Atlanta Collision: Uniting Tech and Creative Economies

At Web Summit 2020 out of Lisbon, Portugal, the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) joined forces with Georgia Power as the only U.S. state to host a Masterclass as part of the virtual summit. With 100,000 attendees from 160 countries, Web Summit is one of the world’s largest gatherings of the tech and creative communities.

Georgia’s public-private team seized this unique opportunity to showcase the state’s impactful and rapidly growing creative and tech industries. Ellen Kraft, business development manager in the State of Georgia’s Europe Office, convened a group of experts and industry leaders from the state to share more about these growing ecosystems in a live Masterclass discussion.

Georgia has become the capital for content creation in the U.S. thanks to a robust community of artists, production studios, programmers, and gamers innovating and transforming the state’s economy over the past few years. Movies, television, esports, and gaming continue to see growth in the state despite the global pandemic and Georgia is well-positioned to support these emerging industries.

“Entertainment Creation Capital”
Allen Fox, director of creative industry partnerships at GDEcD, kicked off the Masterclass by providing background on how the state supports the creative industries in Georgia. The creative economy has been able to thrive both before and during the pandemic as the demand for new content and new forms of entertainment continues.

“Tech Ecosystem on Fire”
Karen Houghton, vice president of Atlanta Tech Village, the fourth-largest tech hub in America, discussed their mission to support tech entrepreneurs on their quest to change the world through technology. Learn more about how Atlanta Tech Village became a driving force in the rise of innovation and hear Karen’s take on why density, community, diversity, and inclusion matter for startups.

“Big City that Feels like a Neighborhood”
Ryan Wilson, CEO and co-founder of The Gathering Spot, shared the story behind The Gathering Spot and why the unique ecosystem in Atlanta has the perfect mix for others looking to start businesses. The magic that happens within his reimagined private club is a microcosm of what is currently happening in Atlanta, as both bring together diverse groups of people to have important conversations and address the challenges of the future.

“Magnet for Talent”
Bryan Calhoun, industry relations for Pandora, gave a behind-the-scenes view into Pandora’s analysis to determine where they wanted to be in the future. With this, Bryan provided a great history lesson on Atlanta’s roots in the music scene and shared where the city and the industry stand today. One of Pandora’s top considerations was the attraction and retention of top talent. Calhoun underscores just how Atlanta continues to stand out in its ability to foster and train a diverse tech and creative community.

“Southern Hospitality”
Inclusion and kindness are part of our DNA in Georgia. Atlanta is a supportive and welcoming community that understands success is possible only when we work together. The future here is bright, and we hope we can share a bit of this excitement and opportunity. A big thank you to our speakers for sharing their insights on a global stage at the 2020 Web Summit conference.

To learn more about the creative industries in Georgia, please visit www.georgia.org/industries/film-entertainment.

– Written by Global Commerce division, January 28, 2021