Teaching Businesses to Fish

Our 2011 Annual Meeting was a great success with a sold out crowd of over 600 people in attendance at the Hotel Pere Marquette.  The theme for the event was “Teaching Businesses to Fish.”  We wanted to encourage attendees to work together as the Heartland Partnership does to accomplish big goals.  Together, this unique family of companies operates as one with the common goal of growing our region and helping businesses thrive. In essence, we are…Teaching Businesses to Fish.  If businesses throughout the region work together we can achieve so much more and continue moving the entire region forward.

The event was sponsored by the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway and McGladrey.  Visit our Facebook page to see photos from the event. 

Featured Speaker from Bass Pro Shops

Our featured speaker, Rob Keck, a member of Bass Pro Shops RedHead Pro Team, Chairman of the Board of the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and former CEO of the National Wild Turkey Federation, brought a message about how to make our region a destination just as Bass Pro Shops has done.  Before joining Bass Pro Shops, Rob grew the National Wild Turkey Federation from 12,000 members to over half a million in a few years. He explained how and why it is important to focus on the “people” aspect of any business. 

Click here to download a copy of Rob Keck's Speech.

Video will be coming soon.

2011 Community & Business Awards

The Heartland Partnership recognized business and community leaders with several awards at the Annual Meeting.  The Chamber presented Outstanding Small Business Awards to Running Central and Better Banks as well as the Athena Award to Dr. Sara Rusch.  The Economic Development Council for Central Illinois presented Growth and Innovation Awards to Millennia Professional Services and Presley’s Outdoors.  The Heartland Partnership presented the Community Wealth Award to Prairie State Legal Services. 

Click here to watch the Chamber's Outstanding Small Business Awards video

Click here to watch the Community Wealth Award video

Click here to watch the Athena Award video

Click here to watch the EDC's Growth & Innovation Awards video

Family of Companies Accomplishments

We also highlighted the many accomplishments of the family of companies.  Every day, the Heartland Partnership family of companies works with businesses throughout the Peoria METRO to help them grow, expand and become more successful.  

Click here to watch The Heartland Partnership Accomplishments video

Click here to watch the Chamber Accomplishments video

QR Codes Got People Clicking

At the Annual Meeting we encouraged attendees to try their hand at scanning a QR code and participating in our short survey.  Nearly 200 people participated and here's what we found out:

How do you communicate?

What do you like best about the Peoria Metro?

Peoria NEXT Celebrates 10th Anniversary

On September 11, 2001,  we were forced to view the world in a whole new way.  The September 11th attacks changed us, but did you know there was something else that happened on that fateful day?  Something else that changed the Peoria Region for the better.  That was the day Peoria NEXT was launched and we began a concerted effort to facilitate the discovery, innovation and commercialization of new technologies in this region.

Ten years ago we couldn't have imagined some of the innovations generated from Peoria NEXT.  Can you imagine what we might see change in the next 10 years?

Click here to watch an interview wtih Jim McConoughey regarding the future of Peoria NEXT.

Third Thursday Lunch Continues

The September Third Thursday Lunch was rescheduled for September 22nd due to conflicts.  Visit the Pack the Place website to print your special discount coupon and join us at Haddad's downtown and in Campustown for lunch.

October's Third Thursday Lunch will be held at the Fieldhouse in Campustown.  Also in October, join us on the 15th from 9a-5p at Ackerman’s Farm and receive a free child admission to the corn maze.  Just print out the special offer coupon and enjoy a fall day at Ackerman Farm. 

Byway Receives $78,000 Grant

The Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway has been awarded a $78,000 National Scenic Byway Program planning grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, bringing the Byway’s total grant awards to just over $1 million.  The grant money will be used to collaborate with byway communities to study and integrate and prioritize local and regional community and economic development plans, as well as developing new projects related to Illinois River Road travel into the byway’s current Corridor Management Plan (CMP). 

Click here for the full release