Richard Florida to attend Iowa's first Creative Economy Unconference
For Immediate Release February 17, 2003
DES MOINES, Iowa—Cities need a people climate more than they need a business climate. So says Richard Florida, bestselling author of "The Rise of the Creative Class and How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life." Florida will be discussing his theories as the centerpiece to the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Creative Economy Unconference on Wednesday, March 5.
In his book, Florida emphasizes that what attracts creative and highly skilled workers to a community is not solely based on the jobs available there. Creative class people need something to spend their money on. According to Florida, the creative class is a fast-growing, highly educated and well-paid segment of the workforce on whose efforts corporate profits and economic growth increasingly depend. They do a variety of work—from technology to entertainment, journalism to finance, high-end manufacturing to the arts.
"More and more businesses are making the adaptations necessary to attract and retain creative class employees—everything from relaxed dress codes, flexible schedules, and new work rules in the office to hiring recruiters who throw Frisbees," Florida says. "Most civic leaders, however, have failed to understand that what is true for corporations is also true for cities and regions: Places that succeed in attracting and retaining creative class people prosper; those that fail, don’t."
Florida is the H. John Heinz III Professor of Economic Development at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He has been a visiting professor at MIT and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers College and his Ph.D from Columbia University.
The Unconference will be held at the State Historical Building in Des Moines. Registrations for the Unconference will be accepted until the day of the event, but early registration by Monday, Feb. 24 is encouraged. Full registration costs $85 until Feb. 24; or $115 after until the day of the Unconference. Complete information, registration and a schedule of the day is available by visiting www.culturalaffairs.org.
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