Creative economics coming to Blairsville

On Thursday, October 26, a new era in rural marketing will dawn in North Georgia. Becky Anderson, Executive Director of Western North Carolina's Handmade in America, will be the guest speaker for a oneday gathering of ideas and plans for creating a Northeast Georgia Initiative showcasing the hospitality and Appalachian culture of the region.

Creative Economies is a grass roots movement to combine the talents and wares of small merchants in a regional area into a single marketing campaign. For the small business owner or part-time artisan juggling the demands of a creative enterprise and the necessary evil of advertising, this concept could make the difference between success and failure. The Northeast Georgia Initiative will not be a venue for teaching crafts, but for supporting the craft makers in their marketing needs.

And the program is not limited to just the arts - a major emphasis will be on tourism and agribusiness. From Bed and Breakfast owners to wineries to corn mazes, this is a great opportunity to network your resources and help tourists to the area "get off the beaten path."

"North Georgia Technical College is thrilled to be part of such an important campaign," says Dr. Ruth Nichols, president of NGTC. "We have such a vast array of talents and skills here in this area that tourists just don't know about."

Dr. Judy Taylor, VP for Economic Development at NGTC agrees completely. "Economic development is so much more than just manufacturing and industry. That is why our Entrepreneurship program is being integrated into so many of our certificates now. Small business owners are the lifeblood of any economy in rural America."

Becky Anderson, who is credited with turning around Western North Carolina's economy through small business efforts when the area's industrial base started declining, will be the featured speaker. Named by US News and World Report as one of "America's Top Twenty Visionaries," enlisting Becky's services and expertise was a coup for NGTC, working in tandem with sister school Appalachian Technical College. Becky, who has presented this concept to communities across the nation, is an invaluable resource during the development of such a project.

"Anyone who lives in this area is invited to attend this

workshop," according to Dr. Nichols. "We all have a vested interest in ensuring the economic growth of our home towns. This is a fantastic opportunity to get it started from the grass roots."

The Creative Economies Summit will be held in the Conference Center at the Blairsville Campus of North Georgia Technical College on Thursday, October 26 from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. The fee for this region-changing summit, including lunch, is only $25. For more information or to register over the phone, call 706-754-7880. To register online go to http://www.northgatech.edu/eco ndev/handmade.cfm.