Generation Iowa Commission, Iowa Careers Consortium and Dept. of Economic Development Enact the Commission's Marketing Recommendation

(Des Moines) Today, the Generation Iowa Commission joined members of the Iowa Careers Consortium and the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) to launch GenerationIowa.com, the one-stop Web site for everything young Iowa.  The announcement in Ames was part of a monthly Generation Iowa Commission meeting at Iowa State University.
"Today, we are launching GenerationIowa.com, and for the very first time, everything young Iowans want will be in one spot," said IDED Director Mike Tramontina.  "Young people will be able to connect to Iowa events, recreation, careers and each other."

GenerationIowa.com offers social networking opportunities, career advice, job search databases, links to upcoming events, festivals and young professionals groups, the latest Iowa news - and users can even create their own virtual cubicle.  The site will also encourage young Iowans to submit their own photos, upload their own videos and tell their own real, unfiltered, unadulterated Iowa stories.

In their 2008 Road Map to Recruit and Retain Young People to Iowa report, the Commission urged the state to "coordinate all social events and career opportunities in Iowa through a unified, statewide Web site for young Iowans."  The report also found that a super-majority of young Iowans are actively involved in social networking Web sites and are more likely to search for information online.

"In our report, we found that Iowans, especially young Iowans, did not know where to turn for information on careers, networking, entertainment, recreation, festivals and events," said Commission Chair Kyle Carlson.  "We believe GenerationIowa.com will work to bridge Iowa's information gap, create a positive, viral word-of-mouth campaign about Iowa and re-frame the way we all look at our state in 2008.  This free site by young Iowans for young Iowans provides the perfect outlet for people to rant and rave about living, working and having fun in Iowa."

Even before the launch, GenerationIowa.com had attracted almost 400 interested young Iowans to register on the site.  Its companion pages on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6997693820&ref=mf, and on MySpace, http://www.myspace.com/generationiowa, have also attracted over 300 registered users.

The coalition of organizations plans to promote the site at future Generation Iowa Commission meetings, to interns and young employees working at Consortium companies, on social networking Web sites like Facebook and MySpace and within Iowa young professionals groups.

On April 5, 2007, Governor Culver signed HF 617, better known as the "Generation Iowa" bill, into law. The commission, composed of 15 young Iowans ages 18-35, was established to advise and assist in the retention and attraction of young adults to Iowa. 

To learn more, visit  www.GenerationIowa.com.