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Chamber plans to capitalize on GOP convention
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
Five months from now, the Mahoning Valley will have an opportunity unlike any other.
Thousands of journalists, business people and political notables will be coming to Cleveland – just 75 miles from Youngstown – for the Republican National Convention.
The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber has preparations underway to showcase the area’s assets by bringing site selectors here.
“We will host the first-ever site-selector familiarization tour,” said Guy Coviello, the chamber’s vice president of government affairs. “This provides us with a once-in-a-lifetime attraction to do this.”
Since it was announced that Cleveland would host the convention, the chamber has looked into how to capitalize on the four-day event July 18-21.
David Myhal, a consultant who is the head of 316 Group of Columbus, was brought on to assist the chamber in showcasing the Valley.
The plan, called “Victory for the Valley,” is to bring in site selectors from large industrial and commercial real-estate firms to show them the economic-development assets in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. The chamber did not give specific sites that will be shown. Area businesses will act as “ambassadors” for the area to the site selectors and journalists from around the world interested in the Valley’s story.
The site selectors will stay in the Valley with expenses covered by the chamber, with local businesses helping to cover the cost. Chamber representatives will take the site selectors to Cleveland to experience the city while the convention is underway and then show them around the Valley for an entire day.
The number of site selectors coming to the Valley is still being worked out.
The chamber also will work with policymakers to discuss economic issues that impact the Valley.
“We have this really unique opportunity to showcase the Valley because the world’s eyes are going to be on us,” said Myhal, a Valley native and Youngstown State University graduate.
Myhal commended the chamber for recognizing early the opportunity with the convention.
“What’s great about it is you are going to have this huge concentration of people,” Myhal said. “We are going to get in front of them and tell them the story that hasn’t been told.”
Land sites will be concentrated on during the tour throughout the area, said Sarah Boyarko, senior vice president of economic development at the chamber.
“For us, this is a unique opportunity because we don’t normally have such significant events,” Boyarko said.
Valley businesses supporting the effort and working as ambassadors include: Covelli Enterprises, based in Warren; Cafaro Co., based in Youngstown; and Home Savings and Loan Co., based in Youngstown.
“We think this is very good for any business in this area to have new potential vendors and new customers,” said Joe Bell, spokesman for the Cafaro Co. “We have deep roots here, and the fact is we think there is a good deal of potential for this area.”