Greater LEX Leaders Continue to Advocate for Creation of New Kentucky Talent Attraction Marketing Initiative

​Greater LEX leaders continue to advocate for the creation of a new Kentucky Talent Attraction Marketing Initiative. Establishing a statewide talent attraction campaign will complement and strengthen regional efforts like the Greater LEX initiative. Over the past several months, significant progress has been made toward developing a statewide marketing strategy and budget recommendations for the 2026 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly.

​During the 2024 Legislative Session and the last budget cycle, the General Assembly appropriated $250,000 to hire a consultant to design a comprehensive state talent marketing strategy with corresponding budget recommendations. In July 2025, the Legislative Research Commission (LRC) engaged Development Counsellors International (DCI) — a nationally recognized leader in workforce, tourism, and economic development marketing — to conduct an in-depth research study and prepare recommendations for a statewide marketing plan. The goal of this initiative is to understand perceptions, strengths, and challenges in promoting the Commonwealth as a premier place to live and work, with a focus on attracting and retaining key talent both within Kentucky and from targeted out-of-state markets with similar industry clusters.

DCI’s research timeline for building out a comprehensive research study for Kentucky’s Talent Attraction Initiative.​

​​To inform this work, DCI conducted an immersion tour across Kentucky in August 2025, traveling from Pikeville to Paducah as part of the research and discovery phase. During this tour, Commerce Lexington hosted a stakeholder roundtable with local businesses, state professional associations, and educational institutions to share insights on workforce needs in the Greater LEX region.
 
More recently, DCI returned to Kentucky on November 5–7, 2025, to provide legislators and key stakeholders with an update on its initial research findings. The team presented six recommendations for developing a statewide marketing strategy and proposed a three-year implementation plan with a recommended investment of $3–5 million from the General Assembly. DCI testified before the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Protection in Frankfort. These testimonies help inform legislative priorities and budget considerations ahead of the 2026 Regular Session. DCI also presented at the KY Association of Economic Developers (KAED) and KY Travel Industry Association (KTIA) conferences.

DCI’s preliminary recommendations for Kentucky.​

​​With the upcoming session focused on Kentucky’s biennial budget for fiscal years 2026–2028, legislators are currently reviewing funding requests that demonstrate a strong return on investment and broad statewide impact. Continued collaboration among regional partners, including Greater LEX, will be key to ensuring Kentucky’s talent attraction strategy is both effective and sustainable.
 
One of the most compelling finds from the initial research was the need to increase marketing messages that emphasize job opportunities to help retain Kentucky’s college students.  More than 96 percent of Kentucky college and university students would stay in-state if offered a full-time job.  

DCI’s key opportunities for Kentucky’s talent attraction and retention strategy​

​​In December 2025, DCI will provide recommendations on branding and talent messaging to key stakeholders. Commerce Lexington, along with the Kentucky Talent Attraction Coalition, will continue advocating for a state investment in a talent marketing strategy during the 2026 Legislative Session. With DCI’s research slated for completion by March 2026, its findings and recommendations will offer critical insights to help the General Assembly evaluate future investments in expanding Kentucky’s workforce and talent pipeline.

View REsearch Document

View DCI's Presentation