Meet Me Downtown highlights the impact employees have on the regional economy
Cincinnati (October 11, 2023) – The Cincinnati Regional Chamber, in partnership with downtown employers and businesses, today kicked off Meet Me Downtown, a campaign designed to encourage people to spend more time in downtown Cincinnati during the workweek.
“Choosing to spend more time downtown during the week is a triple win – employees are better connected to colleagues and friends, businesses grow with increased foot traffic, and the city’s economic base is stronger to support key city services,” said Cincinnati Chamber President & CEO Brendon Cull. “The Chamber is focused on a growing region and we recognize that a thriving, vibrant central business district is critical to a strong regional economy.”
With nearly 88,000 employees, downtown Cincinnati is the largest employment area in the 15-county MSA, according to the Chamber’s State of the Region report. It is home to some of the region’s biggest companies, including P&G, 5/3, Western Southern, and Kroger, key government agencies, and hundreds of small businesses that rely on the traffic from employees who are in the office each day.
“Everyone has a stake in making our downtown a great place to be. Whether that’s coming into an office, visiting our historic landmarks, eating in our restaurants, or taking in a show or sporting event. Every action matters,” said City of Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval.
Meet Me Downtown is supported by one of downtown’s largest employers, P&G. “We are excited to support the Chamber and this effort,” said P&G Community Relations Manager Barbara Hauser. “We want all downtown employees to know they are making a difference by grabbing a coffee, going out to lunch, staying for happy hour, or more. Not only are they making connections, they are also contributing to a vibrant downtown.”
Other partners include Divisions Maintenance Group, Duke Energy, Fifth Third, Kroger, altafiber, PNC, Saatchi & Saatchi X, and 3CDC. Cincinnati Magazine has signed on to be the campaign’s media partner.
The campaign will be driven from Meet Me Downtown Cincy, a website where the downtown workforce can learn more about how their presence downtown affects our region. It will also highlight special events, discounts to local restaurants, and giveaways such as free parking, dinner gift certificates, and local team merchandise to entice participation.
“We recognize and respect that employers have different policies and approaches to being in the office,” said Cull. “Our focus is highlighting the many benefits of being downtown during the week so that individuals choose to come to their downtown offices more often.”
