Yes! Winnipeg
A MESSAGE FROM DAVE ANGUS
I am always amazed at what is possible when we take a bold vision and rally the community behind it. From the MTS Centre to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights we are starting to see that Winnipeg can create world class assets. That is why it is not a surprise to me that we are getting ready to launch an exciting new initiative which will redefine how our city attracts investment, companies, and jobs.
Selling Winnipeg to the World was an initiative that just started as a notion that we can do better as a city when it came to attracting, expanding, and retaining business. Through the passion of very motivated Chamber volunteers we began a process of validating this notion to see if we could get the traction necessary to create something special. A series of consultation sessions with private sector representatives helped to reinforce the need for change. The need to be more proactive, more focused, more measurable, and more aligned rang out as the rallying call for a private sector driven initiative.
The best practice research that was conducted was a real eye opener. Looking at centres that are currently having success such as Nashville, Halifax, Omaha, Tacoma and others helped to inform us as to the critical success factors that are necessary to achieve that success. There were many key elements but none were more important than engaging the private sector in this activity both financially, intellectually, and emotionally. With the proper investment, the right strategy, and an unparalleled passion for Winnipeg there would be nothing keeping us from building an initiative that would place us as best in class. The Winnipeg Chamber knows better than anyone that these three elements can be found in abundance, especially the passion, in our local business community.
However, what we also found was an increasing sense of focus on this area in other jurisdictions. Many regions that we researched have made the attraction of investment and creation of jobs as a number one priority. They are ramping up and if we did not proceed with the same sense of urgency we would be left even further behind.
The turning point of the initiative was the hiring of Bill Morrissey, one of the originators of the concept as a volunteer, to lead the Selling Winnipeg to the World project. Through Bill’s leadership we have been able to engage the private and public sectors in a process that has lead us to this point. His sense of urgency has helped to get us to this point quicker than anyone could imagine.
There are so many people to thank along the way. The successive Chamber boards, our members, our partner organizations, public sector leaders and champions, and the many volunteers that contributed so much to this initiative.
There is a lot more to get done before we see the results start to roll in. But I know that before long we will be spending most of our time talking to other jurisdictions about how we did it as they look at the Winnipeg model as a best practice. I can’t wait to invite them to take a look under the covers and to see our new and expanding businesses. We will also show them the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the MTS Centre, a tour of the world class Manitoba Hydro building, showcase our festivals, our parks and the many other attractions that make Winnipeg so easy to sell. It truly is a great time to be a Winnipegger.
FOR THE MOST UP-T0-DATE INFORMATION, GO TO THE YES! WINNIPEG WEB SITE
News Release - Yes! Winnipeg Launched - May 18, 2010