What happens to community support when a region goes a long stretch without a major economic development win? Staff can get worn down, elected officials face pressure, and residents start to lose confidence – even when bigger projects are quietly moving forward behind the scenes. This session explores how smaller, quicker retail recruitment wins – the singles and doubles – can keep momentum and morale high while larger industrial and economic development projects work through longer timelines.
Hosted by SEDC, this session looks at how a steady cadence of visible retail wins builds public trust, gives elected officials something tangible to point to, and keeps communities engaged and patient through the slower, higher-stakes deals that take years to land.
Session highlights:
- How smaller retail recruitment wins create visible, tangible progress for staff, elected officials, and residents
- Balancing a long-term industrial or economic development pipeline with shorter-term retail wins
- Building a recruitment strategy that delivers a steady cadence of wins, not just one big swing
- Real examples of how retail recruitment kept communities engaged during long development timelines
