Economic Development

Visit Greater Palm Springs continues to advance regional economic development through strategic partnerships, research, and outreach.

This reporting period marked the completion of North Star’s place branding and marketing strategy, the launch of creative assets, and the upcoming debut of a dedicated economic development website. 

Synergy Sports

Synergy Sports was commissioned to update the 2024 CSL study to further evaluate the market potential for a sports facility in Greater Palm Springs. Their findings reaffirmed the viability of an indoor, multi-court complex, citing a favorable demographic profile and limited competition within the region. Unlike the prior study, Synergy expanded the market reach analysis to a 300-minute drivetime radius, uncovering a significantly broader base of potential visitors and tournament participants.

The updated analysis recommended a 10-court facility — larger than CSL’s original 8-court suggestion — to better attract major regional and national tournaments. In addition to increased court capacity, Synergy emphasized the need for intentional amenities such as family entertainment, conference space, medical partnerships, and adaptive sports infrastructure to differentiate the venue and enhance revenue opportunities. The revised facility recommended by Synergy Sports would be approximately 200,000 square feet in size (vs. the original 140,000 square feet in the CSL study) with an estimated cost to build of $55–$75M. 

The cost of building an indoor facility is significant and can be a challenge for many destinations. Synergy Sports is currently working on sports facility projects with the Cities of Odessa, Texas, and Minden, Louisiana, that are being funded through a public-private partnership with a municipal leaseback. This approach avoids the need for significant capital or bonding. Under this funding structure: 

• Private party develops and operates the complex. 
• The lead organization (city/county) provides the land. 
• Once the facility is developed, the lead organization leases it back through a below-market lease agreement until the project is repaid. 
• Once lease is repaid, the lead organization takes ownership. 
• All revenue goes to lead organization. 
• No bonds or significant capital outlay required. 
• Potential TBID to support the development through needed revenue, marketing, reserves, expansions, etc.  

Overall, Synergy concluded that Greater Palm Springs remains a strong candidate for a dual-purpose facility that serves local needs while anchoring sports tourism and economic development. 

Staff have been sharing the Synergy update with regional partners and stakeholders to keep them updated and discuss potential opportunities for moving forward.

Click here to view the full study.

Place Branding & Marketing

The partnership with North Star to develop a comprehensive place branding and marketing strategy was finalized this spring. This includes:

• Finalized brand creative to guide regional messaging
• A media marketing plan developed in collaboration with JNS Next
• The forthcoming launch of a dedicated economic development website, providing a central hub for business attraction, relocation, and investment efforts

ED Technical Advisory Committee (ED TAC)

The first in-person Greater Palm Springs Economic Development Technical Advisory Committee roundtable took place March 19. City partners gave updates on current economic development activities and needs. Visit Greater Palm Springs shared some of the creative designs for the Economic Development brand, discussed participation at upcoming tradeshows and conferences, provided an update on the analysis of an indoor amateur sports facility, shared the Visit Greater Palm Springs legislative platform, and discussed tools and/or resources that would be useful to have.

Riverside County Economic Development Strategic Plan

The Natelson Dale Group’s (TNDG) work on the countywide and Greater Palm Springs Economic Development Strategic Plans continued. Staff have been working closely with TNDG to provide input, feedback, information, and resources.

A regional stakeholder summit meeting was held on April 15 at the Riverside County offices in Indio. Participants provided input on a variety of issues related industry in Greater Palm Springs, visions of successful growth, and opportunities to focus on.

The next summit is scheduled for Thursday, June 26^th.

TED 2025 (April 6-11, Vancouver, B.C.)

Staff attended the TED 2025 conference connecting with, and learning from, a variety of incredibly thoughtful and inspiring individuals. Topics of discussion included:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Sustainability
• Creative Arts
• Innovation
• And much more

A couple of key takeaways from the conference include connecting with an individual that is creating means for creatives to generate legal entity status to protect their work, investigating a variety of sustainability opportunities, following up on economic development marketing opportunities.

CALED Annual Conference (May 6–9, Ontario, CA)

Staff attended the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) annual conference, which included site tours of major economic development projects such as Ontario’s planned 200-acre youth sports complex and the future high-speed rail terminal in Rancho Cucamonga. Notable takeaways:

• Sports facilities are increasingly being used as anchors for economic development
• Initiated connections with Sports Facilities Companies to explore potential opportunities in Greater Palm Springs
• Explored Talent Pipeline Academy and GLADEO platform as resources to support regional workforce pathways
• Reinforced trends include placemaking, blending of retail with sports and entertainment, and the need for streamlined project timelines

Select USA Summit

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We participated in the national Select USA summit focused on foreign direct investment (FDI). Key outcomes:

• Reinforced value in continued participation and potential alignment with the California delegation in 2026
• Initiated connections with GO-Biz, Team CA, and Select USA to explore FDI strategies and investor tools
• Identified federal permitting support agency to assist with multi-agency project coordination
• Discovered workforce resources to explore further with partners, including apprenticeship.gov and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

ISCS Global Conference (May 18–20)

Visit Greater Palm Springs participated with Team CA at the global ICSC show. Key follow-ups are underway with potential retail and development partners.

• Timely entitlement processes were highlighted as critical in site selection decisions
• Placemaking is an essential component to development and community buildout
• Planning is underway for local participation in the ICSC Western Conference, which will be held in Palm Springs in September 2025
• Staff is following up on leads and sharing with the ED TAC members as appropriate

City Nation Place – Americas (May 21–23, Ottawa)

Attended the CNP Americas conference, which included a tour of Area X.O., an innovation campus that supports startups in mobility, defense, agriculture, and more.

• Exploring the potential for a desert climate testing facility in partnership with College of the Desert or other institutions
• Noted best practices in placemaking, sustainability, and FDI attraction from global peers including Costa Rica
• Learned of agritourism concepts such as “pick your own” events that could be adapted locally

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any feedback or questions. 

For more information about economic development in the destination, please contact:
Sean Smith
Director of Economic Development
sean@visitgreaterps.com | 760.969.1308