July 2012 Newsletter

Featured Articles GEDA Unveils New Logo Spring Workshop Wrap Deal of the Year Awards! 50% of Something Annual Conference Hotels Silver Shovel Awards WEEC In Atlanta App of the Month International Corner   Annual Meeting Hotels Call NOW to Reserve Your Room Spring Workshop is behind us which means it is time to start thinking about Annual Conference.  We return to the Hyatt Regency for 2012!  (Reminder - Annual Conference dates are September 12-14 this year.)  The Hyatt has created a custom link for us - click on that to be directed to GEDA's own hotel registration page!  This will automatically put you into our room block.  (Note - Tuesday night rooms may be sold out already - so search for Wednesday/Thursday night stays for the best options.)  If this does not work for you, you can always call 888-421-1442 - make sure to tell them you're with GEDA! Silver Shovel Award Fifth Win in Seven Years! Area Development Magazine recently awarded Georgia with a Silver Shovel Award for its efforts in economic development.  Georgia is one of 14 states nationwide to receive this recognition.   The awards recognize significant economic development projects announced and initiated within the 2011 calendar year. Georgia was recognized for 10 projects that combined created nearly 4,000 jobs and more than $800 million in investment for Georgia. Bed, Bath & Beyond’s Jackson County fulfillment center, The Home Depot’s Cobb County customer service call center, and Lowe’s Floyd County distribution center were among those economic development projects Georgia submitted for Shovel Awards consideration. WEEC in Atlanta! World Energy Engineering Conference Georgia welcomes the 2012 World Energy Engineering Conference to the Georgia World Congress Center October 31 - November 2.  The WEEC brings together top business leaders from both the public and private sectors to see firsthand new developments in the ever growing energy efficient, green economy, to discuss real-world strategies for implementing energy savings game plans, and to meet face-to-fact to forge innovative business development & project development. As a GEDA member you can: Attend the Expo for free ($40 value) Receive a $300 discount off the regular conference attendee rate. For more information, you can read this flyer or visit the show's web page.  (Enter WEECGA at checkout for the discount.)

GEDA Unveils New Logo GEDA will soon celebrate its 50th year!  In 2013 we will take a year to celebrate our productive past and recharge for the future... the Great Recession starting in 2008 has helped us know we cannot rest on past successes but we can learn from them! What we need from YOU --- between now and our September Annual Meeting--- is your help finding archival information on the 5 decades defining how and why GEDA's people and programs generated prosperity and good jobs for Georgians. Any documents can be sent to GEDA Offices at 75 5th Street, NW, Suite 1200, Atlanta, GA 30308.  Any electronic information or offers to help can be emailed to deb@geda.org or call Deb at 404-405-5904. Thank you in advance for helping us to create the best 50th Anniversary celebration possible!    2012 Spring Workshop Wrap Great Event Held at Brasstown Valley Resort What a great event!  Hats off to Tim Evans and his committee for the 2012 Spring Workshop.  Reviews are back in and it's obvious that you loved it.  The weather was perfect, the setting was beautiful, the topics were on point, and of course the networking was the finest in the state! If you want to relive some of the fun, we brought back some souvenirs from the mountains! Copies of PowerPoint presentations can be found here, Photos of the event (and all of our events) can be found at this handy link. Extra special thanks to Tim Martin for leading the IGNITE! Session on Thursday afternoon.  That was very well-received and I'm certain that you'll see it again!   We'll see you again at Annual Conference - September 12-14 at the Hyatt Regency Savannah!   Deal of the Year Awards! It's Time to Recognize Our Award-Winning Deals! It's time once again to request applications for our 5th Annual Deal of the Year Awards.  As you know, the DOY is awarded to outstanding achievements in the location or expansion of Georgia companies.  We have four award categories: Large community (over 100,000), Medium (50,001 - 100,000), small (50,000 or less) and regional.  Any EDO with a current GEDA member is eligible to submit a nomination - as long as the deal was announced after July 1, 2011. Forms can be found here.  For more information, contact Timothy Wang, Chair of the GEDA Special Service Awards Committee.    50% of Something > 100% of Nothing Article in the Atlanta Business Chronicle by Development Authority of Fulton County Chair Bob Shaw Have you ever needed a handy and fact-filled piece explaining that the benefits of new jobs and large capital investments FAR outweigh the perceived cost of the incentives offered to win these projects?  Well now you have it! Please take a moment to read this fabulous opinion piece from the June 8-14, 2012 Atlanta Business Chronicle.   In it, GEDA's own Robert Shaw (Chairman of the Development Authority of Fulton County) trumpets the huge announcements of Baxter and Caterpillar, noting that tax incentives are "phantom revenues" - the property taxes, etc. would not exist unless the company located in the first place!  The central point of the piece is summed up at the very end.  Mr Shaw states that other global centers are more than happy to compete for these large projects.  If Georgia fails to do so, "the critics who see business incentives as lost revenue will quickly understand what true lost revenue really is." THIS IS A MUST READ!!

2012 Events Calendar NO JULY MEETING.  Enjoy your summer! August 20.  Monthly Luncheon at the Marriott Renaissance Midtown.  September 12-14.  Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Savannah. Welcome New Members! Ani Agnihotri, USIBRC, LLC Brad Campbell, JM WIlliams Chris Daniel, Fayette County Development Authority Jennifer Frum, University of Georgia Sen. Steve Gooch,  Development Authority of Lumpkin County Hans Morgan, Gaia Tech Ashley Morris, Student App of the Month Do you send Outlook meeting requests to family and friends  to let them know when you're travelling or when you're meeting people out for dinner?  Are you constantly juggling different calendars, to-do lists, shopping lists, meal planning?  Do you wish it was all in one place?  COZI!!  Cozi is a free online organizer and mobile app that helps coordinate that chaos into one convenient place.  Check it out!! Have an app to recommend to us?   Fill out this simple form.    International Corner GDEcD International Trade Division has rolled out a new online directory of state's exporters.  Georgia exporters now have an easy way to increase their presence in the global marketplace and find trade partners throughout the world. By listing their companies and products or services in the online Georgia Export Directory, companies in the state can heighten their global visibility and attract potential customers, buyers and/or representatives.  The directory is a tool not only for small business, but for medium- and large-sized ones as well. Qualified Georgia companies of all sizes are invited to apply online at www.georgiaexportdirectory.com, in order to register their products or services for free or to upgrade, for a fee, with CCG for a more in-depth listing in order to make a bigger impact. There are 544 companies registered on the site to date.  AND ...  3rd annual USA India Business Summit (UIBS) UIBS 2012 and the 18th Annual Georgia Tech Global Business Forum are being organized at Georgia Tech in Atlanta on June 21 and 22. UIBS has distinguished history of being largest conference in the Southeast USA that promotes business relations between the USA and India. Key sectors of interest this year are - Science & Technology, Life Sciences, IT, Investment, and more. Organizers are expecting participation of about 350 delegates from seven Southeastern U.S. states and from India. For registration & program details: www.usaindiabusinesssummit.com.