NEXT Receives International Recognition for Economic Development!

GREENVILLE, SC – October 5, 2011 –   NEXT – an economic development initiative of the Greenville Chamber – received an Excellence in Economic Development Award/Honorable Mention in the category of Technology-Based Economic Development for communities with populations of 200,000 to 500,000 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

The IEDC is the largest network of economic development professionals in the world, dedicated to helping economic development professionals create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions. We recognize NEXT for providing successful strategies to promote new standards in economic development in this period of global recovery, said Dennis Coleman, IEDC chair. Our awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in communities.They demonstrate that they are at the forefront of the economic development profession and are using innovative and effective practices that can be replicated in other communities.

NEXT Advisory Board Chair and CEO of Vigilix Andrew Kurtz notes, We’re very excited about the recognition NEXT has received regionally, nationally and internationally. The NEXT initiative has proven to be immensely valuable for innovative high-impact companies. There are many examples, but none more telling than the fact that the NEXT Innovation Center has been in very high demand since opening two years ago, even in a difficult economy. The future for NEXT is bigger and better. We recently convened a NEXT Strategic Summit and, thanks in large part to the input from this group, we expect the near-term and longer-term future to include an expanded NEXT Innovation Campus and other initiatives around improving access to capital and talent so critical in a successful innovation ecosystem.