I raised concerns about a skills shortage for professionals ie Engineers but also the fact that SME's will normally empoy family and friends first.
Apprenticeships are also key to successful growth .
Below is the press release of the launch
Bright future for East Kent as council unveils marketing campaign
Campaign plans warmly received by County stakeholders and business leaders
An ambitious new marketing campaign to drive investment into East Kent was unveiled this week by County Council Leader Paul Carter, receiving positive feedback from an audience of over 100 business leaders and stakeholders.
"Grow For It" – designed to promote the benefits of locating businesses into the coastal districts of Shepway, Thanet, Dover and Canterbury – is being launched in support of Kent County Council's Expansion East Kent project, which offers £35m in loans to businesses who want to expand in the area or move there.
Among the guests invited to the preview event was Roger Gale MP, who voiced his commitment for the project and welcomed the plans as "very impressive".
The campaign, which is a three-year project, will be developed into a full programme of events, focusing on an intensive period of activity over the next ten months, as the council continues to prioritise economic growth in the wake of the recession.
Focussing on targeted industries – among them green technologies, tourism, and scientific research – "Grow For It" aims to showcase the east of the county as a prime location to do business, with great connectivity to London without the hectic city lifestyle.
Mr Carter, who commissioned the campaign, said:
"Everybody in East Kent is passionate about driving more investment and business into the area, and this campaign will not only help achieve that, but will showcase the very real benefits firms can expect if they come here.
"Our list of business-friendly initiatives in the area is long and growing every year – and we want to tell people about the terrific opportunities these districts have to offer.
"We have launched the £35m Expansion East Kent fund to make loans available to businesses coming to the area and create 5,000 jobs. We have already helped the creation of Discovery Park, which allowed us to maintain an economic future after the departure of Pfizer. And we worked incredibly hard to deliver better connectivity to London through the high Speed train service, which will put the capital within an hours' reach."
The campaign – being delivered by Seven Hills communications agency – stemmed from an intensive research project, interviewing key stakeholders in the region, such as district councils, partner organisations, investors, entrepreneurs, media and external audiences from across the UK in a series of focus groups and one-on-one interviews.
Mr Carter added:
"East Kent is unique and has vast potential to grow its economy. Seven Hills' campaign will wake up the world."
The project also examined successful national destinations through extensive best practice research.
The marketing campaign has been based on the key findings of the research phase, and includes a brand identity and timeline of focused events throughout the course of the next ten months within the region.
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