OCTOBER 2018 contents 4 Fresh Connection Internet of Things opens up a world of possibilities for every smart city and business. 5 City Likes Coachella Valley residents share more than the sun. COACHELLA VALLEY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP 6 Peak Performance The Coachella Valley JOE WALLACE Economic Partnership’s annual summit Chief Executive Oicer presents an overview of economic LESA BODNAR Chief of Sta conditions. LAURA JAMES Director of Economic Development 7 The Need for Speed A joint eort moves AGUSTIN ARAGON toward access to high bandwidth for Economic Development Associate F commercial entities. DAVID ROBINSON F O GIS Coordinator O C REBECCA MARTINEZ C U 8 Budding Opportunities A change in laws Accounting U S PATTY CLOUSER S opens the door for commercial products Administrative Assistant and services related to cannabis. 3111 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way 10 Coming Together at the Seams Fashion meets Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-340-1575 technology for the beneit of customers, [email protected] businesses, and the environment. DESERT 12 Study for College GIS tools and methods PUBLICATIONS INC. helped a local institution evaluate FRANKLIN W. JONES campus locations. Publisher STEVEN BILLER Editor-in-Chief 13 EMILY CRAWFORD Still a Buzzword To be or not to be Creative Director sustainable becomes less of a question JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT Editor for forward-thinking companies. JIM AUGUSTO Art Director OLGA REYES 14 The Finish Line Scott White completes our Managing Editor personality proile. MIRANDA CAUDELL, EMILY CHAVOUS Senior Editors 303 N. Indian Canyon Drive ILLUSTRATIONS BY Palm Springs, CA 92262 Rob Wilson 760-325-2333 PHOTOGRAPHS BY palmspringslife.com Neil Husvar 3 The Internet of Things seeps into conversations as the next big technology to attract the investment and eorts of entrepreneurs. Devices integrate Wi-Fi and CITY LIKES sensors. Smart-phone ownership has skyrocketed. And the Coachella Valley stands poised to capitalize on COACHELLA 62 the attendant opportunities. During the irst half of this year, the Coachella Valley VALLEY — and in particular Desert Hot Springs — scored a big RESIDENTS win when Comcast decided to install its MachineQ 111 platform there for the hydrometers developed by SHARE MORE 10 Seco Sys at the Palm Springs iHub. THAN THE SUN IoT refers to the technology of allowing devices 86 111 to communicate with each other through the 74 WORDS BY internet. IoT-capable products in use include David Robinson, cell phones, coeemakers, washing machines, GIS coordinator headphones, lamps, wearable technology, and machine components such as self-driving modules 0 5 10 Miles in automobiles and surgical-enhancement tools. The sensors and control systems that enable cities to claim “smart city” status comprise part of the IoT universe. While the analyst irm Gartner says that by 2020 there will be more than 26 billion connected devices, We live in a political age of division. In this LOCATION, Age others have estimated the number will grow to more derisive maelstrom, we forget how much LOCATION, From 2010 to 2018, the average age of U.S. citizens rose TERMS OF than 100 billion in that time frame. The relationships we have in common with others. So let’s LOCATION 1.4 years. Only Indian Wells saw a decline of 1.4. The ENGAGEMENT As part of our enhanced by IoT will include people-to-people, take time to explore socioeconomic and other cities’ median ages climbed an average of two F Internet of Things mission to encourage F people-to-things, and things-to-things. demographic data, accessed through years, with the highest jump being Palm Desert at O refers to the network- innovative businesses O ing capability that In the near future, the mantra for places that do Coachella Valley Economic Partnership’s to relocate here, 4.6 years. Median ages across the valley are projected C C allows information not want to be left behind will be, “Anything that can GIS system, and highlight characteristics Coachella Valley to move upward from 2018 to 2023, with an average of U U to be sent to and be connected, will be connected.” There are many that we share in this beautiful valley we Economic Partnership 1.5 years, twice the projected U.S. increase of 0.7 years. S received from objects helps them ind optimal S examples of what life in a fully connected world would call home. and devices (such as locations to reach ixtures and kitchen be like. For example, on your way to a meeting, your self- their ideal customers. Housing appliances) using driving car could access your calendar and choose the Geography We search for locales Not surprisingly, the Coachella Valley has far fewer FRESH the internet. best route to take. If you run into unexpected traic, your The ridges of our surrounding mountains where demographic residential properties being occupied by their owners car may text the other party with a revised time of your form the edges of the valley, but what dierences (e.g., higher than the national average of 63.06 percent. All nine CONNECTION Blockchain is a digital disposable income or database containing arrival. Your home may have sensors that control all of de ines our Riverside County region lies recreational habits) cities report smaller numbers, with Coachella the information (such as the creature comforts with maximum eiciency — with underground: a 65-mile-long aquifer. In are highlighted. But highest at 57.4 percent and Palm Springs the lowest at INTERNET OF records of inancial no eort on your part. Wearable devices may monitor fact, when aggregating data, we use the we never lose sight of 37.4 percent. Home values in the valley are projected transactions) that can be your vital signs and alert you to times when you are at groundwater basin as a boundary, cutting the fact that our nine to rise in the next ive years at well above the projected simultaneously used and THINGS OPENS your best or in need of rejuvenation. o where it meets Imperial County. cities share the great national rate of 16 percent. Only two cities are expected shared within a large, opportunities of close UP A WORLD OF decentralized, publicly IoT can be applied to things like transportation access to a major to see a smaller increase: Indian Wells at 12 percent and accessible network. networks. Smart cities can help us reduce waste and Population interstate corridor, Rancho Mirage at 11 percent. Values in the valley’s other POSSIBILITIES improve eiciency for things such as energy use. Probably the most signi icant shared rail lines, and the cities should rise at higher rates, with Desert Hot Springs Source: Merriam-Webster FOR EVERY Questions about security create potential deterrents demographic is population growth. All nation’s largest port. the most at a projected 40 percent. By a great majority, SMART CITY AND to the adoption of IoT devices in a ubiquitous manner. nine cities are projected to gain citizens most people in the Coachella Valley live in households Will someone be able to hack into your toaster or empty in the next ive years at rates higher than of two or more persons (not necessarily related). BUSINESS. your bank account? Will personal privacy become the national average of 0.81 percent per obsolete with a billion sensors snooping into your year. Even the lowest-projected growth Employment WORDS BY business? This is a topic of some urgency, as not a week rate of 0.97 percent in Rancho Mirage is The service industry employs the most residents in the Joe Wallace, CEO goes by without a hack disrupting inancial transactions, above that, while Indio tops local growth Coachella Valley, with all cities above 50 percent — well energy grids, and even election results. projections at 1.72 percent. The national above the national average of 15.6 percent. Working in conjunction with IoT, blockchain average for increases in population technology provides an electronic ledger for secure between 2000 and 2018 was 6.3 percent; CVEP aims to diversify and strengthen the economy of transactions with unknown entities. It is ful illing to Coachella Valley cities experienced much the entire valley. With this regional view, it is paramount know that the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership higher expansions. The lowest growth, in to focus simultaneously on the opportunities and and the Palm Springs iHub have been at the leading Palm Springs at 11 percent, was still just shy challenges that we share. Our unifying characteristics edge of bringing these modern opportunities into the of twice the national average. Coachella can provide the impetus for an endless exploration of realm of possibility for the Coachella Valley. n saw an astonishing 93 percent growth. innovation and entrepreneurship. n 4 2018 GREATER PALM SPRINGS 2018 GREATER PALM SPRINGS 5 SUPPORTING ROLES An event that reaches a large cross section of the local community and delivers pragmatic and relevant data presents an opportunity for businesses to get PEAK involved. A variety of sponsorship PERFORMANCE opportunities are available, and levels of recognition have been established for THE COACHELLA organizations of all sizes. The summit VALLEY ECONOMIC is promoted across Considering the six hours it took the Coachella Valley PARTNERSHIP’S several marketing Economic Partnership to transmit a large data ile to platforms: digital, San Bernardino, CEO Joe Wallace says, “We could ANNUAL SUMMIT television, radio, print, and public have burned a disk, driven it to San Bernardino, come PRESENTS AN relations. Sponsors back, had dinner, and watched a movie. That’s how OVERVIEW OF have the opportunity challenged our bandwidth is. to be recognized “We are in the late stages of establishing a digital through these iHub with Palm Desert and the Palm Desert campus ECONOMIC valleywide marketing CONDITIONS.