GE Meeting A Real Opportunity

20Feb2008 Filed under: Convention Center, Economic Development, Erie, GE Transportation Author: Peter Panepento

In the face of all of the questions about the bayfront convention center, we can’t deny that — for one day in April — it is doing exactly what it should.

On April 23, General Electric Co. is bringing its annual shareholders meeting to Erie.

Wherever you stand on the convention center, this is an event that would not be happening if not for the new venue. And it presents Erie with its first real opportunity to show itself to the world since the convention center opened.

Not only will the event draw the high rollers from GE’s board. It will also attract journalists from an array of media outlets who will be making judgments about Erie based on what they see, hear, and experience during their visit.

This, my friends, is an opportunity.

And even if you believe that the convention center should not have been built, it is an opportunity you should attempt to capitalize on.

The money has been spent on the convention center. We can’t change that.

What we can do is try as best we can to make sure that money is well spent.

The GE shareholders meeting provides a major opportunity to do just that.

And if Erie can show itself well, more opportunities will likely follow.

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13 Responses to “GE Meeting A Real Opportunity”

Rob
February 20th, 2008 at 8:29 am

I completely agree that the GE shareholder meeting would not likely be in Erie if there was no convention center. But excluding that, what else is the nearly $100 million spent on it doing for Erie and the Erie community?

Without the airport runway extention, the convention center will do far worse than with it, because it will make it that much more difficult for people to get in and out of Erie. I think the long term success (and failure) partially hinges on the runway extention being seen through completetion. Until then, it will be largely like robbing Peter (hotel meeting centers, the Shriners Temple, Rainbow Gardens) to pay Paul (the convention center) - as I believe someone earlier said.

One final comment about the convention center, based on my experiences at other convention centers across the country, is that the BCC is fairly isolated from any kind of social activities. Sure, there is a bar or two across from the dock, but the attractions of State Street and the rest of downtown Erie are largely beyond walking distance for most visitors, especially ones that are not familiar with the area. Off-site gathering areas for convention-goers is a great thing to have, and if there is some way to give those people that option, it would be a great boost to the convention center.
Jake
February 20th, 2008 at 8:49 am

Gee…last time GE held a BIG meeting here…The Warner worked just fine…Classic…beautiful…updated…functional…under utilized…now not even a part of the conversation.
George Vietze
February 20th, 2008 at 9:41 am

The convergence of the April 22 Election and the GE Meeting on April 23 presents an opportunity for Erie to take advantage of the media that will be available to SPOTLIGHT ERIE. Pennsylvania is becoming more and more important in this particular election. GE Transportation hires over 5,000 people in Erie and over 10,000 globaly.
GE employs thousand more nationally.

Talk about the Convention Center being UNDER UTILIZED!!!
This is an opportunity for the Chamber of Commerce,
The NW Pa. Manufactuers Association, Economic Development groups, Cancer Institute, Young Erie groups, and many other of ERIE’S BEST could display, congregate, sell, welcome the WORLD and most of all the RESIDENTS of the area could participate.

Off-site events, as the last comment mentioned would add to the opportunity. Matthews Trattoria is considering a
SPECIAL WELCOME to all our Erie visitors that week. I am sure the Event Planners for the GE meeting have planned meetings. Publication prior to the event of what ERIE is planning would give our visitors an opportunity to KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT BEFORE THEY COME TO THE MEETING.

Erie is either going to do something special, not only for GE but for all the other companies that might consider this area as an opportunity or they are just going to write a few “articles” about a meeting in Erie.

I, personally, believe GE has a larger vision for Erie and want their shareholders and directors to first hand view this area.

Nobody is going to sell Erie except Erie. Your thoughts tend to create what you experience. As Dr. Phil says, “How is that working for you?”
Joe Erie
February 20th, 2008 at 10:36 am

Jake,

Your post promoting the Warner for the GE meeting is an absolutely perfect example of small-town Erie thinking at its finest.

Are you kidding? Get with the times. If that is truly your thinking, then there is no point to further discuss this issue, because you’ve proven with your post that you just don’t seem to get it. For a convention of this stature, the Warner is not only an insufficient venue, but also inappropriate… that’s why it is “now not even a part of the converstion”. As Peter said, this GE shareholders meeting would not even be going to Erie if not for the presence of the convention center.

Your position of, “what’s wrong with the Warner?” is such backward thinking, it’s terribly frustrating and would be humorous if it didn’t continually work to keep Erie from succeeding. Might as well just have the GE meeting at the Zukor Club or maybe South Erie Turners, right? Rather than show Erie in a progressive, developing light to important visitors (and potential investors) at a new, hi-tech, bayfront convention center, your thinking would have them at an old theater in the heart of a less-than-vibrant downtown. It is the typical old Erie thinking that is pervasive throughout the community and hinders the region at every turn.

Thinking in reverse, shortsighted, negative, small town, behind the times… just a few descriptions of the attitudes in Erie. With such a great opportunity looming for Erie, as Peter writes, the city needs to embrace it and cultivate it. But, instead, we get inane comments like this talking about the Warner. It’s no wonder to me that the city is labeled “unfashionable” when these seem to be the majority of the voices holding the city back. The level of living in the past, small-town thinking is amazing in Erie, and one of the contributing factors to why I am part of the region’s “brain drain” that headed for greener, more current pastures.
DCSassy
February 20th, 2008 at 11:35 am

I completely agree that the GE shareholder meeting would not likely be in Erie if there was no convention center. But excluding that, what else is the nearly $100 million spent on it doing for Erie and the Erie community?

The $100 million spent on the convention center was an investment. It was used to provide a NEW facility for events just like the GE Meeting.

All the people attending that meeting, as well as any other meeting/convention-type event, have to stay & eat somewhere. Many of them will also go out and spend additional money in local bars & shops.

All that money will be absorbed into the local economy.

This is why when the opportunity arises for Erie, as it is on April 23nd, everyone should seize it. Bars should feature specials for GE Meeting attendees. Shops should work with meeting planners to advertise their businesses in provided meeting materials. Local restaurants should be creative and market themselves with discounts or special menus for all these people coming to Erie for the first time.

Erie has so much great stuff to offer, we just have to make sure and show it off for people that may not know where to look.
James A
February 20th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

The Warner can seat 2250. If they hit the upper limits of their expected attendance, that’s around 2,000 people - pretty close to capacity. No desks, no space for their laptops, difficult to take notes, no room for roundtable discussion, no breakoff points for small group discussion or presentations. Is it even a WiFi hotspot? The Warner is an incredible venue, and a real Erie treasure. But it is absolutely not appropriate for a shareholder meeting.

Maybe they could have a special showing while the conference is taking place?
julio c reyes
February 20th, 2008 at 4:33 pm

To all,

I strongly agree that this meeting might be a good opportunity to show Erie but at the same time we have to be very careful. It is very important that local business and organizations do not go overboard and at the end they do not get their return on investment.

Let me elaborate.

I understand the meeting is only a meeting not a convention to be held on Tuesday April 22 (elections) and Wednesday April 23, 2008. One single meeting not really a big event over several days.

I am almost positive that by now all the professional “handlers” inside and outside of Erie had booked hotels and restaurants to be sure they get a piece of the pie. It will be silly to even think that the real big sharks and investors are going to be gathering and wondering around little town Erie in their own. The reason because they have the money is because they do their homework well in advance. It is much likely the organizers already booked “GE Meeting packages” around town.

I have no idea if GE hired the Convention Center for the meeting with food included. I have no idea if it is going to be in the morning or the afternoon. I do not know if the meeting will have a cash bar or not or just coffee and donnuts. I have no idea if the Convention or GE will be charging for advertising booths at this event to get more money.

My advice is being who you are please do not pretend to be somebody you are not. Why is this important? because quality, service, honesty and dishonesty always show sooner or later.

If we show the real Erie with its limitations and qualities and we get a decent investor then we know he/she will stick around. If we just act as a consummated con people we will fail. If we are afraid to show our own shortcomings then we might get the wrong person.

Remember we will be looking for somebody to marry Erie not for someone that just wants to have sex one night.

I know I am going to get a lot of heat for these following comments but I need to make them anyway. A good “local handler” should have the following hospitality places within one square mile downtown in their list if they want to show the real Erie.

Let’s put this scenario just for fun.

1. Mexican Cuisine. An eccentric investor who happens to love real Mexican food because he/she lived in Mexico City and goes there quite often asks for a place to eat Mexican food around at then the “ local handler” instead to take the investor to Latinos on Parade says let go to eat Mc Mexican Tex-Mex around the Mall, Peach St. or 12th street. Because people in Erie usually do not cross the border. Or worse yet the “local handler” take the investor to other pseudo upscale places and order chicken quesadillas for dinner. What a fiasco.

In regards, to the discounts to attendees it will be an insult to the locals that patronize my business in a regular basis to offer any kind of special discounts just because they are GE share holders attending the meeting.

2. Big Band Music - Of course I will not have the meeting in the East Erie Turner facility because it does not have the capacity. However, I will bring them in to showcase Dave’s strengths while pursuing his dreams and aspirations. Again, if it is an eccentric guy with money who loves Big Band’s music. Erie might get another investor.

3. French cuisine – you have Bertrand’s – last time I check French corporations are in purchasing mode.

4. Up scale – Mathew’s and Maybe 1201 on Sate St. – Just to show that yes struggling but trying to bring the little town up. Lovell place is really a showcase.

5. Nice Architecture – Erie Brewerie – I am going to recommend Chris, this coming Sunday, to clean the place a little bit. – I wish them to become very successful and totally restore the inside of the train station. I am sure they will get people to visit from everywhere.

6. Nice Décor – Pufferbelly. Warner Theater – self-explanatory.

7. Smokers – Hookah café – Some great diversity in little town Erie.

8. Jokes the comedy club – every town has to have at least one.

9. Irish drinkers – Molly Brannigans – Self-explanatory.

10. Just heavy drinkers – Bar hopping everywhere on State St. – a drinker is a drinker is a drinker

I hope with these examples people get my message. The more sincere we are the better probabilities we have to be successful. Anybody could fake things any day but the true sooner or later always appears.

In regards to Industry and job opportunities be honest and tell the investors that we are looking for a few small companies to make a long term commitment to the community because we already know that Erie’s is not and will never be competitive to attract a big company to move in. Our strengths are that we could be a good incubator for small starting companies. Be honest and present the real picture, speak openly about the brain drain and the opportunities it presents for true entrepreneurs and serious long term investors.
Jim
February 20th, 2008 at 4:44 pm

Our strength has always been in the production of high quality, highly engineered, custom products as services, in places like G.E., but also Erie Press, Erie Strayer, Zurn, Eriez, Automation Devises, etc, and even into such things as Hammermill’s quality paper, and Erie Insurance’s policies. We were not necessarily the lowest cost providers, but our history has been custom value added goods and services.

Our ability to produce a custom product or service start to finish and match standard product lead times has been our strength, and shows our work ethic. We have the land, people, education providers, etc to make a strong case.

What we need to show is lower costs of operating, better government leadership, less regulation, and a less confrontational community attitude.

One of the reasons I believe we do so poor a job marketing ourselves is that we really have no idea what is really important. I have to think Julio is on to something.
Mike
February 20th, 2008 at 8:42 pm

I would encourage any shareholders venturing up the Bicentennial tower to only gaze North, immediately to the West, and then just a quick glance over their shoulder to the Cruise Boat Terminal Wedding Reception Hall and BCMS buildings (okay maybe the Library as well). Shareholders wishing to participate in any other viewfinding should be accompanied my medical personal. Printed warning statements should be issued outlining decades of failure to properly encourage mix-use development on our bayfront. Waivers should be signed by those wishing to glimpse the Erie skyline, which, sadly, has primarily been altered by subtraction for decades.

Sorry to be negative, but I wish we had a lot more to offer our guests. Well, we’d have a lot more to offer if everyone didn’t leave. What a weak excuse to say you had to leave because of job opportunities. Challenge yourself a little in life. If you all moved back and did something, instead of talking about it, what would be the cumulative benefit to Erie?
You(pl.) deserters + GE + everyone else + those yet to come = Erieplaceable Success!
Dale
February 20th, 2008 at 9:08 pm

I think Julio should run for mayor in the next election.
I tried to recruit Jim Berlin, but he’s too busy building and operating his Logistics, Inc., one of the most successful start-ups Erie has seen for a long time. These two entreprenures really are into what Erie needs and deserves, besides being passionate about what they have to contribute. Listen to what they have to say.
Richard Dressner
February 21st, 2008 at 12:58 pm

This isn’t just an opportunity to sell Erie in general, it’s an opportunity to re-sell Erie to G.E.

The Lawrence Park works is aging. This is a great chance to show we are progressive in support of business and industry, and value G.E.’s contributions to our local economy and quality of life. After all these years, it’s easy to take them for granted…but if the decision is ever made to close the works and build a modern locomotive assembly plant elsewhere, it could well be made by precisely those board members who will be here.

They want stability, an opportunity for growth, a quality labor pool, and an attractive environment for their upper echelon people.

We ignore these guests at our peril.
Dan Rapela
February 21st, 2008 at 1:31 pm

Joe Erie, I couldn’t agree more with your comment. A “small town” doesn’t have to think like a “small town”. That’s why a lot of us are part of the “brain drain”. It’s amazing how different the rest of the world thinks.

Mike, good positive thinking. Wait ten years for us brain drainers to make huge money and get sick of the places we live. Maybe some of us will come back, start businesses in Erie, and do things right!
julio c reyes
February 21st, 2008 at 5:36 pm

Dale,

Thank you very much for the invitation. Luckily for me I do not have the necessary skills to be a successful politician and my home is in California. So, I will not even try. However, I will continue working and investing around as much as possible.

My long term objective (for profit) is helping the “locals” to get more informed and better educated by sharing my professional and personal experiences. I love to challenge the status quo trying to bring change and progress to this little town. The better the town is the better return on my investment I might get down the road.

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About 'Outside Erie'

Peter Panepento After more than six years working as a journalist in Erie, I'm now the web editor for the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington, D.C., and the publisher of GlobalErie.com. I still maintain close ties to Erie - a community that I care about deeply. I hope this Web site can help inspire a better future for Erie.

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