Greater Utica Chamber launches What’s Upstate initiative

UTICA — The Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce recently launched a new website to inform future, new, and current residents about all the attractions, activities, and amenities that the Mohawk Valley region has to offer.

The chamber’s What’s Upstate initiative uses a comprehensive website (www.whatsupstateny.com) that highlights Oneida and Herkimer counties.

“It’s really about showcasing the best of the best our area has to offer,” says Sean Farrell, special projects officer at the Greater Utica Chamber. “We have so many new businesses moving into the area, and we need to fill jobs.” 

The website is a tool employers can share with their new and prospective employees to give people an overview of the area.

Rather than just using links and pictures of area attractions, the site uses storytelling to convey the region’s offerings. Lifelong residents, those who moved away and then returned, and those who relocated here from somewhere else all share their stories about the Mohawk Valley and what they love about it on the site.

“I wanted it to be relatable,” Farrell says. The website is broken into four main areas — live, work, explore, and tour — to provide information on housing options, business opportunities, attractions for area residents to enjoy, and information on how to plan a visit to the Mohawk Valley to experience it firsthand.

To get the word out about the new website, the Greater Utica Chamber is promoting it through social media and held a launch event on July 8 at the Boilermaker Expo at Mohawk Valley Community College.

“We have a great group of ambassadors,” Farrell adds. Those ambassadors will be out and about at area events promoting the website and the region.        

The response to What’s Upstate has been great so far, he notes. “When you launch something like this, you open yourself up to criticism,” he says, but he’s only received positive feedback so far.

He encourages area residents to visit the site and to also share with others what they love about the Mohawk Valley. “Be a cheerleader for the area,” Farrell says.