Creative Community Collaborative Master Plan

The Creative Community Collaborative is a market research project to assess strategies to further leverage regional entertainment, arts, retail, and tourism assets in the eight-county region of northern New Jersey. The counties include Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union and Warren.

Central to this regional approach was developing a cross county Advisory Team comprised of representatives from Destination Marketing Organizations, Conventions Visitors Bureaus, cultural and arts institutions, economic development organizations, tourism related businesses and education. The State Department of Travel and Tourism played an integral role in this process as well. The Advisory Team along with a broader stakeholder group convened over a 12 month period to develop a Master Plan.

The Master Plan provides a set of strategies to facilitate economic growth in the Entertainment, Arts and Retail (EAR) sector and thereby stimulating job growth that is a major objective of the North Jersey Partners WIRED grant. Growth in tourism within northern New Jersey has the potential to create new jobs and support industries as well as have a significant economic impact at the state, regional, and local levels. Development of this Master Plan was undertaken because the northern New Jersey region has two important components required to grow this sector: a variety of quality attractions and access to a large pool of potential visitors that live within a one-day drive.

In summary, the Master Plan concluded that tourism has not achieved its full potential in New Jersey. Visitors come for the day and trips are typically singular in destination. Tourism promotion is underfunded in New Jersey and the state is not perceived as a tourism destination. The challenge for this Master Plan is to increase internal tourism, bring more tourists to the state, encourage tourists who already visit to stay longer, and capture tourists who might otherwise skip New Jersey in favor of visiting New York City or Philadelphia; all actions that have the potential to stimulate job growth.

Creative Community Collaborative Master Plan

Creative Community Collaborative - Web Update - December 9, 2009
Master Plan Update November 2009

The Master Plan for the Creative Community Collaborative (CCC) is being finalized with the Advisory Team. The Master Plan is a market research project undertaken by North Jersey Partners to assess how to leverage Entertainment, Arts and Retail (EAR) assets in the eight counties for economic development and job creation.

The Master Plan identifies the principal activities that could be undertaken to expand tourism and create jobs; prioritizes strategies; defines short, medium and long-term actions; and identifies agents responsible for implementation. The Advisory Team has participated and informed this Master Plan over the past 18 months. This Team is comprised of representatives from the eight counties that manage Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), Conventions and Visitors Bureaus, and supporting cultural, arts and media-related organizations as well as the NJ State Department of Travel and Tourism along with a broader stakeholder group.

One of the most significant recommended short-term actions includes creating the North Jersey Tourism Alliance to unify tourism promotion in the region and establish the North Jersey Regional brand and to strengthen regional tourism product offerings. The Executive Summary will be published shortly on the North Jersey Partners Web site, once it is finalized.

Creative Community Collaborative June 2009 Stakeholder Meeting

Over 50 stakeholders from the North Jersey Partners' region met in early June to continue with the implementation of the Creative Community Collaborative WIRED strategy. The Creative Community Collaborative strategy is a research project aimed at spurring job creation by leveraging regional assets in the Entertainment, Arts and Retail sector.

Director of the NJ State Office of Travel and Tourism, Phyllis Oppenheimer, provided the opening remarks stating, "From our perspective, it is a great asset for North Jersey Partners to identify travel and tourism as business. We are delighted to be an active partner on the Advisory Team of the Creative Community Collaborative."

Tanya Mitchell of the Newark Alliance provided an overview of the comprehensive North Jersey Partners' WIRED strategies. Economics Research Associates (ERA), a national consultant engaged to develop the Master Plan for the region, facilitated the meeting.

ERA lead the stakeholders through a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis using a list of the facilities of the different types of entertainment, arts, and retail attractions in the eight county region.

This meeting was the first of a series of sessions that will occur over the next several months. If you have interest in contributing to this initiative, please contact Tanya Mitchell at tmitchell@newark-alliance.org.

Economic Research Associates Selected for Master Plan

Economics Research Associates was selected to conduct a market research study to develop a Master Plan for the Entertainment, Arts and Retail (EAR) sector in northern New Jersey. This Master Plan will also quantify potential financial economic impacts to leverage the cultural, arts, entertainment, retail and sports assets in our eight counties.

An Industry Advisory Council, which includes representatives from the New Jersey Department of Travel and Tourism, each county's Destination Marketing Organizations and Conventions and Visitors Bureaus, is guiding this project. The goal of North Jersey Partners is to create pathways to increase employment in the EAR sector by leveraging regional assets in a broader geographic space.

ERA has experience working nationally with tourist attractions and cultural institutions as well as working on regional tourism and downtown revitalization projects. Clients include Walt Disney, DC Heritage Tourism Coalition and the Times Square Alliance.

Creative Community Collaborative Advisory Council

Retail Employer Roundtable
Retail Workforce Challenges: Retention and Communication

Elizabeth, NJ - North Jersey Partners is committed to developing a Regional Customer Service Curriculum Package to address the workforce skill gaps in the retail industry. An Employer Roundtable was recently held at the Retail Skills Center in the Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth to discuss the challenges facing retailers.

Director Eileen Mallor from the Industry-Business Institute of Union County College and Managing Director Workforce Development Kathy Mannes from the National Retail Federation Foundation (NRFF) led the discussion. Participants included retailers, county colleges, workforce service providers, and representatives from the NRFF.

Job readiness, retaining competent workers, and improving employees' basic skills in math, customer service, and sales are challenges faced by most retailers. All of the retailers want to promote from within, but are faced with turnover rates ranging between 60 to 180 percent. This not only adds cost to the business, but makes retention a daunting task.

The participants also acknowledged that managers lack the necessary leadership and communications skills to motivate their workers. Retailers agree that most of their managers are good on task, but are not well-trained to coach, develop, drive, and empower their staff.

Retailers, working with the county colleges and workforce service providers, would like the "real world" of business addressed through internships and partnerships. This would include simulations, collaborative decision making, coaching workshops, bringing job seekers into the stores as well are partnering with students in the classroom. Retailers view county colleges as prime recruitment ground for competent workers.

The information shared through this roundtable will serve as input for developing a package of services, curriculum paths, and training programs. Moreover, an Industry Advisory Council is presently being formed to guide this project.

Retail Industry Advisory Council