One East Kentucky Uses 360-Video and Virtual Reality to Promote Coal Fields Industrial Park to a Global Audience

PlaceVR Technology Allows Economic Developers to Bypass Travel Restrictions to Attract and Meet with Investors in Virtual Reality

(Paintsville, Kentucky – April 15, 2021) When they can’t come to you, go to them. That’s the philosophy behind the newest 360-degree video released by One East Kentucky that targets site selectors and investors who are looking for the right place to expand or relocate their business.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, we knew that pausing our efforts to market available land at Coal Fields Industrial Park would delay results,” said Chuck Sexton, President and CEO of One East Kentucky. “We recognized that the Virtual Reality technology that Golden Shovel Agency had developed for economic development was just what we needed to keep going and expand our reach internationally at the same time.”

One East Kentucky will send Virtual Reality (VR) goggles to site selectors in their outreach strategy. When the viewer puts on the goggles, they find themselves in the middle of scenes from One East Kentucky’s nine-county region. As they look all around and up and down, their brain responds in the same way that it would if they were really in a new place.

“It’s the brain response that is VR’s superpower,” said Aaron Brossoit, CEO of Golden Shovel Agency. “This physiological response stimulates empathy, and it’s empathy that makes the message memorable and opens up the viewer to a next step.”

Sexton and his colleagues will also be able to meet with prospects in a virtual environment thanks to a Virtual Meetings App developed by Golden Shovel Agency. With or without a pandemic, this is the technology that’s needed to reach international prospects without having to travel.

One East Kentucky is collaborating with Golden Shovel Agency to create a series of six videos and 3D building renderings that will market available land at industrial park sites and existing buildings that are for sale.

You can view the video at: https://www.oneeastky.com/site-selection/virtual-tours

About One East Kentucky: Established in 2015 as east Kentucky’s Center of Economic Development Excellence, One East Kentucky is a 501(c)3 regional economic development organization responsible for spearheading the growth and diversification of eastern Kentucky’s economic base through recruiting new industry, jobs and investment to the heart of Appalachia. Since 2016, One East Kentucky has announced over 1,000 new jobs and $154.6 million in capital investment. For more information about One East Kentucky, the nine-county region, industrial properties, workforce development, incentives or other economic development resources, visit www.oneeastky.com. Follow One East Kentucky at facebook.com/oneeastky, on Twitter @OneEastKY and LinkedIn.

PlaceVR a division of Golden Shovel Agency, is a Minnesota-based full-service economic development firm specializing in workforce attraction for economic and community development. PlaceVR is a revolutionary new approach to economic development that harnesses emerging 360-degree video and virtual reality technologies to create immersive experiences that drive business and workforce recruitment. Our productions combine a depth of experience in both virtual reality production, marketing, and communications to bring to life an entirely new strategy for attracting businesses, talent, and visitors. Learn more at https://www.placevr.net and https://www.goldenshovelagency.com.