In the movie “Animal House,” when things looked bleak, the Delta House had a simple answer: road trip.

Likewise, with the economy sagging, about 30 Pikes Peak-region business and government leaders headed for Austin, Texas, in a highly unusual effort to pick up tips for how to jump-start the local business climate.

Those on the trip included officials with the city, county, UCCS, chamber of commerce, Economic Development Corp., even Pueblo.

Such a coalition is rare in Colorado Springs. Even rarer is for Springs officials to work in league with the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, a competitor for business prospects.

But look for more collaboration and regional efforts – two chief components of Austin’s winning formula emphasized during the trip.

The capital city’s economic development strategy encompasses five counties, and 13 cities contribute to its economic development plan.

“If we think a little more comprehensively, we might have more critical mass,” said University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak, who organized the trip.

Rod Slyhoff, president of the Pueblo chamber, said the chamber’s sending several people on the Springs-sponsored trip is a first.

“There are more and more things happening on a regional basis nationwide,” Slyhoff said. “Collaboration seems to be the thing that causes economic areas to grow.

“There are things we have to offer that Colorado Springs doesn’t, and vice versa.”

The May 27-29 trip came amid slumping home construction, car sales and sales tax revenue and the loss of thousands of jobs in the region.

In the meantime, Austin is picking up jobs from such giants as Intel, which downsized elsewhere, including layoffs in Colorado Springs.

Billing itself as “The Human Capital,” Austin’s work force has the skills needed to supply the growing tech industry, said Austin Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Dave Porter.

Travis County, in which Austin is located, had an unemployment rate of 5.5 percent in April compared with El Paso County’s 7.7 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Shockley-Zalabak said she wants to duplicate the University of Texas’ “unbelievable job of stimulating the economy.”

UT gave birth to Dell computers and the lithium battery, which could become the standard for energy-efficient vehicles, she said.

Shockley-Zalabak said she learned more about how to commercialize technology developed by UCCS. The university has spun off four small businesses in the past two years, including a homeland defense company and a firm developing software for memory screening for Alzheimer’s patients, she said.

Another area ripe for development is biomedical research, she said.

Although Austin has provided financial incentives via property-tax rebates only five times in recent years, the game is changing, Porter said.

“We’re trying to work with the city and county to come up with some creative things,” he said. “I’ve seen a huge change in the requests for incentives in the last year.”

Austin’s silver bullet, Porter said, is the community’s willingness to work together.

Everyone is pushing to raise $21 million for an economic development job-creation campaign, he said.

Dave Csintyan, Colorado Springs Chamber president and CEO, said the Springs should try to duplicate Austin’s coalition-building.

“If you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and work a problem, you’re welcome into the process” in Austin, he said.

Csintyan said the Pikes Peak region is on the brink of a new era, if the community seizes the moment.

UCCS has launched a regional research effort. A community strategic plan update, called Operation 6035, is under way.

The Gazette and Leadership Pikes Peak are spearheading Dream City 2020, and the Quality of Life survey is due soon.

“We’re at a moment in time where we can cast a whole new dynamic,” he said. “We should not lose this opportunity.”

El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark said the county’s biggest contribution might be simply be moral support.

“Being at the table is extremely important when a company wants to relocate to the Pikes Peak region,” she said. “They expect to be able to talk to the mayor, the commissioners, to know the community and elected officials are supportive of having a healthy business economy.

“It’s about leadership,” she added. “We have to encourage private and public organizations to have a vision for our community.”

The trip was funded by the participating agencies.

The county’s tab of $3,235 for three people came from the county’s enterprise zone administration fund.

The city spent $1,656 for two people to attend.

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WHO ATTENDED

Pam Shockley-Zalabak, chancellor of University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Photo by Carol Lawrence, The Gazette