“All Ready Here” is an educational and promotional opportunity for Site Selectors to visit and tour Long Beach to assess the workforce capabilities, infrastructure available for development, existing properties, community assets, amenities, and overall business climate.
The Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP) recently hosted the inaugural All Ready Here Site Selectors Conference in Long Beach on April 17th-19th on behalf of The City of Long Beach Economic Development Department, the Office of Mayor Rex Richardson, and the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. The conference culminated at The Westin Long Beach, 333 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA.
“All Ready Here” provides Site Selectors Guild members with the opportunity to explore the benefits of investing in Long Beach. Site Selectors play a key role in determining the best geographic destination for a business to locate. Based on their inspection, Site Selectors provide valuable feedback and recommendations as to how Long Beach can become more competitive and effective in its business attraction and economic development efforts.
Conference Site Selectors were Seth Martindale, Senior Managing Director, Americas Consulting, Location Incentives, CBRE; Larry Gigerich, Executive Managing Director, Ginovus; Christopher D. Lloyd, Sr. VP & Director, Infrastructure & Economic Development, McGuireWoods Consulting LLC; Kim L. Moore, Executive Managing Director, Newmark; and John Rocca, Managing Director, JLL Consulting, Los Angeles.
The three-day event kicked off with a reception dinner featuring remarks by Long Beach Vice Mayor Cindy Allen. Educational sessions and tours highlighted The Port of Long Beach, Space Beach, Long Beach’s Tech Sector, Long Beach Tourism & Attractions, and Arts & Culture.
“Long Beach is experiencing incredible growth: from our aerospace hub Space Beach, one of the top two ports in the U.S., a growing festival scene, and a strong tourism and hospitality industry,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “Long Beach stands as a prime destination for investment and development. Together, we enhance our city’s competitiveness, attract businesses, and propel economic growth to new heights.”
The conference concluded with the Site Selector Panel providing their impressions, insights, and takeaways. LBEP CEO/President Leah Goold-Haws notes, “The site selectors were able to hear from many industry leaders regarding their unique experience in locating their business or headquarters to the city of Long Beach. In addition to the feedback regarding access to city officials and city departments, several businesses mentioned access to talent pipelines and quality of lifestyle as other factors in their decision to make Long Beach home.
“This conference not only gave LBEP and our colleagues the chance to better understand how to position our city for investment, but the site selectors provided direct insights as to how we continue to build the Long Beach brand and create meaningful opportunities for future investment.”
Site Selector Panel Highlights
Overall, the Site Selectors reiterated their positive experience in Long Beach and the approachable nature of leaders and businesses. Noted comments included the need to “tell the Long Beach story” and underscore the city’s willingness to hear directly from businesses.
The geographic location and proximity to multiple transportation modes added to the unique appeal, along with the city’s pro-housing stance and collaboration across multiple educational partners to create a local skilled workforce. The group also saw an opportunity in the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games and highlighted the rare moment to host guests from around the world. The Long Beach Grand Prix as a feature of the conference was also mentioned as a one-of-a-kind asset.
Countering the positive comments was an acknowledgment of limited industrial space and ongoing heavy competition from other states with more room and cost savings. The panel ended with the recommendation to continue the economic and workforce development goals underway. Read Site Selector Conference Executive Summary
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About Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP)
LBEP is a non-profit, action-oriented organization that works to grow the economy of Long Beach and expand citywide economic opportunities with a global vision. This is achieved through locally focused partnerships, newsworthy events, and other actions that will deliver on their vision for dependable growth. LBEP works directly with companies to understand their needs and assist them in their success, providing business services ranging from site selection to incentive programs, industry-focused initiatives, and talent pipeline development.
