Advocating for Place and Involving the Community

June 18, 2019 | By Cara O'Donnell

"We needed to educate the community in a way we never did before."

That's how Victor Hoskins described the months following the announcement that Amazon had selected Arlington as the new home for its coveted HQ2.  Hoskins was part of a panel discussion at the annual City Nation Place Americas conference. The event, held this year in Los Angeles, focuses on connecting nations, cities, regions and place brands around the world to focus on strategies for engaging citizens, driving investment, attracting talent and developing sustainable tourism.

For Hoskins' presentation, which focused on advocacy for a place brand and the impact on the community, the message was clear.  Arlington-- and any community-- has residents that want to be truly engaged. They want to be informed.  They want collaboration.  And most importantly, they want their voices heard.  Arlington accomplished this on HQ2 through more than 100 community engagement sessions to listen to residents, the private sector, and community leaders.

Throughout the conference, attendees also heard from communities throughout the U.S. and Canada.  More than 200 people attended the conference, now in its third year in the U.S.