EDA reaches 90 countries in a year
Published on December 9, 2011
Preparing to embark on another three year funding cycle, the Economic Development Alliance of Southeast Alberta (EDA) has outlined its strategic objectives and is starting to plan its tactics as they pertain to the region’s economic climate and industries such as Unmanned Vehicle Systems (UVS).
Since 2009, the EDA has created and implemented a UVS marketing plan which included such things as: an industry specific newsletter, regional and provincial marketing videos and micro sites, events and ongoing media relations.
“In 2010, we took home five marketing awards from both a provincial and national level; a couple of them awarded for the unmanned vehicle systems (UVS) promotional videos and USB cards,” said Kendra Borgen, marketing and communications specialist for the EDA. “It effectively showcased the UVS sector in the region and positioned us as a high-tech jurisdiction and continues to. We were told by industry representatives that it aided in investment attraction as well. Companies were sold on the southeast.”
The EDA continues to promote the region’s advantages and plans to add to the momentum built from their past marketing initiatives.
“What we’re doing is working, but we plan to step it up and really dedicate our resources to building from our successes. We’ve had inquiries mostly from businesses locally that are involved directly in or associated to the unmanned systems sector, now we want to widen our reach and take that to a global scale,” explained Wendy Blackwell, executive director for the EDA.
The EDA reported that in 2011, their website alone received visits from approximately 90 countries, with the top 5 foreign markets including the United States, United Kingdom, India, China and Germany; an effective communication tool that the organization is currently updating.
In the fall, the EDA met with Lieutenant- Colonel Kay Kuhlen, Defence Attaché from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to provide him an overview of the local industry which includes companies like: Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) - Suffield, Canadian Centre for Unmanned Vehicle Systems (CCUVS) and MEGGITT Training Systems.
“Our objective was to provide an idea of the technology that can be found here; we also provided materials that could be taken back with him, and links that helped to paint a full picture of the investment opportunities,” said Blackwell.
The EDA wanted to ensure that the message clearly portrayed that the activities being done here were not solely regarding the defence industry, but as well relating to civil and commercial applications.
“After following up, we know that the message was clearly and effectively presented. He expressed gratitude towards the people that met with him and seemed to see the synergy opportunities. This was a good example of the role we plan on taking with this sector in 2012,” said Blackwell.
The EDA will continue to work closely with the companies in the region to aid in business expansion and retention as well as investment attraction as it pertains to the UVS industry. To stay up to date on the organization’s initiatives visit www.edalliance.ca.