News
Oct 1, 2019 _ news
Talking Tech & Bourbonism (Bourbon-Based Tourism) with Jason Groneck
GBBN Principal Jason Groneck recently returned from San Francisco and Sonoma County, where he attended GLIDE – the Greater Louisville Idea Development Expedition. GLIDE is an annual conference hosted by Greater Louisville Inc., the Metro Chamber of Commerce. It explores successful initiatives to foster regional business growth and talent attraction in the cities that undertook them.
Along with other attendees, Jason not only heard presentations and participated in workshops with community leaders who helped make Silicon Valley and Sonoma County synonymous with tech and wine, but they toured the places where the magic happens—places like Electronic Arts global headquarters (maker of EA Sports), the Microsoft Reactor Space, and the vineyards of Kendall Jackson, Sonoma-Cutrer, and DeLoach.
The trip gave everyone a lot to think about, but for Jason two things stood out. “I think we were all struck by how Sonoma grew hospitality and experiential destinations—boutique hotels, salons, spas—to fit in between the wineries. What can happen in between our distilleries?”
Regarding technology, Jason says, “We may not have the same scale of investment network in Louisville as Silicon Valley, but with our robust, small to medium-sized innovative companies (and some larger ones), we can foster a culture that embraces technological innovation and entrepreneurialism.”
“I think DIS (our Design Issues Series) is a perfect example of the kind of thing you can do to foster that culture,” he added.
Read more about Jason here.
Read about DIS here.
