IRECTOR OF INDIANA
TOURISM LORELEI WEIMER THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU ON AGAIN.
>>>THE MILLER NEIGHBORHOOD IN GARY, AN ECLECTIC LAKEFRONT COMMUNITY, HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED A REGION GEM.
FROM ITS QUIRKY, INDEPENDENTLY OWNED SHOPS, BREWERIES AND RESTAURANTS AND TO ITS VIBRANT ART COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE ABOUT 25 NEW BUSINESSES AND NEW POP-UP ART GALLERIES AND OTHER COMMUNITY-DRIVEN EVENTS THAT
HAVE SPAWNED SINCE THE MILLER BEACH ARTS AND CREATIVE DISTRICT LAUNCHED IN 2011 IN RESPONSE TO NUMEROUS BUSINESS CLOSINGS ON
LAKE STREET. MAJOR CONSTRUCTION, AS PART OF THE MARQUETTE PLAN, IS UNDERWAY WITH SIDEWALKS BEING WIDENED,
MAKING IT MORE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE FRIENDLY. >>>THERE'S A MOVE UNDERWAY IN THE REGION WITH A SIMPLE MESSAGE
TO THOSE LIVING IN NEIGHBORING ILLINOIS: THE GRASS IS GREENER IN INDIANA. IT'S A CAMPAIGN TO GET ILLINOIS
RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WOULD NORMALLY GRAVITATE TO THE CHICAGO SUBURBS, TO MOVE TO NORTHWEST INDIANA.
THE MOVE TO INDIANA CAMPAIGN IS NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR AND HERE TO EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THE INITIATIVE AND REACTION TO IT,
IS SOUTH SHORE CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY CEO, SPEROS BATISTAKOS. AS ALWAYS, WELCOME TO THE
PROGRAM. >> GREAT TO BE HERE. >> THE GRASS IS GREENER IN INDIANA.
CATCHY NAME. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A TRADITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
WHERE YOU ARE TRYING TO GET A BUSINESS TO MOW. YOU ARE TURNING IT INTO INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS.
>> THE CONVERSATION STARTED BETWEEN THE FOUNDING FIVE, OURSELVES THE TIMES OF NORTHWEST INDIANA AND THE GREATER NORTH IS
-- ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS AND WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP GROW THE AREA BUT I HAVE HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS AND
BREWERIES AND LIVED THERE FOR 20 YEARS SO I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. WE'VE GOT TO GROW THAT BUSINESS
AND YOU CAN DO IT WITH CONVENTION AND VISITORS OR BY GROWING YOUR HOUSING STOCK AND YOUR RESIDENCY.
SO WE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID LET'S GO. LET'S START MARKETING. IT WAS IN THE TIMES OF A SODA
TAX IN CHICAGO AND NOW THE NEW GOVERNOR -- GOVERNOR HAS COME IN AND RAISED EVERY TEXT BY 10 PERCENT.
SO NOW YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT REAL MONEY COMING OUT OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD IF YOU LIVE IN ILLINOIS AND REALLY WHAT THE
MESSAGES OF LOWER TAXES AND BIGGER HOUSES FOR THE DOLLAR, EVERY TAX WHERE YOU DO A HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISON, WE HAVE AN
ENVIRONMENT THAT IS TRULY COMPETITIVE IN THE CHICAGO MARKET. >> TALK ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS
BECAUSE IT'S A DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT YOU ARE TARGETING. >> 99 PERCENT DIGITAL. IT'S SPOOKY BIG BROTHER FOLLOWS
YOU AND GEO- FENCING AND IF YOU ARE PLAYING CANDY CRUSH OR CHECKING FACEBOOK ADS POP UP. IT'S FRIGHTENING.
BUT IT'S A VERY COOL AND GREAT RESPONSE, THE CLICK THROUGH RATES ARE DOUBLE OR TRIPLE AND I'LL BE HONEST I WISH WE COULD
RUN TOURISM CAMPAIGNS WITH THIS AFFECT. THE MESSAGES ARE RESONATING. EVERY PENNY WE PUT IN TO DIGITAL
ADS. WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS AND IT'S WORKING. >> IT'S WORKING.
ARE PEOPLE MOVING? >> THEY ARE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE HOUSING STARTS IN COMMUNITIES LIKE DIE
YEAR, MONSTER, JOHN, EVEN HAMMOND, JUST EVERYWHERE WHERE THAT CORRIDOR IS YOU ARE SEEING A MOVEMENT BY EITHER EMPTY
DUSTERS OR MILLENNIALS OR MILLENNIALS THAT ARE STARTING THEIR FAMILIES. WE FIND THOSE ARE THE BIG
MARKETS BECAUSE THEY ARE DOWNSIZING. >> THAT EXTENSION OF THE SOUTH SHORE LINE ALL OF THAT PLAYS
INTO THIS BECAUSE OF THE CONDUCTIVITY IN CHICAGO. >> WE ARE ABLE TO SELL THE FACT YOU CAN STILL HAVE YOUR JOB IN
CHICAGO IF YOU WANT TO SAVE TIME ON YOUR COMMUTE YOU MOVE TO INDIANA. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE MORE TIME
WITH YOUR FAMILY YOU MOVE TO INDIANA. THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE THE 61ST NATIONAL PARK, A BIG MOVE
FOR US IN HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR ASSETS IN THE OPEN SPACES LOOK LIKE HERE. WE HAVE SEEN ALL OF THESE THINGS
REALLY HELP SELL THIS AND THEY ARE COALESCING AROUND THE MESSAGE OF MOVING TO INDIANA. >> TO ADD TO THAT THE DOWNTOWN
REDEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE PROJECTS AND SOME OF THESE OTHER AREAS PLACE INTO IT. MAKING IT MORE ATTRACTIVE.
>> I AM GLAD YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE WHITING DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THIS THE LAST TIME. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO SOME OF
OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE LAST 5-7 YEARS I WILL ARGUE YOU'VE NEVER BEEN HERE. THERE IS JUST REAL EXCITEMENT
ALL ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE RIGHT NOW AND IT'S INFECTIOUS. FOR ME IT'S FUN AFTER 30 YEARS OF WORK SEEING WHAT'S GOING ON
HERE AND WE ARE PLEASED TO BE