PHILADELPHIA, December 11, 2017 – Today, members of City Council’s Committee of the Whole heard testimony from several stakeholders during a public hearing, to outline and discuss key business and marketing strategies utilized as part of Philadelphia’s bid for Amazon’s second North American headquarters, known as ‘Amazon HQ2’.
Members of the Kenney Administration, including the Department of Commerce and the Division of Planning and Development emphasized the importance of leveraging the information and learning garnered during the Amazon RFP process – no matter what the final decision may be – to help stimulate the City’s economy and enhance ongoing marketing techniques and methods.
“Philadelphia’s unique combination of attributes is the reason why we experienced such an unprecedented show of support and confidence from our community,” said Sylvie Gallier Howard, Chief of Staff for the City’s Department of Commerce. “Our businesses, institutions and residents were able to see Philadelphia truly delivers what Amazon needs, and they were eager to be a part of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
Philadelphia’s economy is growing and more people are taking notice. Presently, Philadelphia is the proud home to many entrepreneurs – both millennial and mature alike – and small business owners, who are dedicated to helping grow and invest in this market.
“Skai Blue Media’s involvement in the Amazon HQ2 bid process was perfectly aligned with our goals as a company,” said Rakia Reynolds, Founder and CEO of Skai Blue Media. “As creatives, we believe in the power of collaborative storytelling to bring a community together. Between the 30+ stakeholders that we interviewed, the story maps created and the five videos developed, we were able to convey the essence of our great city to Amazon and the greater public. Some of the main aspects we wanted to highlight in the Philadelphia Delivers campaign were the City’s exceptional diversity, our bustling tech and innovation scene and the urban renaissance we are experiencing.”
“I want to reiterate that this opportunity is truly a moonshot moment for the City of Philadelphia,’ said Councilman Derek Green (At Large). “Whether we become the site of Amazon’s second headquarters or not, we must seize this chance to take a really hard look at what we can do to improve the way we market ourselves on a local as well as global scale. We are the largest, most impoverished American city. Therefore, we have a responsibility to our citizens, especially our youth, to utilize every resource and apply as much knowledge as possible.”
Watch the hearing:
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Councilman Derek S. Green, Esquire is currently serving his first term as an At-Large member of Philadelphia City Council. Green is Chair of Council’s Committee on the Disabled and Persons with Special Needs. More information at www.phlcouncil.com/DerekGreen
