The value tag contains lodge rooms, transportation and meals and drinks for a handful of executives from Bezos Academy, LinkedIn and different corporations. Tickets to the Derby at Churchill Downs have been the most important single expense, popping out to simply over $80,000.

Greenberg’s spokesperson Kevin Trager mentioned in a press release that the Derby permits the town’s financial growth crew to showcase “the very best of Louisville.”

“We’re assured that after seeing all our metropolis has to supply and assembly members of our superb group this distinctive financial growth alternative will result in the continued progress and strengthening of our financial system,” Trager mentioned final week.

Greenberg and his spouse additionally hosted a brunch on Derby Day attended by a number of hundred folks, in keeping with Trager. The invite checklist was a who’s who of group leaders and metropolis officers together with Metro Council members, members of the Brown and Bingham households and “mayor’s workplace workers, spouses, youngsters, relations, and buddies,” data present. Greenberg spent $15,748 on meals from Mayan Cafe and $3,417 on flowers, napkins and linens.

The general price of Greenberg’s Derby internet hosting was greater than final yr, when Mayor Greg Fischer spent round $140,000.

The visitor checklist

In contrast to Fischer, Greenberg publicly launched his visitor checklist forward of Kentucky’s premier horse racing occasion. The Fischer administration refused to establish his Derby friends all through his 12-year time period, arguing it could have a detrimental impression on the town’s skill to recruit new corporations. Metro Council voted in 2018 to permit the Louisville mayor to maintain their Derby friends secret.

On Could 2, Greenberg introduced seven executives throughout totally different industries accepted Louisville’s Derby invite. Three friends had donated to his latest main and basic election campaigns.

Marketing campaign finance data confirmed Valerie Bruce, the overall supervisor of BBC Studios – Los Angeles, contributed $4,000 to Greenberg’s campaigns. Dan Roth, who’s the vice chairman and editor-in-chief of Linkedin, gave $3,000 to Greenberg between his two campaigns. Roth’s spouse Lisa, who was additionally certainly one of Greenberg’s friends, donated $4,000. Dan Roth grew up in Louisville and, alongside together with his siblings, just lately made a donation to the renovation challenge on the Trager Household Jewish Neighborhood Heart.

Different executives who attended Derby as Greenberg’s friends have been:

• Mike George, President of Bezos Academy, and partner Beth
• Rob Mills, Vice President of Unscripted and Various Leisure for Walt Disney Tv
• Donna Orender, CEO of Orender Limitless and former president of the WNBA, and partner M.G.
• T.J. Rodgers, founding father of Cypress Semiconductor Company, and partner Valeta
• Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, and partner Leigh

Greeberg’s workplace didn’t say why they selected to ask these friends, however many work in industries which have turn out to be a precedence for native and state leaders.

For instance, Fischer introduced final December that the long-vacant Louisville Gardens constructing downtown could be renovated into soundstages for movie, tv, music and digital manufacturing. The builders, River Metropolis Leisure Group, LLC, are hoping to get incentives from the state to assist cowl some development prices. Greenberg’s workplace mentioned Thursday cleanup work on the Gardens will start subsequent month.

In 2021, the Kentucky Basic Meeting revived the state’s movie tax credit score program with a view to incentivize movie corporations to shoot right here. The BBC Studios’ L.A. arm has produced exhibits like “Dancing with the Stars” and “High Gear America.” Mills, in the meantime, oversees the creation and manufacturing of actuality tv for the Disney, ABC and Hulu manufacturers.

Mike George, president of Bezos Academy, was on the town in March to announce its first tuition-free preschool in Kentucky. Anticipated to open in 2025, the Montessori-style pre-Kindergarten program might be positioned adjoining to Jefferson Inexperienced and Jefferson’s Touchdown, reasonably priced housing developments in Okolona.

Whereas on the marketing campaign path, Greenberg promised to make common entry to preschool a actuality in Louisville.

Donna Orender’s look on Greeberg’s Derby visitor checklist could possibly be associated to the long-standing efforts by followers and deep-pocketed group leaders to carry knowledgeable basketball crew to Louisville. The town hasn’t had knowledgeable basketball crew because the Kentucky Colonels folded within the mid-Seventies.

There’s no publicly accessible details about plans LinkedIn might need for Louisville or metropolis efforts to draw the corporate, and Trager didn’t instantly reply to a query about this.

It wouldn’t be Greenberg’s first foray into the tech world: LEO Weekly obtained emails in February displaying his administration is making an attempt to lure YouTube creators Dude Excellent to find a proposed $100 million theme park right here.