video wins IDEC award

Posted September 2003

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce received an International Economic Development Award for its video, "Chattanooga Means Business," from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) at its Annual Conference on September 16 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

At the same time the Chamber received an honorable mention from the IEDC for its redesigned Web site, launched early this year.

IEDC is the world’s largest economic development professional organization.

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s video was selected in the category for large cities (populations more than 200,000). The video uses shots of Chattanooga’s mountains, lakes, and rivers to provide a picturesque tour of the region’s environment.

Interspersed with scenic shots of the area is information about the advantages of conducting business in the region, its strategic location, and other key assets. In addition, the video features interviews with local business spokespeople, including Zan Guerry, chairman and CEO of Chattem, and Vicky Gregg, president of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

"This highly competitive award recognizes exemplary role models in economic development," said Rick Weddle, IEDC chairman.

The Chamber’s Web site showcases Chattanooga as a great place to do business, provides a wealth of information about available business property for site selectors and investors and offers expanded contents for Chamber members.

"This recognition from the IEDC award is a tremendous honor," said Tom Edd Wilson, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. "Over the last year, we have dramatically increased our effort to tell the world about the wonderful business opportunities in the Chattanooga region. Because the members of the IEDC understand this kind of work better than anyone, we take these awards for our video and our internet presence as a powerful indication that we are on the right track."

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is headquartered in Washington, DC. Its mission is to provide leadership and excellence in economic development for communities, members and partners. IEDC’s professional economic development awards annually recognize excellence in the economic development profession. www.iedconline.org

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is the leading business and economic development organization for the Chattanooga region. For over 100 years, the Chattanooga Chamber has provided community engagement and opportunities for businesses, large and small, including networking, business promotion, business discounts, and public policy advocacy, as well as leadership development and training opportunities.

In addition, the Chattanooga Chamber is a one-stop-shop for site selectors and business decision-makers considering investments and job creation projects in the Chattanooga region. The Chattanooga Chamber is also responsible for marketing Enterprise South Industrial Park, a top-tier industrial park that offers significant strategic business advantages. In addition, the Chattanooga Chamber administers the Chattanooga Hamilton County Business Development Center, the largest business incubator in the U.S. in terms of the number of start up companies it houses, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth, an innovative effort to nurture technology-based start-up companies.

As the first stop for people interested in moving to the Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Chamber provides a range of relocation information including demographics, informational videos, connections to Chattanooga Area jobs, and frequently asked questions.