There is a saying by JC Penny that "every business is built on a friendship." 

Initiating friendships through an event like the World Choir Games allows us to build on a message delivery system that will already showcase Cincinnati.  The role of the Economic Development Committee is to extend that message to business and government leaders and present what the region has to offer as a business destination. 
In Changchun, our delegation spent the day with the leadership team of a company interested in opening its North American Headquarters operation.  It has a small presence in Cincinnati but our visit was to encourage the leadership to select Cincinnati as its headquarters location. 

How interested were they in learning what we had to offer? The meeting included their Chairman of International Sales, Chief Engineer, CEO of Sales, General Manager of Investment, Managing Director of R&D, Vice Chief Engineer and the Chairman/CEO.  Then, we met with Mr. Ciu Je, the Mayor of Changchun.  He was already familiar with Cincinnati because we will host the 2012 World Choir Games. We toured the plant. Spoke with employees. We talked about needs and interests. Over lunch, we shared stories about our different cities. We got their attention --- and they are interested.

Our visit to Hangzhou was just 14 hours - the shortest visit on the itinerary, but we made every minute count.   We met with Mr. Wang, the Vice Governor of the Zhejiang Province. We talked about our Fortune 500 companies, sports, arts and education because of the Hangzhou residents enrolled at the University of Cincinnati. The city is worthy of another and longer visit.  The Vice Governor was impressed and invited us to return for a longer trip so we could continue the discussion of how we might create deeper business connections.

In Shaoxing, we bonded with business and government officials as our cities have a connection through hosting the World Choir Games.  To leverage that connection, the Economic Development Committee for the 2012 Cincinnati Games hosted a US-China Business Forum to educate attendees about doing business in Cincinnati and Ohio. The Vice Mayor of Shaoxing and Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory opened the forum.  Forty attendees from around the Province, heard from our delegates and business representatives but they also heard from a Chinese business owner operating in Cincinnati.  That testimony painted the best picture for the audience.  If every business is built on a friendship, then word of mouth has to count for something. 

In Shanghai, Changchun, Hangzhou and Shaoxing, the delegation wanted to show Cincinnati in the best light and make a favorable impression.  We were successful beyond anything I imagined.  We helped further relationships and created new friends.  We expanded on the awareness about Cincinnati.  If JC Penny's saying holds any truth, we built a stronger foundation for business development in China.  As well, the Economic Development Committee for the 2012 World Choir Games can be a model for leveraging large events, like the World Choir Games, to attract business interest in our region.

On behalf of the Committee, I extend our thanks and appreciation to the members of the delegation for their time and for working so hard to help grow interest in doing business in the region.  Our delegation had representatives from the City of Cincinnati, Duke Energy, Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport, Ulmer and Berne, SS&G, and Kolar Design.

The delegation was staffed by Committee Co-Chairs: Carla Walker, President of think BIG strategies, llc and Shau Zavon, President of the Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

A lot of people wonder just how much work is done on these trips.  Well, in Shanghai, we hit the ground running – we only had 36 hours to make it count and then we would be Changchun selling for another 24 hours. 
Shanghai began with a visit to the 2012 Expo.  Our delegation was joined by other Cincinnatians in China for the World Choir Games bringing our delegate count to 28 people - a very strong presence.

Visiting the USA Pavilion, we were greeted by Martin Alintuck, the Pavilion President and CEO.  He was familiar with the Cincinnati story and was impressed with the number of people we brought with us to sell the city. 
We were received by the leadership of and in the same manner at each of the four other Pavilions for the seven hours we were on the grounds.  The USA Pavilion, however, holds special significance because their corporate sponsors include Procter & Gamble as well as General Electric.  Yes, a hometown connection but they are also sponsors of our delegation activities.  Five Pavilions may not seem like a lot but for most attendees they see maybe one or two in a day.

That evening, we hosted eighty guests - from throughout the Province  - at our Shanghai-Cincinnati Business Reception.  We were joined by Mr. Wang Lie, the Vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.  The program was brief but included comments from Mayor Mallory,  Vice President Lie; both P&G and GE spoke about their connections to China and Cincinnati; and the Convention and Visitors Bureau touched on the 2012 World Choir Games and invited guests to visit Cincinnati for the Games in 2012.
Day two of our itinerary included a half day in Shanghai.  Our morning was filled with meetings.  First with Mr. Zhou Muyao, former Deputy General Director of Shanghai People's Congress and former Deputy Mayor if Shanghai.  He and his staff spoke of the opportunity Cincinnati has in hosting the games in 2012.  Following our banquet luncheon, we visited the Zhangjiang Hi-tech Industrial Park where we learned of the Park's climate of innovation from the Director, Mr. Ping Li.   The Park is home to more than 5,000 businesses and has a focus on international businesses. Li is interested in developing relationships with businesses in Cincinnati so we look forward to continuing that conversation when he sends staff to the GE Aviation Learning Center in Evandale later this Fall. 

Shanghai in 36 hours. 5 Pavilions, 1 reception, 80 guests, 9 meetings.  We have lots to follow up on. That's a lot of work selling our region. 

Go Team Cincinnati!

Some people work better under pressure so let start the clock now - our region has less than two years to take advantage of one of the biggest opportunities.  If you do not know by now, Cincinnati will host, for the first time in this Country, the 2012 World Choir Games.  Quite simply, they are the Olympics of Choral Competition.   From July 4-12, 2012, 20,000 participants and 200,000 attendees from around the world will attend the Games.   This will be the largest event in our region's history.

Dan Lincoln, President  & CEO of the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, has been working to make sure that everyone is aware of the opportunity Cincinnati has by hosting the Games.  He and his staff are building the local organizational structure to successful y execute the Games. 

His message has been that the Games themselves will be a big event but there exists a larger opportunity to leverage the event and transform our community on any number of levels - one of those levels is business development.

Between now and 2012 there are choral competitions around the world where Cincinnati will be hailed as the 2012 choral destination.  We can just let that happen or we can actively link a business development strategy to the Games that encourages foreign investment by selling our region as the global business destination we are.  I vote for option two.  That is why the Economic Development Committee of the Cincinnati 2012 World Choir Games was formed. In conjunction with the planning for the 2012 Games, the Committee will strategically promote the region as a destination for foreign businesses by creating awareness of and elevating the region's status as a place to live, work and do business and increase Cincinnati's global presence.   I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and the separate international Chambers are doing an incredible job promoting our region - the creation of the Committee does not imply otherwise.  In fact, representatives of those organizations sit on the Committee which will use the Games as a rallying point to collaboratively and purposefully focus resources.

First stop, China where a delegation of Cincinnatians, led by Mayor Mallory, is attending this year's World Choir Games in Shaoxing.  The Mayor and the Economic Development team have a series of business meetings in four cities to showcase Cincinnati.   I'm writing this on the flight over to Shanghai where I'll meet up with Committee Co-Chair Shau Zavon to manage the preparation for the Economic Development delegates and their 8-day business mission. 

Go Team Cincinnati!