Ampersand Guild Hall partnering with Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority on ‘Re-Imagine Macon’ campaign

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority wants young people living in Macon to stay in Macon. They launched their ‘Re-Imagine Macon’ campaign this past October.

Partnering with Ampersand Guild and other businesses around town, they’re calling on millennials to get engaged in their communities.

Administrative Coordinator Brittany Childs had just one question–a question that sparked a movement.

“How do we make our students, our citizens stay…especially people in the millennial age group?”

Ampersand Guild co-owner Becca Balmes says their hope is to get people ages 18 to 35 excited to live in Macon-Bibb.

“Instead of saying, ‘this city over here has a lot to offer we should move there, we want people saying ‘this city over here has a lot to offer. How can we make that a reality in Macon’?” she said.

There are 80 million millennials across the United States. They are the largest and most ethnically diverse generation yet. That’s exactly the type of crowd the Industrial Authority in Macon wants to attract.

Childs told 41NBC entrepreneurship, workforce development, and small business management were just a few of the conversation topics the Industrial Authority wants to have with the next generation of leaders.

“Millennials will represent 75 percent of the work force development in 2030. We are next in line and it’s time for a change,” she continued.

Childs added that Macon-Bibb County’s Industrial Authority sees the bigger picture. They believe the campaign will help secure Macon’s future job force and continue to grow its economy.

The Industrial Authority will host four events this year that will include panel discussions, think-tank sessions and networking opportunities open to the public. The next one is in early March.