This week two dozen Atlanta economic developers are vying for recruitment of high-technology companies and their employees at COMDEX, the nation's largest technology trade show.

The number of visitors to the group's custom-made exhibit booth have resulted in a reorder of popular promotional items offered to those willing to leave contact information. By week's end, they plan to bring at least 500 leads home and will share them.

Falling on the heels of a recent article in the Boston Globe and MACOC ads run in Rolling Stone magazine, the COMDEX trip should attract even more media attention, says Chris Clark, president of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. Having worked the exhibit booth, Clark maintains a positive attitude about the hard work involved with the trip and its logistic challenges.

Touted as regional cooperation at its highest level, the Joint Development Authority of Metropolitan Atlanta, which represents Clayton, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton and Rockdale counties, along with Metro South (composed of Fayette, Clayton, Coweta, Henry, south Fulton and Spalding counties) pooled resources for the second year to attend an event that most of the counties would be unable to attend on their own.

National media attention has focused on the marketing efforts of the Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and other regional economic developers, particularly after the launch of a $2 million "Industries of the Mind" campaign recently that included ads in the Boston Globe and Rolling Stone magazine.

Last night, a VIP reception was attended by more than 50 prospects the group invited to the event; some were visitors to the booth and others were targeted exhibitors invited electronically prior to the trip. While they enjoyed a buffet, guests networked with the Atlanta economic developers, giving them a chance to ask questions and learn more about why their businesses should locate in the city.

Premium gifts calculators with rotating covers and imprinted with the group's logo and URL were a big hit with attendees, who received them as they left the gathering. One lucky guest left with a deluxe wireless telephone donated by Siemens, who also sent a representative along on the trip; the company has offices in Atlanta.

"We're extremely pleased with the success of our mission so far," said Maria Mullins, vice president of economic development for the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. "Our booth immediately tells people where we're from and why we're here, and the level of interest is encouraging. My prediction is that we'll meet our goal of bringing back 500 good leads."

According to Mullins, it became obvious Monday that the popular letter openers would need to be replenished, although booth visitors also were offered a luggage tag laminated with their own business cards.

"As guests waited for their promotional items, we had ample opportunity to chat with them, as well as to swipe their floor pass," explained David Luckie, former Metro South chairman and the executive director of the Griffin-Spalding County Development Authority.

Going on to say that each card swiped left the group with full contact information for the guest's business, he reiterated that each participating county would receive the information for future recruitment efforts. As chairman of the Georgia Economic Developers Association this year, Luckie emphasized the importance of the COMDEX exhibit as both a recruitment tool and an example of regional cooperation.

Dr. Clayton C. Powell, who chairs the Fulton County Development Authority and attended the event, noted that the entire business community had supported the effort and that several Atlanta firms including Turner Properties, Coca Cola, Delta Airlines and Ernst & Young had contributed.

"We especially would like to thank Alec Fraser, president of Turner Properties, who flew out specifically for our reception and greeted our guests," he added.

A Cox Communications technology reporter interviewed several members of JDAMA and Metro South Tuesday; describing Atlanta as "an attractive alternative to California," Steve Rieck(president & CEO of the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce and a member of both organizations) explained that Atlanta's economic development program is among the nation's longest running.

Mullins added that the city is "redefining what we thought of as industry and how we label or target companies," in reference to technology firms. She mentioned several that had moved into non-traditional spaces in DeKalb County, and that recruitment efforts were utilizing new ways of thinking.

Pointing out that his own county has been thought of primarily as a supplier of textile goods ("The sheets you slept on here in Las Vegas may have a tag that says, 'made in Griffin, Ga.'"), Luckie told the reporter that the reasons his authority became involved with the larger groups are subtle.

"There are no chip factories in Georgia, and we asked ourselves why; we know they're looking. Chip factories utilize a great deal of water as a 'clean' industry, and they're always looking for incentives.

"Sometimes they're looking for commuter rail, and Spalding is on the schedule for that. What we need is exposure."

His organization hopes COMDEX and other cooperative projects will supply it.

Scheduled to close Friday, COMDEX was projected to attract more than 200,000 visitors to meander around its one million-plus square feet of high-tech exhibits this week.

In the company of such technology giants as Microsoft, Palm, IBM and others, Atlanta participants say that if all goes as planned, at least a small percentage of those visitors will know about Atlanta.

Some of them may even wind up there.

 

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