Take a leap into Savannah GA's Future

'Leap Into the Future' was the theme for this year’s GRIT Conference hosted by The Creative Coast in Savannah, Georgia. The highly anticipated event is a gathering of entrepreneurs, leaders, and change-makers across industries. With aspirations to be the “South by Southwest” of Savannah, the line-up of 70 speakers across 24 sessions showcased the diverse talent and capabilities of the region.

The Tsunami that Bonnet referred to be the upcoming wave washing over the coastal region as Hyundai Metaplant America becomes operational. The first phase of production is anticipated to begin as soon as Q4 of 2024. Adding over 16,000 jobs between the facility and its suppliers, the Savannah corridor leapt into planning from the moment of the announcement. Addressing the future demands that a major employer like Hyundai Motor Group will bring to the region, while also preserving the culture that is uniquely Savannah were underlying themes to every session over the conference’s two days.

Fortunately, innovation is nothing new to Savannah, Georgia. It’s hard to believe, but if you look back at images of Savannah fifty years ago, it’s unrecognizable from the vibrant city it is today. When Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) opened its first classrooms in 1978, an evolutionary period of change and growth started. It only made sense then that the morning keynote was from Suanne Fu, Dean, School of Creative Technology at SCAD. Her keynote on the future of gaming challenged the audience to blur the lines between educators, industry, engineers, and designers. Encouraging all to not walk along parallel paths but travel together during these times.

Suanne’s words were echoed in almost every discussion that followed, including the following panel on the future of workforce. Focused on the coastal region’s growth, Anna Chafin, President & CEO of Workforce for the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) provided an outlook of the population’s strengths and any gaps that her organization is addressing. Chafin joined SEDA in January 2024 as President and CEO of Workforce and is responsible overseeing the implementation for the recently released workforce study.

She did not shy away from the urgency that the region could face, “if we did nothing”, sharing the data and outlooks provided in a recent study of the region. Chafin followed the data with an impressive list of initiatives that SEDA and partners have already started in preparation for the growth. Chafin was sure to note that these strategies are not only impacting the electric mobility industry but helping the entire community of businesses and the workforce in the coastal region.

The attendees were eager for more information and were directed to the abundance of resources on SelectGeorgia.com from Vanesa Wagner, Marketing Program Manager, Georgia Power Economic Development, adding, “We are in the process of aggregating best practices like the ones you heard here today so that every community can take advantage of the knowledge and innovation my team is observing across the state of Georgia.”

The importance of community engagement continued into day two with the panel, Honoring Cultural Integrity with Innovation. A committed group of regional experts shared how the public and private sectors are balancing honoring cultural heritage while tackling innovative projects.

“We have a lot going on in this community and we also have a rich history. It’s not one side or the other, it’s about facilitating the best outcomes for the most amount of people,” said Jesse Dillon, Chief Operating Officer, SEDA.

Nick Palumbo, Alderman District 4 - City of Savannah stressed the importance of intentionality and planning for the region, “Communities either change by chance, or they change by choice,” he said. Later adding, “There is an enormous cost of doing nothing.” No surprises for the GRIT conference, the strategies to embrace change in workforce and beyond were tech-enabled. While the adoption of emerging technologies was emphasized, communication was the thread in every discussion.

This is only a peak into the valuable information and engaging conversations that took place this past week. While we our team filled pages with notes and best practices, the biggest lesson we took away from GRIT2024 is that to thrive in a changing environment, clear and intentional communication and getting involved in disruptions are necessary.

These actions can help businesses, leaders and residents ride the wave of change coming to the coast.

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Is your business interested in locating or expanding in the Savannah, GA region? Contact our Regional Economic Development team to learn how Georgia Power partners across the state helping business's like yours find the best locations and data to make an informed decision.