LVEDC Director of Communications Colin McEvoy (second from right) was among the panelists at the 2019 Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (PEDA) Spring Conference in Harrisburg.

The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) was invited to speak at a prestigious Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (PEDA) conference to discuss its digital marketing and communication strategies.

LVEDC Director of Communications Colin McEvoy was a panelist during the 2019 Spring Conference hosted in Harrisburg, Pa., by PEDA, the primary statewide organization representing economic development professionals.

“It was a great honor to be invited to participate in the PEDA Spring Conference,” McEvoy said. “It was a wonderful validation not only of our organization’s digital marketing and communication efforts, but also of the economic success story of the Lehigh Valley as a region, which continues to draw attention from all across the state and the nation.”

LVEDC was the sole economic development organization represented on the May 1 panel, which was called “Marketing Your Location: Digital Marketing and Paid Advertising” and focused on how EDOs can better market their locations as a great place to do business.

In addition to McEvoy, other panelists included Justin Gibbs, SEO Manager with Miles Partnership; Pete Juratovic, Director of Strategic Partnerships with WebFX; and Matt Ross, Account Executive, Government Industry with LinkedIn Marketing Solutions.

Kelly Bonner, Digital Director with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, served as moderator on the panel, which touched on such topics from social media platforms, search engine optimization, paid and organic marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and much more.

McEvoy discussed various aspects of LVEDC’s digital and marketing efforts, including the organization’s website, blog, e-newsletters, social media accounts (including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn), and both its in-market and external marketing efforts.

He also discussed the newly-launched Made Possible in Lehigh Valley marketing campaign, which will spread the narrative of regional employers and people alike, increase outside awareness of Lehigh Valley, and let everyone know the amazing things that can happen here.

The campaign was specifically designed so that Lehigh Valley companies and stakeholders can adopt it and use it to tell their stories. LVEDC is urging those groups to share their successes in order to help adapt them into the Made Possible in Lehigh Valley branding.

“Today’s business leaders and decision-makers are telling us they will come to where the talent is, or where they can recruit in competition with other markets,” McEvoy said. “That means that we need to tell a story of place: of our people, our cities, our communities, and our quality of life. Our story.”

The 2019 PEDA Spring Conference was held from April 29 to May 1 at the Hilton Harrisburg. Attendees included professionals representing economic and community development at the municipal, county, regional, and state levels as well as workforce development professionals, commercial and industrial developers, business incubator operators, project finance professionals, IDA directors, elected officials, and executives representing utilities and transportation, engineering, and construction.

Other panel discussions at the conference included “Different Roads to Entrepreneurial Success,” “Addressing the People Side of Economic Development,” “Filling the Funding Gap with New Markets Tax Credits,” “Strategies to Secure Federal Opportunity Zone Investment in Your Community,” and “Pennsylvania Agriculture’s Economic Impact.”