Clarksville, TN – The Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council (EDC) hosted its annual “Red Carpet Community Tour” June 6th-7th, 2023 for over sixty guests, including local, regional, and national developers, new community leaders, group tour operators, and tourism blog writers.
The Red Carpet Tour event showcases the community assets, amenities, and the wealth of opportunities available in Clarksville-Montgomery County. Guests enjoyed exploring local attractions, eateries, and more, plus a tour of the new F&M Bank Arena, and an evening of entertainment at Shelby’s Trio.
This event is a unique experience for guests to learn about the assets that Clarksville-Montgomery County and the surrounding area have to offer. Highlighted areas included the Downtown District, Corporate Business Park, Austin Peay State University, Historic Collinsville, the F&M Bank Arena, and the retail corridors. Also promoted were available property, planned updates to local infrastructure, and regional planning initiatives.
Along with visiting guests, in attendance at the reception were: local elected officials, representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the State of Tennessee Economic and Community Development (TECD), members of the EDC Board of Directors, the Chamber Board of Directors, the Visit Clarksville Board of Directors and the Aspire Board of Directors to network and promote opportunities for growth within the community.
“Teams of developers from all areas of the U.S. including California, Washington DC, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, along with middle and west Tennessee attended and were impressed with the tremendous opportunities available in the downtown area, valuable insight the team provided about our community and the exceptional support from local and state government.” said Janet Wilson, Project Manager, EDC. “The downtown area will always be the heartbeat and pulse of a community, and it’s great to see enthusiasm and energy dedicated to developing our underutilized and challenged areas in and around downtown.”
“The ten tour operators from Tennessee, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and North Dakota attended and were energized and eager about all there is to do and see in Clarksville,” said Visit Clarksville Director of Tourism Sales Frances Manzitto. “We are excited to work with them and bring their groups to Clarksville for years to come.”
The six travel writers who visited from all over the country thoroughly enjoyed their time in Clarksville – only one had visited before. They especially enjoyed the evident entrepreneurial spirit, depth of talent among our local artists, and the incredible food. We’re looking forward to seeing their stories in some prominent travel publications soon.” – Visit Clarksville Media & Marketing Director Michelle Dickerson.
“This event provides an opportunity to educate new business and community leaders on projects in Clarksville-Montgomery County, along with the networking and relationship building among businesses in the community.” – Melinda Shepard, Executive Director, Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Through the generous funding of the Aspire Foundation, prospects and visitors were able to experience the growing momentum and assets that Clarksville-Montgomery County has to offer. This event provided a unique networking opportunity for guests with community leaders and decision-makers.” – Buck Dellinger, EDC CEO, and Aspire Foundation Executive Director.
