Intercity Visit
We believe that one of the most important roles the Chamber of Commerce plays is to convene people who are interested in a more economically successful Athens. Many Chambers have found success in this area through InterCity visits.
In 2019, 30 Athenians took our inaugural trip to Columbia, Missouri. In 2022, we took another InterCity Leadership Visit to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Their West Alabama Works workforce development initiative served as a catalyst for Athens Achieves, the collaborative initiative that unites business, education, and local government to build a strong workforce pipeline, ensuring a skilled talent pool for current and future employers in Athens-Clarke County.
Participation in the InterCity Leadership Visit allows attendees to develop and grow relationships with business and civic leadership, not only with peers in the Athens business community but also with the elected and appointed leadership of Athens-Clarke County. Those strategic connections will have long-term value as we continue to implement lessons learned and work together to create a shared vision for the future of our county as articulated in our program of work.
2025: Gainesville, FL
Join the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce as we convene a group of business, education, and elected leaders to head to Gainesville, FL for our third InterCity Leadership Visit.
We will meet with leaders in Gainesville as we focus on several areas of interest:
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Town and Gown Initiatives:
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We will be seeking creative ways in which the University, business, local government, and educators can work more collaboratively
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Innovation and Technology:
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The University of Florida is recognized as one of the leaders in Innovation programming. Colleagues from UGA will be coordinating this session to gauge what applies to Athens
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Workforce Development:
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We will seek to learn other, creative means by which Gainesville is building a viable and valued workforce for today and tomorrow.
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Regionalism:
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Gainesville, like Athens, is a regional hub. The Gainesville Chamber has taken steps toward a much more regional approach to growth, services, and outlook.
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Healthcare and the Impact of Medical College:
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With the announcement of the establishment of the medical school at UGA, we will focus on how that is expected to impact the local community.
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During this visit, we will hear from leaders, visit cultural hubs such as the Harn Museum, San Felasco Tech City, Santa Fe College Blount Center, and more.
Why Gainesville?
With help from our friends at Georgia Power, we were able to compare many communities with similar demographic profiles to Athens. After examining those communities, we honed in on four primary areas of focus: town & gown, regionalism, innovation, and healthcare. Gainesville, FL boasts cutting-edge healthcare, thriving academic-community ties, and a fast-growing innovation ecosystem which has long been considered the aspirational model for Innovation Technology.