Action Greensboro – a part of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce that acts as a “catalyst for public-private partnerships” meant to help the city grow – has been awarded the top honor for “Best Communications Strategy in Economic Development” at the very high-profile 2024 City Nation Place Awards.
The award was handed over to Greensboro’s business promotion group at the City Nation Place Global Conference in London, where more than 100 tourism, economic development and talent attraction leaders gathered to celebrate the very best campaigns from all over the planet.
Action Greensboro was competing against initiatives in that category from Estonia, Copenhagen, Michigan and the Republic of Moldova.
According to judges, Action Greensboro’s “Boomerang Greensboro” initiative stood out from the rest, due largely to the campaign’s proven ability to attract new talent and business to the city.
Executive Director of Action Greensboro Cecelia Thompson, as one can imagine, was extremely pleased.
“It’s incredible for Boomerang Greensboro to be recognized on an international stage,” Thompson said after the presentation in London. “Greensboro’s innovative talent attraction campaign being honored here is remarkable, and it reflects the collaborative effort of our community to create a place where people want to return and thrive.”
The initial idea for the Boomerang Greensboro campaign originated in November 2019 at a strategic planning session at the Center for Creative Leadership.
As part of that session, 25 community members gathered to explore ways to attract talent to the city.
According to a description of the program during the announcement of the award, “They observed a unique trend: former Greensboro residents, affectionately dubbed ‘Boomerangs,’ were returning and taking on key leadership roles in the community. This insight became the foundation of the campaign, with a goal to attract 25 new families to Greensboro each year.”
Since the launch of the program – which was interrupted by the pandemic for a while – the Boomerang Greensboro campaign has connected highly qualified talent with prominent employers in the region, including employers like HondaJet, First Bank, the Center for Creative Leadership, and Guilford County government.
The campaign has capitalized on national migration trends as individuals and families sought more affordable and spacious living environments. Greensboro’s vibrant, high-quality lifestyle proved an appealing option.
Here are some of the program’s key achievements to date:
- Welcomed 85 families back to Greensboro
- Engaged more than 23,000 people using social media and digital content
- Fielded over 200 inquiries through Action Greensboro’s “concierge service”
- Got 45 mentions in local and national media as well as with multiple conference appearances.
The success of Boomerang Greensboro has been helped, group leaders say, by the city’s appeal as a “dynamic and affordable place to live, work, and grow, while reinforcing Action Greensboro’s commitment to economic and community development.”
Action Greensboro extended its thanks to Boulton Creative, whose collaboration and creative expertise played a pivotal role in bringing the campaign to life.
