Next phase of Our Story Project workshops begins Monday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 24, 2014

Next phase of Our Story Project workshops begins Monday 

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Next week marks the second round of workshops for the Our Story Project, a regional project spearheaded by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. Public participation in the workshops is helping to define Northeast Indianas reputation -- who we are and where we are going as a region. Information gathered at the workshops will give Northeast Indiana a unified story that people and organizations can use when talking about the region.

Over 200 people took part in the first phase of Our Story Project workshops last week, which focused on identifying the region's personality. The second phase of workshops, which will be held the week of September 29, will focus on how we talk about the region. This is the public's opportunity to affect future marketing efforts of the region.

Previous attendance at a phase one workshop is not mandatory to participate in a phase two workshop (the focus and exercises are completely different). Phase 2 Messaging Workshops will be held:

• Monday, September 29 from 7:00-10:30 am at Ramada Inn, 3855 Indiana 127, Angola¹
• Monday, September 29 from 2:00-5:00 pm at Waterloo Train Depot, 215 W. Van Vleek St., Waterloo 
• Tuesday, September 30 from 7:00-10:30 am at Noble County Public Library, 813 E. Main St., Albion¹
• Tuesday, September 30 from 2:00-5:00 pm at Shipshewana Event Center, 760 S. Van Buren St., Shipshewana
• Wednesday, October 1 from 7:00-10:30 am at Parkview Whitley Hospital, 1260 E. State Road 205, Columbia City¹
• Wednesday, October 1 from 12:00-3:00 pm at Manchester University (JYSC Hoff Room - 2nd Floor), 604 E. College Ave., North Manchester
• Wednesday, October 1 from 5:30-8:30 pm at Huntington University (Habecker Dining Commons - Room A), 2303 College Ave., Huntington (personality)²
• Thursday, October 2 from 7:00-10:30 am at Clock Tower Inn, 1335 US 27 N, Berne¹
• Thursday, October 2 from 12:00-3:00 pm at Wells County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development, 211 W. Water St., Bluffton
• Thursday, October 2 from 5:30-8:30 pm at Pizza Hut Corporate Office, 7100 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne (Workshop is full. Please join a workshop in another county.)
• Friday, October 3 from 7:00-10:30 am at Huntington University, 2303 College Ave., Huntington (messaging)^1,2

Seating is limited. To reserve a spot, visit www.neindiana.com/rsvp.

Anyone who lives and/or works in Northeast Indiana is invited to participate in the next round of workshops. 

"Public input is vital to the success of the Our Story Project, and we want this process to be as inclusive as possible. If you've never participated in a public process like this before, I challenge you to get involved. This is your chance to have your voice heard. We need to hear all perspectives in order to create Northeast Indiana's authentic story," said Courtney Tritch, vice president of marketing at the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. 

The Our Story Project is sponsored by 21Alive, 95.1 Best FM, Chase, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Parkview Health, BKD LLP, Indiana Michigan Power, Design Collaborative and Novae.

For more information about the Our Story Project, visit www.neindiana.com/ourstory.

To view photos from the phase one workshops, visit our Facebook page.

¹Coffee, light refreshments and registration will begin at 7:00 am. The workshop will begin promptly at 7:30 am.

²Due to scheduling, the personality and messaging workshops in Huntington County will both be held the week of September 29. 

The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership was formed in 2006 to help build a globally competitive economy in Northeast Indiana. It is a public-private partnership focused on generating business leads and building regional capacity through product development and effective regional collaboration. The Northeast Indiana Fund (Fund) was created in 2005 to operate as a supporting organization of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, focused specifically on product development and regional collaboration. In 2010, the Partnership launched Vision 2020 to bring the region together around five key areas for economic growth: 21st Century Talent, Competitive Business Climate, Entrepreneurship, Infrastructure and Quality of Life. Through its combined efforts in business development and capacity building, the Partnership supports its 10 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties. For more information, visit www.NEIndiana.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

Courtney Tritch
Vice President of Marketing
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.469.3460
courtney@NEIndiana.com

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