1. The Creative Economy:
Great opportunities
for Waunakee
BEST Conference | May 15, 2012

2. Trends in Economic Development
• Attraction
• Retention
• Expansion
• Quality of life
• Community
…it’s all about investing in human talent,
community and creativity. People are
the main driver of economic
development.

3. A new focus on creativity
“Creativity is not new and neither is economics, but
what is new is the nature and extent of the relationship
Between them, and how they combine to create
extraordinary value and wealth.”
John Howkins
The Creative Economy:
How people make money from ideas, 2001

4. What is the Creative Economy?
• Creative industries
• Creative workforce
• Creative communities, regions,
states, countries
•
…the intersection of the three is
the Creative Economy.

5. Creative Industries
• Performing Arts • Museums and Collections
o Music o Museums
o Theater o Zoos/Botanical Gardens
o Dance o Historical Sites
o Opera o Planetariums
o Services and Facilities
o Performers • Design and Publishing
o Architecture
• Film, Radio and TV
o Design
o Motion Pictures
o Television o Publishing
o Radio o Advertising
• Arts Schools & Services • Visual Arts & Photography
o Arts Councils o Crafts
o School/Instruction o Visual Arts
o Agents o Photography
o Supplies and Services

6. 12,953 arts-related businesses in Wisconsin,
employing 49,526 people (as of Jan. 2012)

7. Wisconsin’s creative economy…
• A community-based industry
• All about asset-based community development
• Attracts visitors/engages residents/strengthens
community ties
• Vibrant, healthy, “livable” communities
• Integral to business/community development
• Local jobs that can’t be outsourced
• Leverages public and private revenue

8. Why should we care?
• Great societies are known and remembered for their arts
and creativity.
• Creativity is the currency of the 21st century economy.
• Wisconsin’s historical industries and traditional
economic development strategies don’t’ work in the 21st
century economy.
• Traditional model (20th century), attracting business
through tax incentives  creative model (21st century),
attracting residents/visitors through quality of place.
• People want to live/work/learn/play in vibrant, healthy
communities.
• Many places are ahead of Wisconsin in creative economy
planning, investment and development.

9. Creative economy examples

10. Driftless Film Festival
and Driftless Area Art
Festival, SW Wisconsin-
cultural tourism events

11. regional economic arts and cultural
development program for SW Wisconsin,
based at UW-Platteville

12. Peninsula Arts and
Humanities
Alliance –
Door County
Arts Map

14. What does Paducah offer?
• Financial Incentives
– Loan-to-Value Ratios of up to 100%
– Lower than market interest rates
– Generous discounts on all closing costs
• Business Incentives
– Health Insurance
– Web sites at no charge
– Local and national marketing and advertising
support
• Cultural Incentives
– “An inordinate number of arts and cultural
organizations and venues for a town its size.”

15. Creative development strategies
• Diversifying economy and expanding job base
• Arts, cultural and heritage tourism  growth
• Creative people and industries included in
community development planning on all levels
• View quality of life as development asset
• Strong artistic and cultural infrastructure helps
attract creative talent
• Centerpiece of downtown/community renewal
• Focus on small business/entrepreneurship
• Creativity should be part of civic agenda

16. Creative development resources