Your Partner in Growing Your Community

2024 Annual Meeting TENTATIVE Agenda

The tentative agenda is typically ready in January. Highlights may be featured here until that time. It will remain tentative until the event is launched, which is typically in late May.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Fresh Ingredients

Stirring New Ideas into Time-Tested Favorites for Forward-Thinking Economic Development

Public support, infrastructure, jobs, people, streetscapes, and site selector support – all longstanding key components in the recipe for economic development success – enhanced by federal investment, AI, new supply chain strategies, and comprehensive community development, can refine your economic development strategy for tomorrow.

Just when you thought you’ve had a taste of everything in economic development, there is so much more to consider when maintaining a place where people want to live, work, and play, but prepare it for future business and housing development. At this year’s conference, you can gain perspective from a national level on why people are moving today, get hands on practice for communicating with constituents, and have the unique opportunity to provide impact on a microbusiness best practices guide.

As always, we have tours and activities planned that will make your visit to Michigan’s Great North memorable with unique experience, shopping, and of course, tasting.

Tuesday, August 13th

5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Early Arrivals Reception at Boyne Sky Bridge

Wednesday, August 14th

9:00 to 11:30 a.m. MEDA Board of Directors Meeting

12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Conference Registration

2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Concurrent Tours

>> Craft Beverage Tour

Visit Be Well Mead and Cider, Hello Vino, Torch Lake Cellars. End at Shorts Brewery for the Opening Reception.

>> Attainable Housing Project Tour

Visit the Bellaire Lofts and learn about the components that came in to this workforce housing project.

6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Opening Reception at Shorts Brewery Beergarden

7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Trivia Night at TBD

9:00 p.m. Bonfire on Shanty Creek Patio

Thursday, August 15th

8:00 a.m. Registration Opens

8:30 a.m. Conference Welcome

8:45 a.m. Building Public Support
Gain perspective from the corporate, local, and state level, is that how you and your economic development partners can help community members understand economic development so that they celebrate company locations rather than postpone them.
Confirmed Moderator: Nick Posavetz, Vice President, Plante Moran Realpoint
Confirmed Panelists: Terri L. Fitzpatrick, Executive Vice President and Chief Real Estate and Global Attraction Officer; Executive Director, Office of Tribal Business Development, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
Stephanie Fries, MPA, EDFP, Regional Manager, Government Relations, Ford Motor Company
Tyler Rossmaessler, Executive Director, Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance
Invited Panelist: Karen Simpson, Village Manager, Village of Elk Rapids

10:00 a.m. Networking Break

10:15 a.m. OPEN

11:00 a.m. Networking Break

11:15 a.m. Refining Two Key Ingredients: Infrastructure and Jobs
It's been nearly three years since the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was voted on and approved. From roads and bridges to electric buses and drinking water, the bill, in which allocation was to be spread out over five years, is making a difference in many states. Learn the latest on investments in Michigan as well as what can be expected so that communities can prepare.
Potential Moderator: TBD
Confirmed Panelist: Maureen Donohue Krauss, President and CEO, Detroit Regional Partnership
Invited Panelists: Wendy Block, Senior Vice President of Business Advocacy, Michigan Chamber of Commerce
Potential Panelist: Senator Gary Peters

12:15 p.m. Lunch and Membership Meeting

1:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

>> Breaking Through the Noise: Inclusive Communication and Engagement for Local Governments
You have an upcoming development or initiative in your community. How do you effectively communicate and engage this project to your residents? This session will guide you through the process of developing a tailored communication and engagement plan for your community and how to implement it. You'll learn how even the most complicated city initiatives can be communicated effectively with a well-designed plan.
Confirmed Moderator: Nate Geinzer, Founder/CEO, Double Haul Solutions
Confirmed Panelists: Peter Chapman, Founder & CEO, Urban Policy Innovations
Teresa Gillotti, Double Haul Solutions
Torri Mathes, Founder, Mathes Media

>> Aging Population/Housing

>> A Pinch of Planning, A Dash of Local Government Support … Making Housing Deal Happen in Rural Communities
Optimal planning, coordination, and capacity approaches can ease housing deals in rural communities. Hear from one community that has made headway local government leadership, philanthropic support, zoning changes, and other components to make development happen.
Confirmed Speaker: Sarah Lucas, Director, Office of Rural Prosperity
Potential Speakers: Yarrow Brown, Executive Director, Housing North
Representative, Petoskey/Harbor Springs

2:15 p.m. Networking Break

2:30 p.m. Michigan Population Growth Initiatives
Loud and clear is the word that Michigan needs to work on attracting and retaining people in order to keep a healthy economy. Learn about not only the work of the Growing Michigan Together Council, but what individual companies are doing to keep workers, and what some organizations are doing to keep young talent in our state.
Confirmed Moderator: Sam Bailey, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Northern Lakes Economic Alliance
Confirmed Panelist: Jake Manthei, President, Aster Brands
Invited Panelist: Amanda Ellis, Editor in Chief, Livability.com
Potential Panelists: Hilary Doe, Chief Growth Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Representative, Manufacturing Day or Representative, STEM Forward

3:30 p.m. Adjourn for Free Time or Tours

>> Northern Experience Tour
Take a ride to Central Lake for tasting, shopping, and sight-seeing. Visit King Orchards and Mammoth Distillery while you are there.

>> Elk Rapids Marina

6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Awards Reception at TBD

Friday, August 16th

7:30 a.m. Registration Opens

8:00 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

>> Best Practices for Microbusiness Ready Communities
Get a sneak peek at the Microbusiness Ready Communities standard, a best practice guide and support materials for local governments looking to support entrepreneurship and small business sustainability. With the standard set for completion and publication in fall 2024, attendees will have the opportunity to preview and provide feedback on draft materials and discuss how this work can be applied for the greatest impact in communities around Michigan.
Potential Speaker: Richard Murphy, AICP, Program Manager, Policy Research Labs, Michigan Municipal League

>> Talent To Go: Why We Live Where We Live & How to Connect with Talent Prospects
Livability.com, the go-to source for relocation information, shares their extensive relocation research and translates the findings into ideas for bolstering your talent pipeline and using marketing to help your community stand out to talent. You’ll also refresh your knowledge of trends in the talent attraction and retention space and hear expert analysis from the folks at Livability on Michigan’s unique selling points, what’s going well and opportunity areas for winning and retaining talent.
Potential Speaker: Amanda Ellis, Editor in Chief, Livability.com

>> OPEN

8:45 a.m. Networking Break

9:00 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

>> How the Supply Chain Impacts Site Selection
We will profile a different model to supply chain site selection that is proven to be more precise in determining the total impact of the location on the total supply chain costs and the methodologies involved using short outlines of case studies of the actual projects. After determining the “optimum zone” location for the real estate, we would target locations within the “zone radius” agreed to with the client and search for sites, existing buildings, land, etc. depending on the startup targets in the client’s plan.
Potential Speakers: Paul Corbett, Director, Government and Community Affairs, MICHauto, Detroit Regional Chamber

>> Business Support through Streetscape Renovations
If you are considering a Streetscape Project, how do you provide the support that your businesses will need to minimize the impact of the disruption it will create? Having a plan will provide some re-assurances to businesses and demonstrate ongoing support throughout the entire project will ensure their success and yours. We will cover objections, gameplans, tools, partnerships, and the element of creativity to get through an entire year of construction from start to finish.
Confirmed Speaker: Denise Murray, Marketing Consultant, RoamInDowntown.Com

>> Tribal Economic Development Today
Tribal economic development best practices, partnership, and lessons learned during the post-pandemic recovery process.
Potential Speaker: Nathan Burns, Economic Recovery Coordinator, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians

10:00 a.m. Networking Break

10:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

>> Crafting the Perfect Pitch to Site Selectors, Businesses and Talent
Join TEDx speaker and Localintel CEO Dave Parsell as he reveals the potential of combining local knowledge, AI, and data visualizations to create a compelling pitch for your community. Discover how this innovative approach can make your community stand out to site selectors, businesses, and top talent, as well as how to effectively utilize this pitch across your website, social media platforms, and other marketing channels.
Confirmed Speaker: Dave Parsell, CEO, Localintel

>> OPEN for Housing Topic
Potential Speaker: Jill Ferrari, Renovare

>> The Role of Community Development in Economic Prosperity
Community development plays a pivotal role in driving long-term economic prosperity. The symbiotic relationship between vibrant places and economic progress creates the “it factor” regions need today and in the future to both retain and attract talent and business. This session will explore the role community development plays in economic development. We will delve into community development as a multifaceted strategy that extends economic development into areas of placemaking, real estate redevelopment, infrastructure, municipal relationships, and more.
Potential Speaker: Tim Mroz, Senior Vice President, Community Development, The Right Place, Inc.

11:15 a.m. Short Break

11:20 a.m. Why Their Site Was Selected
This year’s site selectors panel will focus on winning sites.
Potential Moderator: Susan Proctor, External Affairs Executive Director, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Panelists TBD

Potential Panelists: TBD

12:30 p.m. General Session OR Adjournment

Corporate Investors

Consumers Energy DTE Logo Small
ITC Logo MEDC 2020 Resized
MSHDA vertical TM Plante Moran Realpoint

Contact Us

Michigan Economic
Developers Association
P.O. Box 15096
Lansing, MI 48901-5096
PH: 517-241-0011
cjorae@medaweb.org