Northwest Arkansas joins forces with other ‘Hip Hideaways’ to collaborate on thoughtful growth, national appeal

Springdale-based nonprofit Northwest Arkansas Council has established a cohort of fast-growing regions including Northwest Arkansas to address growth challenges while continuing to raise awareness and attract people.

Meanwhile, some area leaders of convention and visitors bureaus want to see how tourism might fit into that work.

The Northwest Arkansas Council recently launched the Coalition of Hip Hideaways as the newest installment of the Life Works Here campaign that’s helped to fill talent gaps here over the years. Life Works Here kicked off in November 2020 with a talent recruitment incentive program offering 100 people who relocated $10,000 and a new bike or performing arts or museum membership. The more than $1 million incentive, which ended in December 2022, was supported by the Walton Family Foundation at the recommendation of Steuart and Tom Walton.

Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, said the newest installment of Life Works Here doesn’t include a similar incentive program, but the campaign goal hasn’t changed.

“The goal is to tell the country about Northwest Arkansas and the kind of lifestyle … and the job opportunities you can have here,” Peacock said. “It’s intended to help us fill a need around our tech workers, entrepreneurs and all those types of jobs that are a weakness for us.”

He cited a recent Milken Institute report in which Northwest Arkansas ranked No. 7 in the United States. Still, the report showed an area talent gap among tech workers and entrepreneurs.

On Feb. 5, the Northwest Arkansas Council announced the Coalition of Hip Hideaways as a group of “distinct, like-minded communities across the country that are collaborating to accelerate thoughtful growth in all forms.” Along with Northwest Arkansas, the coalition includes Chattanooga, Tenn.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Missoula, Mont., and their surrounding areas. They’re collaborating to increase their awareness and appeal to workers in growing and competitive industries, to share ideas to address growth-related challenges and to maintain their character.

The Coalition of Hip Hideaways brings together and promotes cities focused on outdoor lifestyles, Peacock said. They have strong economies and a higher education component to their workforce, he added.

“We’re going to be able to learn a lot from these communities,” Peacock said. “Many of them are facing growth challenges like we are. Many of them are facing infrastructure development like we are.”

He noted that Northwest Arkansas might learn more about facing these challenges from smaller cities than from larger ones like Dallas or Los Angeles.

“In the heart of vibrant, lesser-known areas of the nation, communities like Northwest Arkansas are witnessing remarkable progress — offering not just fulfilling careers and work-life balance but also serving as hubs within a coalition of trendy hideaways,” Peacock said. “As the next installment of the Life Works Here campaign, the Coalition of Hip Hideaways seeks to enhance the quality of life for our citizens, learn from one another and navigate the evolving landscape of our diverse and growing communities — ensuring inclusive growth for the future. Approaching Colorado Springs, Greater Chattanooga and Missoula to join the coalition is just the first step on our journey of connectedness and collaboration between these communities.”

The coalition is expected to work together to develop strategies that address affordability, housing, infrastructure and job creation. According to a news release, the aim is “to ensure thoughtful growth that preserves the character and charm of each of these communities.”

STILL SOMEWHAT HIDDEN
Asked what makes each coalition member a hip hideaway, Peacock cited their strong quality of life, amenities and economies for employment opportunities, and that many people don’t know about these regions.

“When we started our effort, we did some research and found that only 30% of the United States had ever even heard of Northwest Arkansas,” Peacock said. “That’s the reason we started the Life Works Here effort. We’re up to the mid-60s now in telling our story through the different programs we’ve run over the last several years. But we still believe that we’re a little bit hidden.”

He said the coalition could grow to include other cities if successful. Success would comprise whether the coalition can be a platform to share the region’s story nationwide and shine a spotlight on the area’s needs, including startup capital, labor and growth challenges.

Peacock said the coalition has been in the works since this past fall. Leaders from Northwest Arkansas, Chattanooga and Colorado Springs met in November at the Heartland Summit in Bentonville. The invitation-only event is hosted annually by Heartland Forward, a nonpartisan think-and-do tank in Bentonville. They discussed focus areas for the coalition and brought on Missoula earlier this year.

LOOKING TO THRIVE
“As thriving, intentional places, we are committed to thoughtfully planning, growing and managing our development to retain the cultural identity of the beloved places we call home,” said Bridgett Massengill, president and CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership in Chattanooga. Thrive Regional Partnership represents multiple counties in northeast Alabama, northwest Georgia and southeast Tennessee.

Rhett Bentley, chief communications officer for Thrive Regional Partnership, said it joined the coalition as part of its efforts to “inspire responsible growth.” Bentley said area stakeholders want to grow in a way that “preserves community and natural character — that it remains the special place that it is to live, that we continue to have access to the outdoors, and our local communities are thriving in a way that is distinctive and characterful.”

A coalition goal is to position the region as a place where talent would consider moving as people look to relocate from larger metros to areas that are more affordable but still have a good quality of life, she said. Also, the coalition will allow for peer communities to share knowledge, resources and ideas at a national level. The opportunity to connect its regional partners to “this national conversation is a huge deal,” she said.

The coalition is unique because it brings together several organizations looking at community and economic development from a quality-of-life perspective, including access to the outdoors, broadband and infrastructure, she said. The coalition is also unique in that Thrive Regional Partnership is not alone in this work.

“Through this coalition, we are not only promoting our communities as desirable places to live and work but also fostering a network of support and collaboration to ensure thoughtful growth and preserve our unique identities,” said Mark Losh, president and CEO of Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce. “Together, we can create a stronger and more vibrant future for all our hip hideaways.”

TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES
Kalene Griffith, president and CEO of Visit Bentonville, the city’s tourism bureau, said she reached out to the convention and visitors bureaus in the coalition cities, and they wanted to know more and find out how tourism can be a part of the campaign. Griffith expects the new coalition will bring interest to the cohort cities and allow them to reach new audiences. She said it could lead to increased investments, population and tourism for them.

“It strengthens each of our cities,” Griffith said. “For me, that’s always a positive. Anytime you can collaborate and work together and learn from each other, that’s going to be key to our success.”

Molly Rawn, CEO of Experience Fayetteville, wanted to see how the campaign performs and learn more about it. Depending on its success, it could become a part of the organization’s media plan, she said.

“It’s an interesting idea,” Rawn said. “I like the idea.”

Asked about similar collaborations in the past, Rawn said area cities often work together on campaigns to promote Northwest Arkansas and comprise the Northwest Arkansas Tourism Association, a program of the Arkansas Department of Tourism.

Griffith said the cities of Bentonville, Little Rock and Tulsa worked together on an arts initiative about eight years ago. She said the joint marketing helped to raise awareness, and the shared expenses allowed them to extend their spending for other things.

“Tourism is the gateway to economic development,” Griffith said. “People will want to visit before they invest, and they want to visit before they move to our community. People want to live, play and work in a community that has quality of life experiences.”