It is a pleasure to present our first newsletter as we carefully transition operations to our “new normal” at Team Volusia EDC. The International Motorsports Center is now opened with certain restrictions; however, we are currently limited to the number of visitors for in-person meetings. Our hope is that this newsletter finds you safe and well, and that your business activities are resuming. The following information will bring you up to date on your economic development team and some of the news that has been generated.
COVID-19 Update
Our team was fortunate to remain healthy through this pandemic and we were able to work remotely and not miss a beat. Unfortunately, we could not schedule travel or in-person meetings. However, we have been connecting with prospects, key collaborators and many of our investors while hosting and attending virtual meetings. I am happy to report, we have consistently moved important projects forward during this time. In addition, Team Volusia staff adjusted the 2020 budget which was then presented to the Executive Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee to reduce expenditures for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Business Development Action Plan Update
This is an important project that affects our operations and has a major impact on our success. This plan was fortified in the areas of management, marketing, outreach, and infrastructure.
Outreach Update
With thirty outreach initiatives planned for 2020, we were fortunate to have engaged in ten events prior to the nationwide shut-down. Another eighteen are still planned and/or have been re-scheduled to a later date. Seven have been canceled. However, we are researching other events that may warrant our attention.
Marketing Update
As a small organization that swims with the big fish, marketing is critically important. We are in the process of updating our marketing materials including industry brochures, property brochures and proposal templates. We are performing a thorough refresh and re-design of our website, e-newsletters, publishing articles, fortifying our email campaign, and increasing targeted social media posts.
We are currently rolling out the 2021 Livability campaign. For those of you who have not seen the 2020 edition of the Greater Daytona Region’s Livability please click here to view https://livability.com/greater-daytona-region. If you are interested in placing an ad in the 2021 magazine, please email Jared Lane at jlane@livemedia.com.
Finally, I am pleased to report that we held our first-ever virtual Board of Directors meeting on June 13th with 64 attendees participating. Chairman Charles Duva, M.D., presided over the meeting and reports were given by our own Heather Shubirg, Chris Wimsatt, and me. The highlight of the meeting was our guest speaker, Congressman Michael Waltz, who offered an update on recent activities on Capitol Hill and Volusia County. It is my hope that our next Board meeting scheduled for August 28th will be held in person while adhering to the current safety measures and social distancing guidelines.
Meanwhile, the following segments include recent news of events that have stoked our pipeline. Most of these occurred in the weeks before the coronavirus crisis became a global issue. As the business world regains traction, we continue to maintain close contact with our community partners, investors, and prospects.
Respectfully,
Keith A. Norden, CEcD
President & CEO
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