Business leaders Friday convened at The Inn at Spanish Bay to discuss how working together could foster economic growth in Monterey County.

About 200 people attended the Monterey County Economic Conference's "Shaping Monterey County's Future Through Public/Private Partnerships."

"This is a new approach to economic development," said county Supervisor Lou Calcagno. "But it's a proven approach."

Calcagno was referring to the concept of "competitive clusters," an economic term which occurs when similar businesses work together to capitalize on their joint marketing strength.

The "C2: Competitive Cluster" project is a public/private partnership between the Monterey County Business Council and the Monterey County Office of Economic Development.

In mid-May, representatives of Bay Area-based Economic Competitiveness Group (ECG) determined that agriculture, tourism and education services/research are the three business sectors in the county most suitable for developing sector-specific business clusters.

On Thursday, the C2 initiatives, which have been developed over the past year, were unveiled. The initiatives are intended to support the industries of agriculture, tourism, education services/research.

IMPACT

Proponents of "competitive cluster" initiatives in Monterey County contend they would ultimately mean improved economic diversity, economic balance across the county, more jobs and higher income levels.

Some of the initiatives include:

Working with schools to incorporate agricultural awareness in K-12 local programs.

Working with local restaurants and suppliers to better showcase local products on menus.

Developing a countywide brand so visitors associate a specific logo with Monterey County.

Another initiative is a five-year plan at California State University, Monterey Bay, to develop a full bachelor's degree program in hospitality management.

The school benefits from student enrollment while the tourism industry will ultimately have better-skilled workers at local hotels and restaurants.

While some might question the benefits of C2 to the average, non-business person, C2 proponents contend it creates a trickle-down effect of an overall good economy that benefits everyone, from the educated to the not-so educated.

The business leaders who spoke at the meeting include Gill Campbell, general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca; Richard Elster, provost for Naval Postgraduate School, CSUMB President Peter Smith and Basil Mills, president of Mills Family Farm.