http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/200...ive-force/


Chamber luncheon features big serving of ideas
By Amos Maki
maki@commercialappeal.com
Friday, December 7, 2007

Four years ago, a host of scholars, media types, business professionals and researchers from across the nation gathered here to explore how Memphis and other cities can survive and thrive in a less industrial, more technology-focused economy.

The summit was dubbed the Memphis Manifesto, and an academic named Richard Florida co-hosted the event with Memphian Carol Coletta.

"Memphis is special because it has a true soul," said Dr. Richard Florida, author of "The Rise of the Creative Class." He was the main speaker at Thursday's annual Memphis Regional Chamber's Chairman's Luncheon.

What eventually came out of the Memphis Manifesto was a powerful argument that the most successful businesses and communities in this century will be those that can attract, develop or retain a "creative class" of individuals, including professionals, entrepreneurs, academics and artists.

Florida would later become a best-selling author by espousing those

ideas in "The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life."

Florida was back in Memphis Thursday, addressing a sold-out crowd of about 1,000 of the area's biggest names in business and government gathered in The Peabody's Grand Ballroom for the Memphis Regional Chamber's annual Chairman's Luncheon.

"We're moving from an industrial society and economy into something new," said Florida from a round stage positioned in the middle of the sprawling ballroom. "I call it a creative economy and a creative society.

"It's about harnessing the creativity energy of every single human being. Creativity is a great leveler in society. Creativity doesn't care about your race. It doesn't care if you're young or old. It doesn't care about your lifestyle or sexual orientation."

Before and after Florida spoke, public- and private-sector officials highlighted Memphis Fast Forward, the latest effort to reorient the Memphis economy, empower people and make the area a place of choice for the "creative class."

Fast Forward is a four-part economic growth strategy that focuses on crime, economic development, government efficiency, and education and workforce development.

"In my 16-year tenure as mayor, I have never witnessed as much corporate, business and civic support focused on moving this city forward than what we are witnessing right now," said Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, who launched Fast Forward with Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, the chamber and business group Memphis Tomorrow.

"It's the most comprehensive plan this city has ever seen," said Tom Schmitt, president and CEO of FedEx Global Supply Chain Services Inc., and incoming chairman of the chamber's board of directors.

Much of the talk centered on Memphis ED, the economic development portion of Fast Forward.

Memphis ED targets significant increases in job creation, wages, per-capita income and minority-owned companies, combined with equally large decreases in unemployment and poverty rates.

Memphis Tomorrow and the chamber have launched a massive fund-raising campaign for Memphis ED, an unprecedented sign of commitment from local boardrooms.

Memphis Tomorrow members -- CEOs of the 23 largest corporations in Memphis -- have committed $5 million toward the first-year budget of $10.7 million. In addition to a combined $3 million from the city and county, which at one point virtually eliminated most chamber funding just a few years ago, the state has committed $1.5 million, bringing the total amount raised so far to $9.5 million.

The chamber, which will oversee most of the funds flowing to Memphis ED and is largely responsible for implementing the plan, is now asking its members to fund the remaining $1.2 million.

John Moore, president and CEO of the chamber, said Thursday that the organization will soon hire a private economic development firm to provide support and tie up the fund-raising activities so the chamber can focus exclusively on implementing Memphis ED.

Wharton told the crowd that Memphis ED would be different from some previous economic development initiatives, which some corporate leaders and government officials previously said lacked significant input from both communities.

"Folks say, 'What's different?'" said Wharton. "What's different is this plan will work because everybody has been involved."

The event was awash in everything Memphis, from the loudspeakers blaring a diverse mix of music from artists like Elvis, Three 6 Mafia and Saliva, to the guitar hanging above the stage, FedEx materials and the performances by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Ballet Memphis.

And Florida touched on that at the very beginning of his speech.

"Memphis is special because it has a true soul," he said. "People feel it."

-- Amos Maki: 529-2351

Nice. We have to be on the forefront of the new creative economy. It's nice to see leaders in the community are aboard and willing to lead this region to the next level.

I attended the luncheon. One of the things Dr. Florida said was that Memphis is ahead of the curve and beyond many peer cities in the development of the "creative class". I have always believed that outsiders coming here can see more of the positives in our community than those that have lived here their entire lives. We have a culture that is distinct (or, as Florida put it, "soul"). We have the arts, high technology, medical center, a renown zoo, botanic garden, etc. The political noise and race baiting shrouds much of what makes us special.

I did not buy all that Dr. Florida was peddling but he was very interesting.

Oh, yeah. He talked about our music heritage. Made a VERY big deal out of that. I agree.

He and you are right that we have many intangibles that could make us an "it" city. One of it is a palpable atmosphere that is almost tangibly distinct from most places in the country. Kind of like New Orleans or Savannah, but perhaps not that extreme. We need to find better ways to leverage it. If the little neighborhood redevelopments get off the ground (Airport/Brooks; Highland; Broad Ave; Fairgrounds/Cooper Young), with each area creating its own urban identity, I think that would help. If we could get leaders with a bigger vision who aren't nuts (I'm talking to you Mayor Herenton) to occupy the positions of all the towns and cities that comprise this region, and unify behind that message, our potential is limitless.