WICHITA — The Young Professionals of Wichita now has a name for the new study of its demographic and how the community can attract and retain more young professionals.
Destination ICT is the name that won by texted votes.
The group is to YPW what Visioneering is to the city as a whole.
Dave Quillen of marketing company Quillen Elsea helped the group come up with name possibilities, such as Urban Refuel, Believe ICT and Next Generation.
With some of the names, he says, “I was just having some fun.”
Quillen often does that when helping name products or companies.
“The problem with that is occasionally somebody will pick the ones that you didn’t think (were) serious,” he says.
The funniest name this time around was Stay — You’ll Be Back Anyway.
“That just says it all,” says Sheryl Wohlford, a YPW community advisor. “But we couldn’t call it Stay — You’ll Be Back Anyway Initiative.”
31 Comments
‘Destination ICT’. How very MTV-ish.
“Yo yo yo, kickin’ it here in Destination ICT!”
Maybe you could get an OG from the hood to come up with a sign, too!
Sounds like a group that is going to recomend more bars and loans to Warren…
Are they still planning to spend $100K on an OUT-OF-TOWN consultant to tell them where to but the bars? Still snubbing actual Wichitans in such contracts? Still ignoring the fact that many young professionals have families and are not interested in going out drinking every night?
Your comments prove that you have no idea what you’re talking about. Yes, YPW often has social networking events at bars BUT more often than that has serious events that have nothing to do with drinking and bars. If you don’t want to visit a bar no one is forcing you to but don’t speak ill of a group just because you don’t like one small aspect of it. The good things about the group far outweigh any complaint you’ve presented so far. At least these young professionals are out trying to improve the city they live in rather than sitting bitterly at their computers and complaining about everything that happens in it.
Why would anyone think it’s all about bars? Oh yeah, because every pic we see from their events is AT A BAR.
I also suggest a course on punctuation and paragraphs for the YPW.
PS – please provide examples of how the YPW is improving Wichita. Oops. ICT. I’m dying to hear this…..
YPW – along with other professional groups – would better serve Wichita by improving the PROFESSIONAL environment here. Improve availability of high-paying professional jobs. Create a critical mass so that if a person comes here for a job with a company and that company goes under that professional has good opportunities elsewhere in the community.
Entertaimnent venues will follow the population. They will not, however, attract professionals to relocate here if the professional opportunities are limited.
Hiring an OUT-OF-STATE consultant instead of a Wichitan is NOT the way to go.
BTW – just what are they doing “to improve the city they live in”?
Ok AFN, what do you think this city needs to “retain young people”?
Also AFN, the other events you speak of are during the day when most people cant get time off from their real jobs to go.
Also, name me one thing that the YPW or the Chamber does to help small business or business owners? The only thing YPW does is provide single young employees of big companies a place to play, which is fine, but the YPW needs to stop representing itself as a group that represents all young people.
I don’t really mean to bash YPW, but from the outside looking in, it always appears to be rooms full of youngsters more concerned about image and being seen then accomplishing anything of value.
One poster said it well – the afternoon drinking parties are great, but many have families and that doesn’t appeal to them. I’m neither young nor professional (IMO), but I certainly never considered wasting my time trying to play grownup at a bar.
There’s a place for the YPW, but call it what it is. Don’t pretend to be this high-brow organization when it’s really a mature America’s Pub crowd.
Well said hhff. As a not-so-young professional I would be looking for more professional development – seminars, short courses, etc. This is what we did in Pittsburgh and Chicago in my younger days. Also develop some sort of resource center to help professionals with personal professional development – including job development. Add to that pressuring local government to hire LOCAL talent instead of going out-of-state.
I have nothing against partying and entertainment. Just don’t try to pretend that such activities rise to the level of professional development.
For the people who think YPW members only drink, check out the Enhance Community Project pictures.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ypwichita/sets/72157619788613890/
Maybe I should post a picture of me nailing shingles on the roof of a Habitat for Humanity house.
bth’s last post said it best and if the group were to offer anything like that i might be interested in purchasing some new “friends”.
I find it very ironic that the same people who always bash the news are the same ones who say they don’t have time to do anything because of their jobs.
If you spent half the time you spend on these message boards on something positive, you might actually be part of the solution and not the problem.
Actually c_hill – I DO have time to do many things – community organizations, volunteer work, theater, continuing education, and family. I just don’t happen to place bar-hopping very high on my list. I have donated tens of thousands of dollars woth of pro bono service to the city to be part of the solution.
Again – other than that one civic function noted – just what does YPW do to be “part of the solution”?
I moved to Wichita in 2006. As a YPW member, I volunteer my time on one of the committees and find it a rewarding experience. In fact, the ignorant people making commments on this article should go to ypw.org. We are making a difference. Not all of our functions are located in bars. In fact, most of our planning sessions are in businesses. In addition, I volunteer at my church and I also give to United Way. I make a difference by giving back. You may criticize all you want, but you are a much bigger problem. If you are so intelligent and concerned, why don’t you provide a better solution?
Being a YPW member is a wonderful way for young professionals to socialize and expand professional networks. I don’t understand why non-members care so much to argue about what we do/ don’t do and where we meet up. Get a life people.
Bth – I am an older YPW member. I am married, with children. I too am not interested simply in “bar-hopping.” Yet, by just accessing the organization’s website and talking with its volunteers, I was presented with an overwhelming amount of opportunities to be involved with YPW which in no way involved a bar or drinking.
For instance, try much of the programming put on by Leadership Link, Mosaic, Access, Intern Return, and Community Relations. If you do, you may find interest in the Lunch and Learns, coffee talks, a diversity panel, the Board Placement Program, etc. Or, perhaps you could attend one of the presentations in the Professional Development Series…I believe there have been approximately a dozen thus far despite the allegations to the contrary.
The unfortunate thing is that cynics, such as yourself and others on this board, would rather sit at the back of the crowd and cast stones rather than stepping forward to see what it is that you are targeting. If you actually took the time to become educated on the organization before speaking ill of it, I imagine you may come away with a different perspective.
As for hiring an “OUT-OF-STATE” consultant for the project, give me a break. I’m sure that you refuse to purchase any product or service not made in Wichita….right? First of all, if you care about this so much…get involved! Second, it certainly isn’t hard to grasp the concept that there is value in review from an outsider. Third, when you consider the amount of proprietary data already compiled by NGC, they offer a product not available from a local company.
If nothing else, I hope that you will at least do something to become educated on this topic before writing any further negative comments….although I won’t hold my breath.
Wow – I couldn’t let YP’s comment go. Are you really saying it’s ok to hire a NON-WICHITAN for a WICHITA PROMO? If you are representative of the group, no amount of sorority girls and bar hopping would get me to join.
But an interesting note, all these pro-YPW posters keep saying, “Then tell us YOUR solutions!!!”.
Maybe I’m slow, but just what is the problem all you rising stars are trying to solve? (Other than keeping the Pumphouse in business)
What I love is just like Visioneering they host their web site out of state. Got to love it. Stay here and open a business. We won’t do business with you but maybe someone will.
A small piece of solution: I know people who run web-hosting firms here in Wichita. Help them make money and hire workers by patronizing them rather than out-sourcing elsewhere.
My bottom line is simple. PROFESSIONAL and JOBS development are the keys. Get a critical mass of job opportunities so that if a transplant comes here for a job with a specific company and something happens (layoff, out of business, whatever) that person can go down the street and find good opportunities in his field. That is what has made silicon valley what it is today.
Once we have all those high-tech workers making good money the Pump House will prosper automatically.
ok, first off for the guy up there who posted pictures of the YPW, you selected one picture set, if you go to the home page of that site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ypwichita/) you see the first 4 photos, all with people with red cups in their hand…
Regardless, now YP… I am a young professional with multiple businesses here in town and what does YPW offer me? NOTHING. What does the Chamber offer me? NOTHING. I have talked to so many “one year” members of both the YP and Chamber that its ridiculous. Sure, YPW has expanded into some volunteer work, but still doesn’t do anything for anyone who owns companies, wants to own or wants to do anything other than single minded parties or a volunteer effort here or there.
Where are the business mixers? Where are the introductions to powerful influential Wichitans? Where are the business connections? Where are people to put people into contact with other people? NOWHERE. I can not go to the Chamber or the YPW and ask for a contact at Spirit or Cessna even though it have a Value Added service to offer. So whats the point?
The only thing on the YPW calendar for July is 2 events that involve drinking. Granted, one i could take my family to which is a Wingnuts game, but i wouldn’t just because of the people they would be around.
Again, Whats the point of YPW?
Being embittered about Wichita is not an excuse to attempt to bring others down with you.
The comments in this article really show just how little of an impact we’ve had in certain areas, although I would say these comments are in the far minority of opinions.
RE: Outside Consultant – First, because she has helped several similarly sized communities who had NO YP voice into areas who now have significant YP influence and voice.
Second, and perhaps most significant, it sometimes takes an outside view of things to understand what is and is not working.
Perhaps you are similarly discouraged by the “Minnesota Guys” who have come in and completely reinvigorated our downtown area. They certainly haven’t helped anything, have they?
RE: The bar crowd – YP does have a once per month mingle at a local bar. We try and do these events at new locations as they open up to help attract attention to them.
Similarly, once per year we have a New Years Eve party to ring in the New Year.
You know what else we do?
1) Meet with interns each summer coming into town, hoping to encourage them to come to Wichita to work.
WHO asks us to do this? Local corporations like Boeing, Spirit, Cessna, and Koch.
2) Host Lunch and Learns or dinner events with local, established, and successful Wichitans to expose our young members to their stories of success.
WHO has hosted these events? Mike Miller, inventor of the Knork, the KSN weather team, Koch upper management, among others over the last 4 years.
3) Support and encourage diversity in Wichita by establishing the Team Mosaic who regularly meets to discuss the difficult topics such as race, religion, and ethnicity; tearing down barriers where we can and encouraging a culture of understanding.
We’ve worked with the Hispanic Chamber and with the Urban Professionals ot expand these events whih also occur once per month.
4) We just completed an entire Saturday VOLUNTEER community enhancement project where members of YPW went out and completed many small and medium improvement projects on a specific neighboorhood in Wichita.
We are expanding this line of involvement into its own committee in order to expand upon this facet of our new group.
5) We organized a political debate and review for the 2007 local elections in which YP and Non-YP members alike were encouraged to meet with and talk to local politicians running for office.
The list goes on and on…but PLEASE, feel free to bash our attempts to help young people in the Wichita community. I’m quite certain whatever we are doing in our volunteer capacities PALES in comparison to what you’re doing for the city.
RE: “Newsletter”…the Chamber and YPW are there to be used as tools to HELP you build your business. Neither of them are there to build your business for you.
If you joined the Chamber expecting people to come crashing through your door, throwing money at you because you’re now a member, your money was wasted and your membership foolhardy.
Anyone who can’t see the benefit of having access to thousands of local Wichita business owners and professionals through community events, business mixers, and social mingles probably doesn’t have a full grasp of what it takes to run a business.
Best of luck to you.
RE: Link to Flikr…one might ALSO notice in that link that the event pictures are listed chronologically (that means in order of time they were taken). The last event we had was the Founder’s Day party. You might see, if you’d bothered scrolling down, the THREE pages of pictures on our Community Enhancement project, another 1/2 page on our Community Enhancement celebration bringin children out to meet the fire dept., play on the Moonwalks, and get a nice cookout.
Along with, oh, another 1/2 page of pictures on the diversity leadership program.
We suck.
Wow – a lot has been said since I last checked… I’m not really going to argue anymore because it seems that karacallyn, c-hill, shockerpride, yp, and meverhart said pretty much everything that I would have said. I’m not part of the YPW leadership so I don’t know about the decision to host their website with a non-local company or invite in a non-local consultant but I assume they have their reasons. As far as local business owners who feel like they aren’t being helped – have you ever thought of going to the group with an idea for an event to be hosted at your business? Or offered your services in any way? They may not even know that you exist but would be perfectly happy to work with you. One group can’t be everything to everyone but if you don’t ever speak up then you shouldn’t complain on random message boards. I haven’t been to many YPW events myself because I’m extremely shy and thus not terribly comfortable in those kinds of situations but I’m not sitting around complaining about it becuase I know that it’s a personal problem and not something that I can/should blame on the organization.
“have you ever thought of going to the group with an idea for an event to be hosted at your business? ”
I have and been turned down…
“Or offered your services in any way?”
I have and been turned down…
I was a member of both the YPW AND the Chamber and found absolutely ZERO value to the membership.
Example: I tried for 3 years in a row to provide services at the Chamber Expo Venture and was turned down every time because the naming sponsor didn’t want competition. Of course, the naming sponsor is a multi-million dollar company and I am not. As for YPW, I dont care about mixing with interns, im interested in mixing with heads of Spirit, Koch and Cessna. Where are these mixers?
As for some of the other things that YP and meverhart said, I never bashed the volunteer things, but what benefit does it provide to me as a business owner? Nothing. I Volunteer somewhere around 20 hours EVERY WEEK between Scouts, AYSO and Church, I dont need to volunteer any more.
The political debate back in ‘07 was organized and co-sponsored by the chamber as well, again, very little benefit to the average young entrepreneur.
My point in all of this is not to tear down YPW but to state simply, YPW DOES NOT help or represent ALL young people. They do not help young business owners, they do not help make introductions and they dont have programs to help business to business commerce.
The entire organization is designed to help and work around people who work for big company, not the young business owners. You yourself meverhart said you do these events for Cessna, Koch, etc… , again what good is YPW to young business owners? Please tell me because if im missing something, than let me know. So far, i dont see the benefit in spending $150?? I can still attend the 1 or 2 events a year that are worthwhile.
newsletter mentioned ““one year” members of both the YP and Chamber”. It would be instructive to see how many people/companies join these entities only to decide they aren’t worth the price and drop out. After all, as a business owner my instincts tell me to join such organizations. However, if the organization does not benefit me …
As for encouraging interns to come here and work for the big companies – how does that help job-hunting people who are already here? How does that help the small business owner? That seems to be more in the interest of the big companies by helping to keep wages down by maintaining a surplus of workers.
An additional ‘wondering’: How many small business owners are members of YPW and/or the Chamber? How long to they stay in?
I dropped our Chamber membership after a couple of years. Very disappointing, yet educational. ZERO confidentiality. Mention at a mixer what you do, who you do it for and within 24 hours your competition comes out of the woodwork beating down the doors of your customers going after your work. My doors got beat down by copy machine salespeople.
While pursuing a new facility even contacted GWEDC. They couldn’t help us on the building we selected due to the fact it hadn’t been vacant for 3 years (only 1 1/2).
I was also approached at a local club meeting about assisting another “Young Professional Org” (NOT YPW). They met me at the my office to discuss the benefits they could bring to my business. Found out quickly I was to pay them to sit in my office and come up with ideas, ideas which were not applicable to my business in any way, shape or form. “My Space” was the big thing.
Sorry to be so negative, and truly wish it were different. But that is my experience.
Thanks for your comments Jerry… I have heard many many similar stories. I talked to a guy yesterday about getting on this blog but he was on his way out of town, he asked i dont use his name but describe his situation. He is a young guy, very early 30’s. He works with a few large companies and has a good amount of business, but he also has dropped his chamber membership after a year. He had the same opinions as us. HE also added a nifty statement, “the chamber wanted us to pay them a hefty amount just to have the privilege of being in their event, seems a bit ridiculous to me…”