Regional Flavor

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Regional Flavor Lessons from the Field
Presenter Appalachian Center for Economic
Networks Leslie Schaller Business Developer 94
Columbus Road Athens, Ohio 45701 www.acenetworks.o
rg 740-592-3854 leslies_at_acenetworks.org
ACEnet 10/07
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Why Regional Flavor?

The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks is a
regional entrepreneurship and economic
development organization located in Athens,
Ohio. ACEnet builds the capacity of communities
to network, work together and innovate to create
a dynamic, sustainable regional economy with
opportunities for all. ACEnet facilitates
microenterprise development in the food, farm,
tourism, local retail, hospitality, art and
artisan sectors.
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Supporting Regional Flavor --- the ACEnet
Process

• Focus on specific clusters
• Get network weavers to build overlapping
  networks to share information
• Encourage innovation to meet challenges
• Help self-organized collaborations work on
  cluster-focused projects

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The place of Regional Flavor
The Opportunity Rural Americas communities can
reenergize their economies and to create new
opportunities for small business owners by
identifying their Regional Flavor.
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Regional Flavor Opportunities
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets

• ACEnet sectors
• Specialty food and agriculture
• Visual arts, crafts, artisan products,
  performing arts
• Tourism eco, geo, heritage, recreation
• Retail specialty retail, retail districts
• Hospitality and accommodations

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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Scenic Beauty
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Heritage Culture
Scenic Beauty
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Farmers Markets
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Cabins and B Bs
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Locally-owned restaurants
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Unique, Locally-owned restaurants
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Specialty Food
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Home-based Artists
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Artisan Products
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Clusters Evolve from Local Assets
Value-added Wood
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Regional Flavor Opportunities

• Regional Flavor packages easily obtained
  experiences that people from inside and outside
  the region can enjoy.
• These experiences build a long-term emotional
  relationship with the region that greatly
  increases economic activity -- food, artisans,
  recreation, entertainment, lodging, etc.
• Long term RF builds markets for local products
  outside the region-- increasing specialty
  manufacturing

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Build Weave Networks

• A regional market consists of one or more urban
  areas and surrounding rural areas and small
  towns.
• Micro regions Rural areas have many micro
  regions that can cross county boundaries.
• Stories from Appalachia Ohio
• Nelsonville Arts District
• Little Cities of the Black Diamonds Microregion
• Hickory Ridge
• Quilt Barn Tours --- many counties engaged

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Build Weave Networks Nelsonville Arts
District
Regional Flavor Lessons from the Field 10/07
Pioneers innovators
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Build Weave Networks Nelsonville Arts District
Entrepreneurs Events Commercial support
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Build Weave Networks Little Cities of the
Black Diamonds Microregion
Coal towns in decline covers parts of 4
counties Creating regional brand
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Little Cities Network Partners

• Strategies include
• Site development, interpretation protection
• Little Cities as a classroom
• Inviting and hosting visitors
• Encouraging the development success of locally
  owned amenities microenterprises
• Creating incentives for blight removal litter
  prevention
• Instituting alternative strategies
  collaborations responding to conservation/consumpt
  ion tensions in the region

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Build Weave Networks Little Cities
Microregion
Youth Initiatives Historic Preservation Tours
Experiences

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Build Weave Networks Hickory Ridge
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Build Weave Networks Hickory Ridge
Governors tour regional media
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Build Weave Networks Quilt Barns
Starts in Adams County Ohio and goes national
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Build Weave Networks Quilt Barns
New tourism strategies spring from quilt barns
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Build Weave Networks
www.dairybarn.org
Art Community Involvement
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Build Weave Networks

• Tips Techniques
• Meet with office holders and influencials to
  share stories of success
• Capture economic indicators case studies
• Collaborate on grant funded projects to leverage
  larger amounts and multiple years of funding
• Advocate to redirect industrial recruitment
  funding for community-based entrepreneurship
  support

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Encourage Innovation
Remarkable market leverages new infrastructure
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Encourage Innovation
e-commerce
Regional Flavor Lessons from the Field 10/07
www.artofohio.com
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Encourage Innovation Regional Brands
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Assist Collaborations
Many partners now involved
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Assist Collaborations Festivals
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Assist Collaborations
Festivals
Begins with manufacturer embraced by community
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Assist Collaborations
Athens Uptown Arts Market
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Assist Collaborations
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ACCVB Partnership
www.athensohio.com
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ACCVB Partnership

• Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau
  initiatives offer numerous opportunities for
  partnerships with ACEnet network of regional
  flavor businesses
• Food farm tours,
• electronic adventures and e-commerce,
• regional national pr campaigns,
• voluntourism,
• Share Your Heritage,
• festivals and much, much more!

Alsowww.soulofathens.com
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Key Components

• Identify natural, heritage and place-based assets
  and add value to them
• What is your area known for?
• What are the talents of the people who live
  there?
• What are the strengths of local organizations?
• Architectural and heritage assets?
• Are there annual or seasonal events?

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Key Components Partnership Activities

• The connection to faces and stories
• Interesting people
• Stories of hope, and courage, and creating beauty
• The disconnect between rural and urban is
  painful Regional Flavor helps heal that rift
• Cultivate markets who are your informal
  marketers?
• Environmental groups, church groups, green
  builders

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Resources
Innovations book (2003) Publication of RF
Handbook (2006) Publication, Connectors and
Conduits, FIELD, Aspen Institute
http//www.iira.org/pubsnew/index.asp Article on
Regional Flavor
Regional Flavor Lessons from the Field 10/07