GMC Launches $340,000 Regional Marketing Effort to Support Workforce, Tourism in Downtown Keene and Peterborough

Together, these campaigns represent a significant investment in the region’s long-term economic vitality and are part of GMC’s broader Magnify Monadnock initiative, which works to attract visitors, workers, and future residents by elevating the region’s quality of life and economic opportunities.

“These campaigns are intentionally aligned,” says Julie Schoelzel, President and CEO of the GMC. “Tourism strengthens our downtowns and small businesses, especially during periods of disruption, while workforce marketing helps employers grow and remain competitive. Together, they support a stronger, more resilient regional economy.”

The first initiative is a manufacturing workforce marketing campaign with a total investment approaching $240,000. Developed in partnership with regional employers and Sentinel Solutions media agency, the campaign, called “Build a Rich Life,” is running advertisements across multiple digital platforms throughout New England, promoting the opportunity to live and work the Monadnock Region. The campaign responds to a long-standing workforce shortage identified by regional employers, particularly in manufacturing, that has limited growth and competitiveness across the Monadnock Region.

Central to the campaign is a dedicated landing page: www.monadnocknh.com/work-here/manufacturing/ — designed and built by Keene marketing agency Communicators Group, where job seekers can submit their resume once, which is then shared with all participating manufacturing employers. Users can also opt in to have their resume submitted to Masiello Employment Services, further expanding their employment opportunities. The campaign, which was launched in late December 2025, has already had more than 750,000 impressions, driven more than 10,000 visitors to the manufacturing page where more than 120 people have submitted their resume.

In addition to highlighting immediate job openings, the campaign promotes education-to-career pathways, including the one-year Precision Optics certificate and four-year degree programs at Keene State College.

“Identifying and hiring the best talent to support and grow local companies, like Nanotech, is vitally important to both the company and the region” shared Mark Boomgarden, President & CEO of Moore Nanotechnology Systems. He added “Partnering with the GMC, Keene State College and other area manufacturers to find creative ways to market the region, to include The Build a Rich Life campaign, helps people see the real career opportunities available, while also showcasing why the Monadnock Region is a great place to live.”

The Build a Rich Life campaign is funded through a Catalyst Grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC).

In addition, GMC is launching a $100,000 tourism marketing campaign developed with Freitag Marketing to promote visitation to Keene and Peterborough throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Seventy-five percent of this investment will focus specifically on driving visitors to downtown Keene, supporting local businesses during the downtown reconstruction project scheduled to begin this spring. Twenty-five percent of this investment will focus on driving visitors to downtown Peterborough and highlighting its festivals and outdoor recreation.

This tourism campaign is funded through Joint Promotional Program (JPP) grant funding from the BEA’s Division of Travel and Tourism Development.

The tourism campaign will target visitors from across New England and beyond, highlighting the region’s vibrant downtowns, outdoor recreation, arts and culture, dining, and community events. The campaign will run across multiple digital platforms and direct potential visitors to dedicated landing pages designed to make trip planning easy while driving traffic to local businesses and attractions. Both initiatives fall under Magnify Monadnock, GMC’s long-term strategy to market the Monadnock Region as a place where people can work, visit, and build a rich, fulfilling life. These efforts reflect the unique role a regional chamber can play – bringing together employers, educators, and state partners to invest strategically in the long-term success of the communities it serves.

For more information about the campaigns or the Greater Monadnock Collaborative’s work, visit www.monadnocknh.com.