City of Mesa
Home EconDev MenuSeptember 2022
The Mesa Momentum
I have been the city of Mesa economic development director now for nearly 15 years and I am so proud of the team we have built during that time and the results we have achieved. The last 12 months have been some of the most successful, not only in Mesa, but in my entire career in economic development.
In FY 2022 we announced 37 companies that have landed or expanded in Mesa, creating nearly 2,500 high quality jobs. Capital investment is off the charts at $2.8 billion and almost 6 million square feet of industrial and office space absorbed. We exceeded almost all of our goals and we are especially proud of the 175 business retention and expansion visits to Mesa companies.
And these are only a few of our accomplishments. We work hard year-round to bring Mesa residents and stakeholders our best efforts with the end goal of growing Mesa’s economy and increasing prosperity in our community.
I invite you to review our Annual Report. Much credit is given to our elected officials and city management for their vision and support. And, of course, I would like to thank our economic development staff for their passion, creativity, problem solving, and dedication to the economic development profession and to the City of Mesa.
FREE resources available to Mesa-based small businesses
Applications are now open for the Mesa Business Builder (MBB) Small Business Assistance Program, which provides eligible companies a package of customized services based on need. Consultants will assist Mesa businesses with developing business plans, creating a marketing and social media strategy, designing a website, prepping a financial plan, and more.
The program is available on a first-come, first-served basis until June 30, 2023, or until funds are exhausted for the program year. To be eligible, businesses must be for-profit and Mesa-based. Businesses must provide a W-9 and proof of a Mesa business address. In addition, businesses in the program must use services within 90 days of their application approval.
Additionally, Mesa businesses are encouraged to sign up for Mesa HUUB to access more than 100 free webinars, learn about available grants, find a calendar of training and events, and network with other Mesa businesses. The free online community has about 450 members.
The award-winning Profit Mastery workshop series is now available
Know your financials, grow your business!
The City of Mesa Office of Economic Development in partnership with the Mesa Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a seven-part workshop series entitled Profit Mastery. The award-winning, internationally known workshop series employs a user-friendly format to teach business managers and owners how to use financial reports to become more profitable. Participants will learn financial concepts such as how to conduct a break-even analysis, manage cash flow, plan for and manage growth, communicate effectively to financial professionals, structure a loan to fit business needs, and much more.
This workshop series will kick off September 30 with a LIVE event at the Mesa Arts Center featuring a keynote address, by Steve LeFever, the creator of Profit Mastery, along with the first lesson in the series. The additional six workshops will be delivered virtually by LeFever.
The series is normally $895. The cost for Mesa-based businesses and Mesa Chamber of Commerce members is $149. All others pay $199.
As part of the series, participants will receive three months of unlimited access to the Profit Mastery video curriculum and seven supplemental virtual sessions that enhance each Profit Mastery online module. In addition, participants will receive the downloadable course and offline case studies and coursework.
The registration deadline is September 15, 2022. Space is limited. First come, first served.
Mesa Arts Center Creative Catalysts Initiative: The Collective now accepting applications
Creative Catalysts, an initiative of Mesa Arts Center, is now accepting applications for The Collective, a program utilizing creative methods to activate leadership skills and enhance innovation across sectors. The Collective brings creativity to the forefront of the conversation by intentionally weaving it into every lesson by using alternative approaches and insight from leads at the forefront of their respective fields.
The Collective participants experience leadership opportunities through a creative lens, gain a network of peers that includes collaborators and leaders from across sectors, and add to their skill set the tools to design, implement, and sustain effective community development through experiential project development.
“Over a four-month commitment, the cohort will experience six half-day sessions, two+ arts experiences, and one retreat experience. We include sessions on creativity, leadership, design thinking, equitable mindfulness, storytelling, and videography 101. We also include personal growth segments and self-assessments, taking a holistic view on building your roadmap to success and making your vision a reality.” Danica Marlin, Program Manager for The Collective, stated.
If you want to build your leadership skills and learn how to make change through creative practice, this program is for you. “Creativity is ranked as one of the top characteristics of a good leader—you can be creative in any industry, and that's why The Collective is so important,” Marlin said.
Applications for The Collective 2023 cohort are available September 1 through November 15, 2022. Apply to be a part of our cohort of 24 select individuals across sectors.
Mesa Chamber to host ‘The Pitch,’ a live event for entrepreneurs to present new business ideas for prizes
With all of the exciting development around entrepreneurism happening in Mesa, The Chamber is excited to facilitate a new event: The Mesa Pitch. To be held October 25, 2022, at the Delta Marriott Phoenix-Mesa, the event is a live showcase of entrepreneurs presenting new business ideas to five judges and a full audience. Think Shark Tank meets TED Talk as a live event. The event will be emceed by William Jabjiniak, City of Mesa Economic Development Director. Mesa Mayor John Giles will join Chamber CEO Sally Harrison in attendance as two of the five “Celebrity Judges.” Entrepreneurs interested in being a part of the event or sponsors interested in supporting the event may visit mesachamber.org to learn more. Cash prizes will be awarded.
Visit Mesa reaches new records for booked room nights, visitors making their return
Visit Mesa recently released their fiscal year 2021-2022 annual report and key findings show leisure visitors are returning to the destination. Visit Mesa tracks booked room nights in Mesa hotels and recorded 151,482 nights, all generated by the marketing organization’s leisure and business sales activity. The annual room night production equals $153,444,576 in estimated economic impact.
According to Tourism Economics, visitation in Mesa increased to 4.1 million visitors (including both day and overnight guests). This represents a growth of 20.3% year over year in 2021, reaching 87% of 2019 levels. The same study shows visitor spending in Mesa increased 28.6% year over year in 2021 to reach $605.2 million, 99% of 2019 levels. Organic Visit Mesa website sessions also reached record levels in 2021 with more than 1.3 million unique online visits.
According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, the recent decline in gas prices is a positive indicator for travel for the rest of the summer and into the fall. Nine in ten travelers have trips planned in the next six months. Also, despite the staffing challenges facing the hospitality industry since the pandemic, eight in ten travelers reported the level of service they received from tourism and related businesses was equal to or higher than pre-COVID-19 levels. Mesa is benefiting from the travel demand. This summer, Mesa hotels set a new ADR (average daily rate) record in July at $88, up 10% year over year from record ADR in 2021 ($80).
Visit Mesa will launch new domestic marketing campaigns this month to attract visitors, with special projects being launched in Germany and the United Kingdom to support international air service into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
You can learn more about Mesa tourism and its impacts online at www.VisitorsMeanBusiness.com.
Visit Mesa to host ‘Autism Certified’ Lunch and Learn
Your organization is already neurodiverse, but are you effectively managing and supporting that diversity?
On Friday, September 30, you are invited to have lunch and learn why becoming autism certified is not just “the right thing to do,” but also a great business decision.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Attract, hire, and retain talent that thinks differently.
- Employee Retention: Neurodiverse individuals have greater than 90% retention rate.
- Neurodiverse individuals are 1.7 times more likely to be innovative leaders.
By gaining recognition as the nation’s first “Autism Certified City,” Mesa taps into a market with 32 million annual travelers who spend more than $268 billion on autism-related services in the U.S. each year. In 2021, direct visitor spending generated a total economic impact of $990 million in Mesa, including indirect and induced impacts. This total economic impact sustained more than 7,000 jobs and generated $70 million in state and local tax revenues in 2021.
Please join us and learn more about the autism certification process and become part of the mission of making Mesa the most accessible city in the United States.