella Valley as an arts and design destination. o Reach out to local companies to donate in-kind services for development of video pieces, computer animation, graphic design, etc. Economic Diversification September 2009 37 o Utilize the site to promote creative enterprises, events and individuals in the region. 3) Leverage the Valley’s diverse stock of quality housing as a regional attractor and relocation incentive. 4) Identify priority markets to target through promotional efforts marketing the Valley’s creative economy. o Consider higher-cost areas such as Greater Los Angeles, San Diego and the Bay Area as priority target markets. 5) Integrate and coordinate as needed with destination and tourism marketing managed by the Palm Springs Desert Resort Communities Convention and Visitors Authority. ACTION 2: Pursue Creative Arts and Design firms and talent for relocation to the Coachella Valley. 1) Dedicate resources to the pursuit of targeted small businesses and visionary artists to the Coachella Valley. o Leverage existing local arts, media and design talent to identify potential relocation prospects. o Conduct targeted research to determine additional arts, media and design prospects for attraction to the region. 2) Consider the potential to offer specific relocation incentives to Creative Arts and Design businesses and talent. 3) Pursue local production of student films to expose the Valley’s assets to future filmmakers and production talent. o Develop relationships with film schools throughout Southern California to promote the Coachella Valley as a destination for student film production. o Develop a promotional package on CD-Rom detailing the facilities, locations and services available to support student film production in the region. o Assess the potential to “incentivize” local production of student films through direct payments from a fund capitalized by regional public- private economic development organizations. Economic Diversification September 2009 38 Strategy 20: Work with existing sector businesses and leaders to grow Creative Arts and Design in the Valley. ACTION 1: Consider integrating the Career Pathways Initiative’s Multimedia Industry Council as a program of the Coachella Valley Arts Alliance. 1) Expand the Council’s efforts to include an increased focus on leveraging education and workforce training programs for growth of the Creative Arts and Design sector. o Determine the need to expand the Council’s membership based on components of the Blueprint strategy. 2) Leverage the Council as a mechanism to launch a Creative Arts and Design networking program in the region. o Coordinate regular forums, information sessions, and arts-based community events as opportunities for networking, mentorship, and educational outreach. 3) Seek ways to ensure sustainable funding for the Council through the resources of the Alliance. 4) Ensure that all key regional partners are engaged in target-development efforts, including the Entertainment Industries Committee of the Palm Springs Chamber, Palm Springs Women in Film and Television, the American Advertising Federation Palm Springs/Desert Cities, Palm Springs Film Festival organizers, etc. ACTION 2: Leverage the Arts Alliance’s ArtsOasis effort as a key component of the Coachella Valley Blueprint’s Creative Arts and Design development strategy. 1) Tailor the ArtsOasis strategy as necessary to reflect the recommendations in the Blueprint plan. o Ensure that an expanded ArtsOasis focus is reflected in Alliance membership and leadership specializations. 2) Achieve seamless coordination between ArtsOasis implementation and regional economic development efforts. Economic Diversification September 2009 39 Strategy 21: Launch efforts to develop sole-proprietorships and small businesses in the Creative Arts and Design sector. ACTION 1: Work with existing small business development and entrepreneurship support entities to educate them on Creative Arts and Design enterprise-creation opportunities. 1) Connect small-business-support personnel with regional Creative Arts and Design stakeholders – perhaps through a relationship with the Coachella Valley Arts Alliance – to educate them on the dynamics of launching and sustaining businesses in this sector. ACTION 2: Partner with the Arts Alliance to launch a Storefront Artists Program in Coachella Valley cities. 1) Consider launching and managing a program to provide rent-free space to artists in vacant retail storefronts. o Formalize program components to allow landlords to obtain signed leases for the space and artists to be provided with ample notice that the space has been leased to a paying tenant. Determine how to most effectively enable artists to remain in the retail spaces as paying tenants. o Determine the nature of artists’ contributions beyond occupying the space as a studio – for example, paying utility costs and taking responsibility for the upkeep of the retail space. 2) Leverage the artists’ spaces to start or enhance “art crawls” or “open studio” events. ACTION 3: Strive to realize efforts to develop an Arts Incubator in the Coachella Valley. 1) Secure flexible building space (either purchased or donated) to house the Incubator. 2) Provide capacity to staff the facility, develop programs and manage operations. 3) Formalize a business plan to develop the Incubator as the region’s central location for Creative Arts and Design development. o Consider housing offices of the Coachella Valley Arts Alliance at the facility. Economic Diversification September 2009 40 o Coordinate the ArtsOasis strategy out of the Incubator. o Develop sufficient capacity to provide affordable, quality studio space for emerging artists across a range of media to start and further their careers. o House classrooms, lecture halls and flexible event space at the Incubator for programs related to education, training, seminars, events, etc. 4) Incorporate the Incubator in all internal and external marketing efforts. o Partner with the Palm Springs Desert Resort Communities Convention and Visitors Authority to promote the facility to Valley visitors. Strategy 22: Leverage public and/or private money to develop media- serving infrastructure. ACTION 1: Work to develop sound stages, post-production facilities and other infrastructure necessary to grow a media economy. 1) Assess all existing infrastructure related to media production in the Valley. 2) Partner with Valley communities to create Master Plans for districts with the highest potential to be positioned for production-facility development. o Consider locating facilities in existing incentives districts or utilizing tools such as TIF districts to facilitate project-development. o Work with the Inland Empire Film Commission and Palm Springs Film Office/Alliance to inform the selection of priority development sites and the dynamics of providing competitive infrastructure for film, television and video productions. 3) Seek private-sector partners in Greater Los Angeles interested in developing a Coachella Valley facility. o Also consider a public-private funding dynamic to realize the development of local production facilities. Economic Diversification September 2009 41 OBJECTIVE 3: PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS SERVICES FOR REGIONAL STAKEHOLDER GROUPS. A regional EDO can offer significant value-added benefit to public and private investors by providing them with timely and robust data and information. For the Coachella Valley, this benefit is greater because state and federal governments do not define the Valley as a statistically unique region. In addition, the EDO can serve as a convener and facilitator for local economic entities through the development and hosting of informational sessions and events. Strategy 23: Position a regional entity to serve as a data storehouse for Coachella Valley organizations and governments. ACTION 1: Create a data center on the organization’s website. 1) Partner with all local and regional governments to secure agreements to acquire and publish relevant data on the website. o Aggregate data to the Coachella Valley regional level for provision to companies and site-selection professionals. o Ensure that data are updated regularly. 2) Allow users to select Valley cities and Riverside County as well as data types, then run cross comparisons against aggregate regional, state, and national data. 3) Ensure the accessibility of the data is user-friendly and prominently positioned. 4) Promote the data center as a resource to local community leaders, businesses, and real estate brokers who may be investing in their own research without knowing that it is already available through the regional EDO. ACTION 2: Create a map center on the organization’s website. 1) Leverage GIS mapping technologies to enable site-users to customize local and regional maps. o Determine how to leverage existing mapping information and GIS databases developed by CVAG. Assess how to best reconfigure this information for economic-development consultants and relocation professionals. Economic Diversification September 2009 42 o Offer users the chance to incorporate population and labor dynamics, transportation and utilities infrastructure, business parks, and other layers into the base maps. o Look into the feasibility of enabling site-users to create “overlay” maps that highlight regional resource sites, facilities and infrastructure for the Valley’s targeted clusters. 2) Engage partners such as CVAG and the Riverside EDA to provide mapping content and links to additional online geographical resources. Strategy 24: Offer custom-tailored research services to regional partners. ACTION 1: Position a regional EDO as the key go-to resource for original research. 1) Work closely with local cities, chambers and organizational partners to determine research needs the regional EDO could fulfill. 2) Consider – among others – providing the following research services: o Assessing local lease rates and commercial absorption. o Quantifying the Valley’s population diversity and promoting regional demographics to consumer market-research firms interested in dynamic locations for product-assessment testing. o Leverage ethnographies to identify potential of segmenting the population and the economic benefit in providing data to marketing firms across the US. o Tracking of market trends and provision of up-to-the-minute market information. o Studies of workforce skills, including a “hidden workforce” analysis of underemployment and labor force participation dynamics. o “Harvesting” of information about local communities to utilize in marketing and prospect-management efforts. o Tracking and identifying workforce-development and training grants and foundation resources. o Research on regional spending power oriented by district. o Ongoing assessment of Coachella Valley’s competitive advantages and challenges. These could be related to costs of land, housing, utilities, worker’s compensation, development fees, taxes and other competitive concerns. Economic Diversification September 2009 43 3) Identify and communicate best-practice local and regional programs that may have potential benefit for economic development activities in Valley cities. 4) Position the EDO as a “collective-intelligence” source for regional partners related to target-industry dynamics. o Leverage the EDO’s institutional knowledge of developing technologies, processes and products in the implementation of target- industry-development activities and marketing efforts. Strategy 25: Coordinate and host regional economic forums. ACTION 1: Continue the development and management of events such as the Coachella Valley Economic Summit and Share Our Abundant Resources (SOAR) Small Business Resource Forum and Expo by a regional EDO. 1) Tie certain event content to the Blueprint strategy and regional target sectors. ACTION 2: Consider the development of additional economic forums and conferences. 1) Coordinate with regional partners to identify issues and topics, develop content and co-sponsor events. Strategy 26: Research and manage relocation prospects for attraction to the Coachella Valley. ACTION 1: Process, qualify and update relocation leads. 1) Serve as a regional point-of-first-contact for prospect-initiated and state- provided leads. o Research and respond to all inquiries through provision of regional and community-specific information and data. o Provide timely response to all follow-up inquiries. o Distribute viable leads to local partners. 2) Effectively track progress on lead activity and communicate information back to local partners. Economic Diversification September 2009 44 ACTION 2: Design a research protocol to identify external prospect companies in the Valley’s target sectors for relocation to the region. 1) Focus attention on companies in selected high-cost markets. 2) Research prospects identified by existing companies through BRE visits. a. Focus priority efforts on companies considered to be the strongest prospects for relocation. 3) Plan meetings with prospect firms around out-of-market recruitment trips and/or in-bound marketing opportunities. OBJECTIVE 4: PROVIDE ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESS PERSONS THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO SUCCEED. Jobs created by small businesses comprise a large percentage of total local employment. This is especially true in the Coachella Valley. Plus, every new small business has the potential to grow into a major local employer. Ensuring that individuals who start small businesses can sustain and expand them is vital to a community’s long-term success. Strategy 27: Enhance the capacity and coordination of local small- business-support services. ACTION 1: Formalize an Entrepreneurs Network in the Coachella Valley. 1) Engage regional entrepreneurs in a program to leverage local expertise for the benefit of fledgling entrepreneurs. o Consider development of a formal mentorship program pairing experienced and beginning entrepreneurs. 2) Coordinate meetings around information sessions, guest speakers and workshops on enterprise-development in the Valley. Economic Diversification September 2009 45 ACTION 2: Launch and manage an Early-Stage Capital Fund to provide seed and gap financing to Coachella Valley start-up enterprises. 1) Develop a business plan formalizing the detailed dynamics of the Fund, how it will operate, its management and oversight structure, loan and follow-up processes, capitalization goals, eligibility requirements, etc. o Establish criteria for the Fund prioritizing disbursement to individuals starting arts, technology, media, energy and logistics companies consistent with the Coachella Valley’s targeted sectors. 2) Capitalize the Fund through local public and private donations and state and federal grant monies. o Outreach to local members of the Keiretsu Forum for contributions to the Fund. 3) Market the Fund through local media and relationships with key regional partners. 4) Work closely with the Coachella Valley Angels Network (CVAN) to direct entrepreneurs to the appropriate funding source. ACTION 3: Implement the SourceLink model in the Coachella Valley to better coordinate regional small-business-support services. 1) Conduct a thorough assessment of existing regional support capacity. 2) Contract with the Kauffman Foundation to customize the SourceLink curriculum for the Valley. 3) Designate a regional entity to manage the ongoing implementation of Coachella Valley SourceLink. 4) Effectively market SourceLink as the point-of-first-contact for fledgling small business people in the region. 5) Consider the potential to co-locate SourceLink program staff with key regional small-business-support officials to develop a “one-stop shop” for small business assistance. ACTION 4: Fully leverage the Alliance for the Commercialization of Technology (ACT) virtual incubator for local enterprise-development. 1) Ensure that the incubator – when operational – is effectively promoted to potential constituents. 2) Catalogue the incubator in the SourceLink database. Economic Diversification September 2009 46 3) Coordinate the ACT incubator program with the full array of local and regional small-business-support services. 4) Determine the future need to incorporate virtual incubator services into a physical location for incubation of regional businesses. Strategy 28: Better enable under-represented constituencies to start and grow companies in the region. ACTION 1: Create a program focused on facilitating and enhancing regional minority enterprise-development. 1) Work with representatives of established programs in Metro Los Angeles and other regions to design the components of the program. o Determine if a “loaned executive” from a top Southern California program can manage the Coachella Valley initiative during the start- up phase. 2) Partner with the Coachella Valley Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce to establish a Latino Entrepreneur Business Investment Program to review potential business opportunities within the Valley’s identified target sectors. o Additional partners could include the Inland Empire Hispanic Chamber, the Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber, and other Hispanic chambers in Valley-adjacent communities. 3) Partner with Riverside County and local governments to formalize a process to provide contracting opportunities to qualified minority-owned Valley businesses. 4) Host regional information sessions and workshops to introduce Valley minority business people to the program. Economic Diversification September 2009 47 OBJECTIVE 5: ENSURE EXISTING COACHELLA VALLEY BUSINESSES ARE RETAINED AND EXPANDED. The vast majority of local jobs are created by companies already operating in the community. They must be provided with a competitive climate necessary to grow effectively. Strategy 29: Create a regional business retention and expansion program. ACTION 1: Assess existing activities. 1) Partner with local chambers of commerce and city economic development departments to determine the dynamics of existing BRE programs. 2) Work with chamber and city representatives to assess the potential of developing a regional program. o Ensure there is broad consensus on the benefits to be accrued by leveraging the resources of a regional organization. These include: Recruiting identified suppliers, affiliates, and corporate allies of local firms to the Valley. Providing software to build a database of existing business dynamics and the personnel to update and manage the database. Comprehensive research services conducted for the competitive benefit of local departments and companies. Enhanced potential for advocacy on local, state and national competitiveness issues important to Valley businesses. Perspective on strategies and best-practices from across the Valley that can be communicated to local partners. The presence of trained, experienced staff available to assist local developers with issues related to import/ export assistance, tax and regulatory dynamics, incentives, workforce, infrastructure, etc. Economic Diversification September 2009 48 Relationships with other Valley, Riverside County and state organizations that can be leveraged for the benefit of regional cities and businesses. ACTION 2: Formalize the components of the regional BRE program. 1) Determine which companies will be visited by the regional economic development organization (EDO), local chambers, cities, and jointly. 2) Establish visitation priorities and frequencies. o Strive to coordinate BRE functions according to target-sector classifications. 3) Research and purchase BRE software. o Offer sub-licenses of the program to local partners. 4) Leverage the software to conduct pre-visit research based on company performance and hiring trends. 5) Ensure – if possible – that visits are made by professional staff and not volunteers. 6) Consistently update the BRE database with information gathered during company visits. 7) Leverage the BRE database as an information source for local and regional partners and prospect companies. ACTION 3: Develop BRE follow-up protocols. 1) Work with partners to formalize a process to follow up on all issues and opportunities identified through BRE visits. o Ensure that all supplier-recruitment opportunities are pursued through the external marketing program. o Leverage government partners to address infrastructure, permitting and tax/incentive issues. Economic Diversification September 2009 49 Strategy 30: Work to decrease permit-acquisition times and lower the costs of project-development in Coachella Valley communities. ACTION 1: Establish a regional Task Force to reform local permitting systems and processes. 1) Assemble the Task Force from a roster of top local business people and institutional representatives. 2) Utilize staff to prepare a detailed list of national best practices related to permitting processes. o Consider inviting a representative from a best-practice community to speak to Coachella Valley officials and business people. 3) Empower city planning and development staff to contribute to the development of the new processes. 4) Partner with local governments to review, customize and approve new regulatory processes in Valley communities. o As best as possible, ensure regulatory consistency across Valley governments to provide businesses with a set of uniform regulatory policies 5) Formalize a process for ongoing communication between government and business leadership to ensure that new processes are pursued and re-worked (if necessary) to ensure long-term benefit. 6) Market new permitting processes in Coachella Valley cities to companies and corporate relocation processionals as examples of the Valley's commitment to become a best-in-class community ACTION 2: Partner with local governments to lower fees and better coordinate the provision of infrastructure for new development. 1) Examine models from other fast-growing communities to determine best- practices for infrastructure development in greenfield areas. o Invite representatives from these communities to travel to the Valley to speak with elected officials and department staff. o Assess means to proactively provide transportation and utilities infrastructure to targeted growth areas while easing the fee burden on developers. Economic Diversification September 2009 50 o Eliminate project-specific infrastructure development that results in service gaps between newly constructed projects and the existing street- and utilities-grid. 2) Formalize best-practice infrastructure-development processes through revised local development codes. o Ensure consistency between development codes of all Coachella Valley governments. 3) Ensure that any action resulting in decreased fees to Valley cities is balanced with the identification of an alternative revenue source, perhaps through state/federal grant programs or incentives. Strategy 31: Sustain the viability of the Coachella Valley’s agricultural economy. ACTION 1: Ensure that local farms remain competitive. 1) Leverage BRE efforts to visit top local producers to determine what assistance could be provided to address market pressures. o Coordinate efforts to address competitive concerns with regional advocacy and infrastructure-development programs. o Partner effectively with agriculture-development agencies2 to further the Coachella Valley’s competitive agenda and provide needed support to maintain regional employment. o Take advantage of any existing – or proposed – subsidies to enable local producers to compete with lower-cost regions. 2) Continue to engage in substantive regional discussions on issues related to water capacity and usage. o Ensure that concerns of agricultural producers are given a fair hearing in water-provision and distribution decision-making. ACTION 2: Protect agricultural lands from encroachment of other uses. 1) Ensure that land zoned agricultural is reserved for this purpose. 2 Agencies include: Riverside County Agriculture Commissioner; the Riverside County Farm Bureau; the University of California Cooperative Extension, Riverside County – Indio Office; and U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center in Indio. Economic Diversification September 2009 51 2) Consider tools such as transfer of development rights to provide farmers with best-practice tools to hold onto their land in the face of development pressures. 3) Pursue all opportunities to form farm cooperatives to increase the leverage and buying power of local producers. Strategy 32: Assess the potential for local companies to increase their trade with Mexico. ACTION 1: Leverage the California Inland Empire District Export Council office in Indio to discuss local opportunities. 1) Ensure that the Coachella Valley has a representative number of members on the Council to advance regional interests. o Work with the Coachella Valley U.S. Export Assistance Center to ensure that qualified candidates are nominated and approved. 2) Host well-publicized information sessions between Council members and local businesses. o Actively promote the event through local chambers, governments and regional organizations. 3) Integrate the Council’s assistance with ongoing BRE and target-development efforts in the Valley. Strategy 33: Partner with local Native American tribes to positively impact regional development. ACTION 1: Ensure tribal representatives are involved in regional economic development leadership and strategic implementation. 1) Commit to increasing the tribes’ role in advancing the regional economy. o Outreach to the tribes to better involve Native American constituencies in key regional efforts. Determine how tribes’ well-developed programs could fit into the overall dynamics of the Blueprint strategy. Leveraging tribes’ unique non-tax presence, consider designing contracts for local governments to partner with tribes on transformative regional projects. Economic Diversification September 2009 52 These could include gaining access to federal funding for projects related to infrastructure; workforce; housing; public safety; clean tech/renewable energy; and land use policy. Seek to include additional tribal leaders on local boards and commissions. o Include tribal leadership on “team mission” trips and internal marketing “ambassadors” events. 2) Actively involve tribal representatives in target-development efforts. o Incorporate opportunities for leveraging tribal lands, stakeholders, businesses, relationships, facilities, and resources for development of the Valley’s healthcare, energy, logistics and arts economies. o Fully leverage Native American culture, arts, and events in the region’s overall tourism and visitation marketing program. ACTION 2: Partner with tribal leadership to advance the Coachella Valley’s competitive agenda. 1) Leverage regional tribes in the discussion of the key issues facing the Valley. o Work with the tribes to assess the potential to influence legislation, elected leadership and project development at the local, state, and federal levels. . WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE Workforce Excellence September 2009 54 Overall workforce skills and capacity must be enhanced for the Coachella Valley to compete for the high-value jobs being created in the New Economy. Development of a competitive labor force that will enable existing and future Coachella Valley companies to thrive and workers to greatly increase their incomes. OBJECTIVE 1: OPTIMIZE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. Education practitioners and child-development specialists argue that the most critical period in a child’s academic development is the transition from grade-to-grade in their early primary-school years. It is also vital that a student’s engagement is maintained throughout his or her middle-school and high-school years. The Coachella Valley must affirm the region’s emphasis on supporting and expanding the network of existing local career academies already functioning in the Valley’s targeted sectors. Ultimately, the success of a community’s economy is greatly dependent on the ability of its Pre-K to 12 systems to prepare students for multiple pathways to both college and the workplace. Strategy 1: Ensure student performance is maximized. ACTION 1: Support strategic efforts at the Valley’s three unified school districts (USDs) to address critical performance and facility concerns. 1) Work to develop 21st Century learning opportunities for Valley students. o Infuse classroom environments with project-based learning focused on collaborative student problem-solving on “real life” issues. Train students to ask the right questions, take calculated risks, think entrepreneurially and learn the “soft skills” necessary to succeed in the workplace. Ensure that students are taught workplace dynamics related to attire, promptness, work-ethic, attitude, Workforce Excellence September 2009 55 phone etiquette, customer relations, and other employer requirements. o Integrate state-of-the-art technology into all components of students’ educational experience and consistently invest in this technology for the region’s schools. o Support an ongoing and comprehensive emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education programs throughout PreK-12 classes as a foundation for preparing students in the Valley’s targeted industries. o Ensure that exposure to the arts is a component of all districts’ curricula. Enhance outreach to Valley arts and cultural institutions and practitioners to partner with schools on program-development and implementation. 2) Ensure that Valley schools are safe and secure learning environments. 3) Effectively communicate the long-term consequences of teenage pregnancy, drug use and gang activity. 4) Strive to best engage parents in their children’s education. o Determine if programs such as Palm Springs USD’s Parent Institute for Quality Education can be replicated in all Valley districts. 5) Seek to expand capacity in programs for self-directed students. o Support the Cadet Corps and grow capacity as necessitated by demand. 6) Continue to pursue quality educators with strong training credentials. o Ensure that teachers are consistently provided opportunities to enhance their knowledge-bases and skill-sets. o Aim to attract and retain a teacher population that reflects the demographic makeup of the community-at-large. ACTION 2: Ensure students’ English-language proficiency and literacy is optimized. 1) Work to best engage second-language learners in programs to improve their English-language skills, classroom engagement, and success in coursework and standardized testing. 2) Continue to consistently assess best-practices in English-language acquisition in other California districts for possible implementation in the Coachella Valley. Workforce Excellence September 2009 56 ACTION 3: Provide quality, accessible after-school and summer engagement opportunities for Valley youth. 1) Ensure strong and ongoing business-community support of the Boys & Girls Club of Coachella Valley. o Actively publicize and promote the summer 2009 opening of the Smilow Family Teen Center. o Determine the need for business and/or foundation contributions to a fund to subsidize membership fees for low-income families. o Assess needs related to transportation for Valley transit-dependent families to access regional facilities. Consider partnerships with SunLine or the funding of a summer shuttle service to transport youths to area Clubs. 2) Ensure that the Indio Teen Center is able to operate at full capacity and receives the support of the regional business community. ACTION 4: Provide quality Pre-Kindergarten classes for all eligible local children. 1) Monitor and support statewide efforts seeking to provide access to Pre-K education for all California youth. o Ensure SB 1629 (Early Learning Quality Improvement Act) leads to development of a statewide “first 5” system. o Work with local and state legislatures to actively support full funding for Pre-K education in the Coachella Valley. 2) Mobilize regional school districts to develop reliable funding streams to support Pre-K education. o Determine the potential to fund Pre-K locally through budget disbursements or voter-approved assessments. o Partner with entities such as the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to source additional funds to build regional Pre-K capacity.
