Iowa’s Creative CorridorBuilding regional pride, collaboration and our shared future
Our Mission
Build pride and buzz about our region through a shared identity and collaborative efforts
Attract and retain the best talent
Grow more successful companies
Raise awareness of each city’s successes
Grow a strong national reputation for our collective region
Any college football coach will tell you…
Talent Attracts Talent
If we work together to highlight our successes more people will be attracted to live here, work in your companies or start their own.
Work to Date
Experts Agree
Like Austin, Boulder and Portland our area has everything we need to become one of
the nation’s most thriving regions.
…but they also say
to capitalize on our assetswe need to
work more collaborativelyand
highlight our successes
We took these suggestions
to heart.
Collaboration
To facilitate more regional collaboration, we formed the Corridor Business Alliance.
MidAmerican
EDC
Alliant
Iowa CityArea Chamber
ICAD
CR MetroEconomic Alliance
UISBDC
KirkwoodSBDC
Kirkwood
UI ResearchFoundation
UIJPEC
A Proven Road Map
…and committed to focus on Michael Langley’s5 Key Elements of a Thriving Region:
A Strong Regional Identity
Skilled Workforce/Education
Infrastructure
Culture of Innovation/Entrepreneurship
Culture of Inclusiveness + Diversity
Starting Here
Branding Taskforce
We gathered a cross-sector group to work collaboratively on a regional identity.
Past + Present MembersJohn Lohman, Corridor Business JournalChuck Peters, The Gazette CompanyDavid Hensley, U of IowaDee Baird, CR Metro Economic AllianceTim Bradshaw, The Eastern Iowa AirportChad Simmons, Diversity FocusMarilee Fowler, CR CVBKelly Hayworth, City of CoralvilleKim Johnson, KirkwoodCurt Nelson, EDCNancy Quellhorst, IC Area ChamberMark Nolte, ICADJessica Johnson, IA Cultural Corridor AllianceJosh Schamberger, IC/Coralville CVBDiane Ramsey, Rockwell CollinsKate Minette, PearsonSteve Erickson, HRB
Tysen Kendig, U of IowaJordan Cohen, U of IowaJoe Raso, ICADPam York, U of IowaKristie Wetjen, Amana CVBRobyn Heper, Hepker DesignsShannon Meyer, CR Chamber
InvestorsAlliant Energy l Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance l City of Cedar Rapids l City of Coralville City of Marion l Corridor Business Journal l The Eastern Iowa Airport l The Gazette Company l Iowa City Area Development Group l Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce l Kirkwood Community College l Linn County l Marion Chamber of Commerce l MEDCO l
Priority One l University of Iowa
Place Branding Experts
The taskforce partnered with North Star, a group from Nashville that specializes in research and strategy for community branding.
They went to work with surveys, focus groups and on-the-ground research, engaging with 1500 people across the Corridor.
North Star found…
Respondents support more regional collaboration among community leaders, governments and economic development organizations
Each community in the region adds unique value to the region, and a shared identity would strengthen the whole and the each of its parts
For a Shared Identity
North Star recommended…
as a symbol to help us rally together as a region and highlight our success stories.
Why Creative?
Pays homage to the region’s historic strengths in innovative manufacturing and technology contributions in writing, culture and the arts
Highlights our creative class and related assets that attract and retain the talent we need for today’s innovation economy
Why Corridor?
The common service area and labor shed of our major employers and institutions.
Junior Achievement
Junior AchievementECICOG RPA
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOG
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwood
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwoodGrant Wood AEA
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwoodGrant Wood AEAUnited Way ECI
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwoodGrant Wood AEAUnited Way ECI6th Judicial Dist
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwoodGrant Wood AEAUnited Way ECI6th Judicial DistCR MSA
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwoodGrant Wood AEAUnited Way ECI6th Judicial DistCR MSAIC MSA
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwoodGrant Wood AEAUnited Way ECI6th Judicial DistCR MSAIC MSAPriority 1
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwoodGrant Wood AEAUnited Way ECI6th Judicial DistCR MSAIC MSAPriority 1ICAD
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwoodGrant Wood AEAUnited Way ECI6th Judicial DistCR MSAIC MSAPriority 1ICADUnited Way Johnson Co
Junior AchievementECICOG RPAIWD Region 10ECICOGKirkwoodGrant Wood AEAUnited Way ECI6th Judicial DistCR MSAIC MSAPriority 1ICADUnited Way Johnson CoMetro Planning Orgs
Iowa’s Creative Corridor
a geographic regional economy
Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington County
(4,400 square miles)
home to over 445,000 creative residents
Now that we have a shared identity
Let’s all use it
Use the Logo
The regional logo can go side-by-side your own showing your pride and our collective
strengthproud to be part of
Wherever You See Fit
water tower
window sign
website
eventsnewsletter
Get the logo + ideasCreativeCorridor.co/Logo
Coming in 2013
Stories of Innovation
A project to spread the word about
our region’s success stories.
Stories like MobileDemand
Creative Week
A week-long region-wide
celebration of our successes.
ComingFall 2013
see the whole 2013 plan at creativecorridor.co/2013plan
We hope you’ll join us!Let’s grow our region together, work more collaboratively and build a shared sense of place.
