2004 Adopted Resolutions
72nd Annual Meeting
Boston

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CREATIVE INDUSTRIES INDEX

     WHEREAS, the creative industries are arts-centric businesses that range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theatres to commercial film, architecture, and advertising companies; and

     WHEREAS, the creative industries are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the information economy – throughout the country and in every community; and

     WHEREAS, the creative industries play a major role in building and sustaining economically vibrant communities; and

     WHEREAS, the creative industries serve as magnets to attract businesses and their employees, and are the main reason for stimulating a marked increase in cultural tourism; and

     WHEREAS, the creative industries are integral to every community.  Jobs supported by the creative industries cannot, for the most part, be “outsourced” to other countries, but they can enjoy having their work product be one of America’s leading exports, with estimates of $30 billion annually in overseas sales; and

     WHEREAS, Americans for the Arts has embarked on a national study to benchmark and in the future annually measure the growth of the creative industries in America on a national, state and local basis; and

     WHEREAS, for the 2004 benchmark year, Americans for the Arts has found that there are 548,000 creative industry businesses in America, representing 4.3 percent of all U.S. businesses; and

     WHEREAS, Americans for the Arts has further found that these 548,000 creative industry businesses support 2.99 million jobs nationwide, representing 2.2 percent of the U.S. workforce; and

     WHEREAS, Americans for the Arts will be formally releasing further details of the Creative Industries Index this summer and will provide job and business data for the creative industries broken down by geo-political lines for congressional, state delegation, county and city jurisdictions throughout the country;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that members of the United States Conference of Mayors bring this important data to the attention of local, state, and federal policy and lawmakers and private sector leaders for use in fostering creative industries and jobs in order to build economically vibrant communities.