Fresh off NYC success, Chamber targets California

We asked Janet Miller (at left), chief economic development and marketing officer for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Partnership 2010, where she's targeting next after the recent team mission to New York City, told VNC yesterday that two missions to California are likely in the coming months: perhaps Los Angeles-area this spring, then the SF Bay Area in summer, the latter targetting technology firms. The Big Apple trip drew about 80 New York analysts, investors and execs to the Harvard Club, for a program chaired by HCA's Jack Bovender. The same evening, about 100 invitees attended an NSAI-led event at XM Sirius. There also ensued 36 one-on-one appointments with execs in NYC-NJ-L.I. Miller said the emphasis was on "companies who already have major employment operations here (including a number of music companies), site consultants actively working relocation projects, finance and equity companies like JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley, and health care industry reps. The purpose was to explore expansion opportunities... and thank them for their investment in Nashville." For other Venture Nashville coverage, visit here. UPDATE Feb. 13: WSJ reports on competition to lure California firms to other states.

Update on the Entrepreneur Resource Center

Middle Tennessee's proposed Entrepreneur Resource Center is not so much intended to "make it easy" on entrepreneurs launching business, as much as it is intended to accelerate the process of vetting ideas for businesses, according to Bobby Frist, co-chair of the Entrepreneurship Task Force of the Nashville Area Chamber and Partnership 2010. Frist, who is founder and CEO of Healthstream, answered questions during today's live webcast produced by The Tennesseen and hosted by Business Editor Randy McClain. (He's pictured far-left, with Mike Shmerling.) Frist said an advisory board of about 9 persons will be assembled to guide the ERC center along. No formal invitations to that advisory body have yet been extended, Frist said. Frist said the ER Center -- first a virtual online center, later a physical presence -- will serve as a "beacon" to the nation and the world, signaling that Nashville is serious about encouraging entrepreneurship by local firms and by firms that might be attracted to relocate to Music City. First noted that VCs and others who might have originally been concerned about the ERC possibly becoming competition for deal flow, have largely had their concerns allayed. At the same time, he said, the region must try to recruit additional capital investors to middle Tennessee. Frist said the entrepreneurship initiative would probably first leverage Nashville's existing strengths in healthcare services and technology, plus music and related technologies. Frist noted that his EP co-chair, Choice Food Chairman Mike Shmerling, has been particularly keen on using the ERC to attract businesses to relocate here from other states.

P2010 Entrepreneur Project Update

More this morning in The Tennessean on the Chamber-Partnership 2010 Entrepreneur Project that we reported, earlier. Co-chairs Bobby Frist (HealthStream) and Mike Shmerling (XMi, Choice Food Group) review plans for a virtual, and eventually a physical Entrepreneur Resource Center. In addition to making clear they're moving ahead on some EP recommendations, Frist notes that the initiative still needs "a leader to emerge to head up the fund-raising." Tennessean Q&A by Bus. Editor Randy McClain is here.