The Tennessee Entertainment Commission announced Monday that it is expanding its core focus to cover interactive and digital content creation-related industries.
TEC has launched a new campaign, Create_Here, which highlights Tennessee’s creative technology class and seeks to recruit new talent and companies beyond TEC’s ongoing emphasis on music, film and entertainment.
Alongside testimonials from serial entrepreneurs like Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of digital agency VaynerMedia, and companies like Electronic Arts, Create_Here also includes a new online community for animators, software and app developers, designers, marketers, writers and other professionals in Tennessee’s emerging creative tech sector.
The directory allows individuals and companies to create profiles to showcase their work, connect with other professionals in Tennessee and integrate profiles with existing social media networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Snapchat.
“Music, film and television production are a vital part of Tennessee’s economy, but the breadth of our creative class extends well beyond those two areas,” Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe said. “TEC’s new push recognizes that attracting more creative workers in emerging industries to our state can pay big dividends. Whether you’re an animator or software developer, or looking to bring your business to the epicenter of the entertainment industry, working in Tennessee gives you access to a thriving network of experienced professionals who understand the needs of storytellers in all genres and formats.”
Create_Here doubles as an economic development recruitment tool by highlighting the depth of Tennessee’s talent pool. More than 46,800 Tennesseans work in creative, tech and entertainment fields across the state.
"The TEC is excited to be initiating the state's first program focused on creative technologies,” TEC Executive Director Bob Raines said. “The entertainment industry is quickly evolving and Tennessee's unique creative assets and infrastructure are well positioned to give Tennessee a competitive advantage.”
Forbes has recently recognized Nashville and Memphis among the top 10 cities creating the most technology jobs. Meanwhile, the Brookings Institution last year named Tennessee the No. 1 state in the country for growth in STEM-heavy advanced industry jobs. The Huffington Post has named Nashville one of the nation’s best cities for the creative class.
Create_Here’s online directory is accessible at CreateTN.com. Video testimonials and stories can be found here.