Civic News

PhillyPolice.com, Project Liberty, Seed Philly: an update on January news of the recent past

It’s a look back into our archives in an effort to check back on stories that made news in the past.

South Broad Street as seen from the top of City Hall. (Photo by Christopher Wink)

As January 2013 closes, what has come and what remains from past first-months in the technology community?

A year ago, Center City tech startup incubator Seed Philly launched and is still finding its footing. Two years ago, we learned of a 14-year low in venture funding in the region. Three years ago, tourism agency GPTMC finished its rebranding with the launch of VisitPhilly.com, and almost four years ago, the Philadelphia police launched their own new website.

Where do those efforts stand today? It’s a look back into our archives in an effort to check back on stories that made news in the past.

January 2010

GPTMC rebrands, refocuses its online efforts as tourism engine

  • On January 13, 2010, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. introduced its new online home, VisitPhilly.com, bringing in bigger photos and a more affective incorporation of its content. Along with the site’s clearer navigation system, GPTMC introduced 25 new advertisements in its With Love, Philadelphia XOXO campaign and a new commercial. Presuming that Visit Philly would be more memorable than go Phila, the move sought to create simpler search engine optimization.
  • Making Visit Philly even more interactive, GPTMC partnered with Foursquare in 2012 to create a “Check In to a Masterpiece” list of 12 pieces of Philadelphia art extending across mediums, genres and time periods. By hitting the Visit Philly Foursquare page, tourists and residents of the city competed to become the mayor of one or more of these masterpieces by checking in when they visited one of the works on the list.

National tech publications make lists that don’t put Philadelphia as a leader

January 2011

Venture capital investment sags following the economic recession in the region

Philadelphia Police have sought new web communications tools to get public help

January 2012

The publishers of the Philadelphia daily papers fully launch a media tech startup incubator

Center City incubator Seed Philly launches into a quickly-growing community of startup housing and tries to find its place

This report was done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods program, the capstone class for the Temple’s Department of Journalism.

Companies: Visit Philadelphia / Seed Philly / SEER Interactive / Technical.ly

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

Not all jobs are the same. Why do workforce agencies treat them like they are?

After nearly a decade, the federal program for immigrant entrepreneurs is finally working

Block the bots or feed them facts? How Technical.ly uses AI in journalism

Philly officials raise the alarm about AI fakes ahead of Election Day

Technically Media