Georgia’s Creative Economy

Esports are on the rise in Atlanta, the mecca of conventions and easy Delta flights. Companies like SkillShot Media attract gaming audiences and viewer engagement within this niche, but large, online community. 

A Georgia Esports League event hosted at the Skillshot Media HQ in Uptown Atlanta. | Photo credit: Skillshot Media

Influencer marketing agencies support local content creators, turning their viewers into customers. Google (parent company to YouTube.com, one of the original influencer platforms) has more than 200 employees in its Atlanta office, which serves as its Southeastern sales hub.

Let’s not forget the expansive film and production infrastructure that occupies miles of the state’s square footage. In 2023, Georgia surpassed New York in square footage of film stage space and remains #2 in the country behind California. 2023 also marked the 50th anniversary of the Georgia Film Office and ushered in $4.1 billion spent on production in the state. 

Georgia is also home to SCAD, a renowned arts institution offering degrees in film and television in both Atlanta and Savannah.

Multi-channel Revenues

These creative industries bring revenue through many different channels, sparring attention from the state’s legislature and national site selectors. 

David Sutherland reported in the first annual publication from Georgia Entertainment, “In Georgia, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that our Creative Economy contributes $23.8 billion to Georgia’s economy annually, representing 4.0% of the state’s GDP, and 134,217 jobs.”

Those who have made their careers in the entertainment industry remain hopeful that Georgia legislators’ continued support will sustain and advance the economic significance of these industries. Content creators and influencers in Georgia need support and management of their personal brands and sponsorship affiliations, creating new opportunities in marketing and public relations for the emerging workforce to utilize their prowess with online platforms. 

In addition to generating revenue, these industries aim to foster a creative culture that creates unity through opportunity.  Seeing a film or tv show branded with the iconic “Made in Georgia” peach logo sparks a sense of pride that something created in your backyard reached a global audience. Live gaming tournaments offer a close-to-home opportunity to interact with your favorite streamers and content creators. 

This is the message that Georgia Entertainment delivers through its advocacy. Not only is it personally fulfilling for creative types to find close-to-home opportunities, but it’s also culturally significant. The impact of the film industry, fame of the music industry, and unique attraction of esports offer a space for creative types to unite and create media with a locally significant context. 

On April 23, Georgia Entertainment hosted its bi-annual Signature Georgia Entertainment 100 event at Eagle Rock Studios in Norcross, sponsored by Gateway 85 & Georgia Entertainment, where they announced the Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year.

Left to Right: Randy Davidson, Founder/Investor, Georgia Entertainment; Tim Minard, Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year; Steven Cohen, United Talent Agency; Jezlan Moyet, Georgia Entertainment. | Photo credit: Georgia Entertainment

Tim Minard, CEO of Eclipse Gaming, was named Georgia’s Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year. This award is given to a Georgian involved in the business of entertainment and committed to the growth of Georgia’s creative economy.

Tim Minard, Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year. | Photo credit: Georgia Entertainment

Minard spoke on the film industry’s successes in the recent legislative session, which he described as a “tough session,” and thanked the legislatures in attendance and those who actively supported the campaign. Georgia’s opportunities in film and entertainment “go beyond an incentive,” he said. “Georgia has the infrastructure and is a great place to live.”

Gwinnett County is home to nine film, commercial and music studios. Locally within Gwinnett County, Minard remarked that the state is a “global hub” for film production due to its location and that the economic impact of the film is “multi-faceted,” offering job creation and bringing creative people to businesses in the county.

Lisa Anders, Executive Director of Explore Gwinnett, spoke on the county’s commitment to workforce training through film programs offered in Gwinnett County schools; only one high school in Gwinnett is without a film program. 

Fresh Films, an educational production company, celebrated their 20th anniversary of the program’s conception in Lawrenceville. They were recognized by Georgia Entertainment as their featured non-profit for their efforts in providing underrepresented groups education in production skills high-level production companies want. The program’s alumni work at HBO, Hulu, Disney, Marvel, Netflix and Lifetime, to name a few. 

Fresh Films Students. | Photo credit: Georgia Entertainment

Teri Yago-Ryan, National Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships of Fresh Films, spoke on the impact of their educational programs. “Our programs work,” and she wants the emerging workforce to know, “you have a right and opportunity to be a part of this industry.”

“To all the entrepreneurs, let’s make Georgia the creative, cultural entertainment capital of the world.” – Jezlan Moyet, Sr. VP of Georgia Entertainment

Strengthening Culture Through Entertainment

While the esports industry is not (yet) as profitable as Georgia’s film industry, Georgia’s multiple esports agencies and Atlanta Esports Venture’s teams draw their own network of support. Georgia’s emphasis on creative education and workforce training expands to every industry, including esports. The attention to this emerging industry led to Georgia being one the first of five states to approve sanctioned varsity esports competition in high school.

On April 27th, Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming hosted the 2024 CreatorSummit at their headquarters in Uptown. Uptown is a developing business park in Buckhead and home to the MARTA headquarters. 

Panel from left to right: Sanjay Patel, Soccer in the Streets Atlanta; Moderator Jihan Johnston, NASEF; Julian Fitzgerald, Cxmmunity; Brandon Butler, Butter. ATL; Bem Joiner, Atlanta Influences Everything

The panel, Creating Content For Social Impact, featured Bem Joiner of Atlanta Influences Everything, Brandon Butler of Butter.ATL, Sanjay Patel of Soccer in the Streets Atlanta and Julian Fitzgerald of Cxmmunity. The panel was moderated by Jihan Johnston of the NASEF. 

Atlanta Influences Everything is known for their t-shirts and slogan, products meant to encapsulate the cultural significance of Atlanta, from music to fashion to food to diversity and beyond. 

“When we came up with the statement, it was a retort to Nike back in 2015, claiming that Atlanta didn’t have something like The Bean in Chicago, or other things like in LA or New York, and they were right. We weren’t cohesively telling our story or controlling the narrative.” – Bem Joiner, Co-Founder, Atlanta Influences Everything

The panel spoke on the importance of having a defined culture within the city of Atlanta. How sentiments like “We’re full” or “I grew here, you flew here” do little to foster community and inclusion. An urban culture that is easily recognizable and enticing to be a part of can absolutely be utilized for workforce and economic development.

“We know how individuals influence, but how does the city and culture influence?” Joiner asked. 

Shaquille O’Neil is a well-known Atlantan with a lot of influence in the city. He’s also a Founding Partner of Majority, a marketing & advertising agency built upon a diversity-led talent model. 

Partner and Chief Culture & Innovation Officer at Majority, Brandon Butler, echoed Joiner’s sentiments of how lack of inclusion in the culture can distance residents from their city’s influence, “People are coming into the city, but not connecting to the culture. How can we celebrate Atlanta?”

404 day – April 4th (4/04) – is one such celebration that boosts cultural awareness of all that Atlanta has to be proud of. From 404 Day grew the 404 Fund, created in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, supporting scholarships and grants, youth education and employment initiatives, housing and food insecurity services and mental health programs in the city of Atlanta.

Unlike other major American cities whose brands have been defined, our brand seems to still be coming to fruition. 404 day lets everyone tap in and define ourselves. – Brandon Butler

Julian Fitzgerald, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Cxmmunity Foundation and Co-Owner of Gaming Cxmmunity Co. works to increase the representation of minorities in gaming and esports.

“We want to engage with students organically through the community and through hosting our own events, show parents and stakeholders what it means to engage and nurture students in this ecosystem, and increase incentives to engage amongst themselves.” 

The Thomasville Recreation Center, which opened in October of 2023, offers this training through the City of Atlanta’s partnership with Gaming Cxmmunity Co. “to take kids and teens to the next level in learning tech.” 

Fitzgerald stressed the importance of exposure to the industry, and accommodations for hosting esports events – all of which Atlanta has in abundance. 

The World Cup is on its way

Sanjay Patel is the Director of Strategic Partnership at Soccer in the Streets Atlanta, a youth development non-profit that serves the metro region in spaces like Marta stations, schools and community stations. “Today, there are six of these stations around the city, and folks like Brandon and Bem are creating spaces for children and their families. We’re not a soccer club trying to find the next soccer superstar, we’re about access to the game, access to pathways to work and access to development.”

With the World Cup coming to Atlanta in 2026, Patel spoke on how events like 404 Day are pilots for the World Cup. “We want to put the Atlanta Public Schools, DeKalb Public Schools, Fulton County Schools’ children at the forefront of the World Cup and design what these stations will look like.”

Fitzgerald commented on the importance of finding the right people to work with,  organizations like the Atlanta Sports Council, that will plan meaningful events when the World Cup comes to Atlanta. 

“I don’t want to just throw parties when the World Cup comes. I want to build and give businesses the opportunity to build with us. The way to connect with the culture is by connecting with the people who are doing the work early so we can infuse that into the things that will be happening.” – Julian Fitzgerald, Cxmmunity

Building culture through partnerships, supporting the creative industries, welcoming entertainers and emerging workforces, fine-tuning education and focusing on social impact are all key drivers to growing and sustaining Georgia’s creative economy. 

The current legislature is in support of these industries, and with enough attention, Atlanta and Georgia are poised to become desirable locations for the wide variety of creative industries that can be supported here, both culturally and economically.