State gets hip with new economic-development pitch

State gets hip with new economic-development pitch
DVD promo » Film banks on artistic flair to persuade business execs to set up shop in Utah.

By Mike Gorrell, The Salt Lake Tribune

When at Sundance, be like Sundance.

That's the approach the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) took in producing a state promotional DVD whose debut showings were for financial movers and shakers attending the Sundance Film Festival.

"Since it was going to debut at Sundance, we wanted Sundance-caliber work," said Jason Perry, GOED executive director. "We got it."

GOED hired Salt Lake City-based Love Communications to produce the nine-minute DVD titled "Utah: A State of Opportunity." It intersperses photographs of the state's scenic wonders and varied recreational opportunities with artistic illustrations emphasizing the state's attributes, from culture to mass transit to classrooms where sophisticated students spawn innovative technologies.

Actor Edward Herrmann is narrator.

"We want you to join us as we grow," says Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. in a short speech midway through the DVD.

"Over the years, I've come to realize what a remarkable place this is. It's where extraordinary things happen, especially when you have a safe, competitive, friendly environment for business," he says. "With our unparalleled work force, our aggressive incentive programs and our absolute commitment to your success, we think you'll like it here."

The governor first delivered the message at a luncheon, organized with help from the Sundance Institute, for the international cast of business people behind films shown at the festival. "We showed the film, talked about the state and let these business people know why they should come to Utah," Perry said.

Afterward, GOED took the DVD to a reception at Huntsman's Deer Valley lodge. About 100 corporate executives who have operations elsewhere but own property in Utah -- mostly around Park City -- saw it.

Huntsman's message to the crowd was clear: "You know and love Utah. We need to talk to you about the investment and business opportunities here," Perry said.

Because the DVD was received so warmly, GOED is distributing it more widely. It is going to organizations such as the Kauffman Foundation and Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc., whose perspectives on good business environments are respected by Fortune 500 companies.

Other recipients include "site selectors," those people who help companies find desirable sites for expansions or relocations, and firms whose line of work coincides with Utah's strengths: medicine and life sciences, genetics, outdoor recreation, energy and natural resources, innovative technology and software development.

To appeal to a Sundance audience, that message had to "have a non-traditional economic-development appeal to it," said communications company boss Tom Love.

"We knew GOED will use this hundreds of times, so it had to have some legs to it," he said. "It's not static with a lot of talking heads, not stodgy. You get more attention with an artistic flair and being hip. How you come across is half the message."

mikeg@sltrib.com
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Top business states

Utah is sending its new DVD to Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc., which assesses states' economic-development assets.

The company's ranking of top pro-business states for 2008:

1 » North Carolina

2 » Florida

3 » Virginia

4 » South Carolina

5 » Wyoming

6 » South Dakota

7 » Georgia

8 » Alabama

9 » Utah

10 » Kansas