For Amazon HQ2 pitch, cities needed to promote their REGION

Worcester

-- Photo by Viking 1943

"For small cities like Worcester, bids like this are a missed opportunity not because small cities are not eligible, but because many misunderstand how to sell themselves to large employers.  The video that Worcester produced to entice Amazon HQ2 shows off some of the city’s shining stars, such as its medical school, its hockey team and Union Station, but fails to showcase the regional workforce—let alone any other regional assets. When an organization chooses a site, the city name in its address is of less importance than the complete network of resources accessible to the organization from that location. Worcester’s application represented a missed opportunity to leverage the full potential of its regional situation.  The failure to act regionally for economic development goes well beyond the Amazon proposal, however.''

From Chris Steele, COO and president (North America) of Investment Consulting Associates, Worcester. One of 238 first round proposals  to try to lure Amazon's "Second Headquarters'' that was eliminated.

From "Righting the Wrongs of Amazon,'' in City Lab.  To read it, please hit this link.