The pandemic of 2020 had differing effects on various industries. Many businesses in tourism and live entertainment came to a screeching halt, while others such as healthcare, financial services and certain consumer products — like furniture and groceries — flourished. In either case, savvy business leaders learned to change on a moment's notice and focus on what mattered most … [More]
Post-Pandemic, Doing Good Is Good for Business
We are entering a period of post-pandemic growth, and there has never been a better time for businesses to consider their purpose — their “why.” Purpose is rooted in long-term strategy, aligning brand identity with consumer beliefs, and it has become the fifth “P” of marketing, creating connection, conversation and loyalty between businesses and their customers. Organizations … [More]
Consumers Bring a New Reality to Their Brand Interactions
With more than half of Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the economy is in much better shape than a year ago. And while this is good news for businesses, we’re entering a new phase where the recovery is expected to continue at a slower pace. It’s easy to understand why so many businesses are rushing to launch new marketing campaigns after such a dismal … [More]
Ditch the ‘Wait and See’ and Nurture Subject Matter Experts
There is no question that COVID was difficult on all businesses, but even more so on destination travel. As we started to turn the corner and see some sense of return to “normalcy,” it was important that we prepare our clients for the phases of reentry to ensure that they would be ready. Timing is of the essence as things were (and are) changing every day. TJA presented a … [More]
Rebuilding Your Brand, Growing Your Workforce and Supporting Local Business
While COVID-19 certainly took its toll on many business-to-consumer market sectors — particularly entertainment, hospitality and travel — business-to-business sectors such as high tech, sustainability and life science experienced unprecedented growth. As we emerge from the pandemic, the marketing and business development needs of all these areas vary greatly, depending on both … [More]
How We Make the Most of Our Potential – What’s Next
“Statewide, we have many opportunities and momentum, but we need to come together to plan for the future,” says Carrie Kelly, executive director of Arizona Association for Economic Development, emphasizing the need for collaboration on a united, long-term economic development vision and goals. “We need all Arizona residents to be covered by regional visioning processes, and … [More]
How We Make the Most of Our Potential – What We’re Doing Now
“We are making the most of our potential by continuing to court, in a systematic way, the organizations that fit best with the business ecosystems that are thriving in Phoenix,” says Mayor Kate Gallego, naming semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, biosciences, electric vehicles, healthcare professions, financial services and construction. “Phoenix is the fifth largest city … [More]
How We Got Here
With more than two decades’ experience in her field, Phoenix’s community and economic development director Christine Mackay says, “I’ve never seen a market like today." “We’re reaping the benefit of all the work our development community put in, in the time that was the Great Recession,” she adds, explaining that universities, community colleges and the development community … [More]
What the Opportunity Is for Business
“For me one of the most encouraging signs is the ‘Phoenix Global Rising’ initiative which dares to claim Phoenix as a leading global city,” says Doug Bruhnke, founder and CEO of Global Chamber, contrasting now to the last deep recession and sharing that Global Chamber recently prepared an "Invest in Arizona" presentation for Japanese companies that highlights the dynamics in … [More]
The Greater Phoenix Market Now – Surging
Business growth and population growth go hand in hand, observes Micah Miranda, economic director for the City of Chandler, and notes, “People are moving here because of great job opportunities that promise a better quality of life.” On the business side, he notes access to talent is one of the top factors in most corporate location decisions, and “businesses choose Metropolitan … [More]
Keeping Moviegoing Magic
Harkins Theatres Harkins Theatres president and CEO Mike Bowers divides the recent challenges into two distinct phases, noting that each presented its own challenges. First was the mandated closure period, and then there was the period of reopening during a continuing pandemic. “When the closure occurred, my attention was focused on our team,” he says. Initially, Harkins … [More]
Take Us Out to the Ball Game
Arizona Diamondbacks “We have really had to reinvent ourselves, both with and without fans,” says Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks. For the 2020 season, as we all remember, fans were not allowed in stadiums, so the challenge was to manufacture the look and feel of a real game for both players on the field and viewers at home. Piping in crowd … [More]
Let the Children Play
Children's Museum of Phoenix “On March 13, 2020, we made the hard decision to close our doors to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic,” says Kate Wells, president and CEO of one of the most loved and visited arts and cultural institutions in Arizona. That same day, she and her team began the thought process of how they could continue to fulfill … [More]
Will Eating Out Be In Again?
Common Ground Culinary “Throughout the last year, many hospitality groups have been forced to adapt to a constantly changing environment,” notes Christopher Collins, chef-owner at Common Ground Culinary, sharing that at his restaurants, “we quickly realized our operations were going to have to be flexible and creative to ensure we were following the laws, keeping our staff … [More]
Shaking Up the Escape Game Scene
The Nemesis Club and Soda Jerk “Our concept consists of two complementary experiences: The Nemesis Club, offering epic escape game adventures, and Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar,” says Dustin Smith, who co-owns the business with his wife, Kylee. They originally conceived of The Nemesis Club as the primary attraction, with guests “sneaking through” Soda Jerk Co. on their way … [More]
High Adventure
Hot Air Expeditions Prior to the pandemic, in early 2019, business was booming for sisters Amanda and Stephanie Long, co-owners of Hot Air Expeditions. “It was busier than we had seen in years,” Amanda recalls. Then, COVID-19 hit and they experienced the opposite: Reopening after being forced to shut down for two months, business was slower than they had ever seen. So, … [More]
Missing the Links?
Quintero Golf Club “Normally, our clientele consists of a lot of people from out of state or even international travelers. We're a destination or ‘bucket list’ golf course, so a lot of people who travel to Arizona, do so to play here,” says Quintero general manager Mike Poe. When the country shut down in March, the only people who could golf here were Arizonans, so … [More]
For the Joy of Dance
Ballet Arizona As a business, Ballet Arizona is comprised of three aspects: performances, school and community engagement. So, there were different responses to the COVID-19 restrictions. Performances moved to a hybrid that combined limited-seating, socially distanced in-person performances with virtual presentations. The ballet company’s school, similarly, adopted a … [More]
