CINCINNATI — Cincinnati is preparing to welcome thousands for the annual Forbes "30 under 30" summit.
Forbes describes the event as a "life-changing four days of connecting, learning, teaching and building" for "the world’s top young leaders, founders and creators."
This isn’t a static conference. Instead, attendees will be immersed in Cincinnati’s venues and experiences: a concert at the Brady Center, a bar crawl through Over-the-Rhine, pickleball at Sawyer Point and other events and attractions.
JobsOhio is a presenting sponsor of the event. Chief of Staff Phil Greenberg said it’s a great opportunity to get in front of young talent.
"We're still always looking for talent and keeping talent here, especially the next generation," he said.
In the 2023 State of the Region report, the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber wrote there is a "significant need to improve our college graduate retainment."
"It’s not just a Midwest problem," Greenberg said. "We have to think differently."
Hosting this conference full of young talent and college students is part of that unique approach.
Council member Seth Walsh said it’s a vision worth investing in.
"It's gonna be a great time to show off our city to people that are looking for where they may want to spend their lives," Walsh said.
On Wednesday, Cincinnati City Council will vote to approve the final portion of $600,000 that was put aside for the event in this year's budget.
Walsh framed the event as an investment in Cincinnati's short- and long-term future. In the short term, the city will benefit from hotel room occupancies and traffic to small businesses. In the long term, Walsh said a positive experience creates more awareness for the city.
"The number one thing people say is, 'I didn't know much about Cincinnati, but now I love Cincinnati,'" Walsh said. "They're then going to talk about it, encourage other people to come visit, and I hope that they're going to choose to stay here."
Greenberg with JobsOhio said Cincinnati’s $600,000 investment will match Cleveland’s last year.
"It helps retain talent, it helps recruit talent. It helps with their PR and their marketing efforts, and also it helps generate revenue in the form of taxes and sales for the city," he said.
In June, some council members were concerned about funding the events. Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Keaney said she needed more information. The Budget and Finance committee decided they would release the funds contingent on a more detailed breakdown.
Several months later, Kearney said, for her, those concerns have been resolved: "It’s definitely worth it."
"It’s a good investment. We’ll get a huge return on it," she said.
Kearney said she spoke with elected leaders in Cleveland, who pointed to statistics after last year’s conference: 4.9 billion social media impressions, $5M in business sales and 2,000 attendees.
"Just know that if we really show out, as we always do, people will come here. We’ll get that return. We’ll get more people coming here to live and work. That’s more opportunity for everybody and for the city in general," the Vice Mayor said.
