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2025 Annual Conference

2025 Annual Conference
IEDC's Annual Conference brings together economic development professionals, thought leaders, and experts for a high-impact experience. The IEDC 2025 Annual Conference will focus on exploring how economic developers lead the charge in revitalizing communities, making them not just places of recovery, but models for national and international growth. With the help of dynamic presenters such as yourself, conference attendees will learn, discuss and explore vital economic development strategies to improve their communities.

If you require accessibility accommodations please contact Carissa Merritt at cmerritt@iedconline.org and your message will be responded to in 48 business hours.

By interacting with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) or its agents, attending its events, or using its materials, I acknowledge and grant full permission for IEDC to use my likeness, information, photographs, recordings, or other forms of media in its publications without payment or further consideration. I understand that all media produced by IEDC, its agents, or contractors will become the property of the IEDC and authorize them to edit, exhibit, publish, or distribute it for any lawful purpose. I waive any right to inspect or approve the finished product where my likeness appears.
When
9/14/2025 - 9/17/2025
Where
Huntington Place Detroit

Program

   
Description
Time
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
9/14/2025 11:15 AM

Join us for an immersive experience where you'll surgically explore the latest AI and machine intelligence trends, developing plausible futures and personalized impact strategies. This highly interactive session, blending team and individual work, will equip you with cutting-edge tools, skills, and professional development opportunities. Don't miss this chance to shape your future in AI!
Time
12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
9/14/2025 12:30 PM

Talent shortage is a looming crisis across the globe, as companies scramble to source workers with the technical and human skills to thrive in an AI-driven workplace. This session will cover groundbreaking innovations to attract, engage, and retain talent in today’s Smart Machine Age.  Discover the mega trends shaping today’s young people, forge bilateral partnerships, and build stronger pipelines between education and employment and cross national and cultural lines. Walk away with actionable strategies to attract, engage, and empower the best talent today!

Price: Free, but registration is required.
Time
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
9/14/2025 1:00 PM

Time
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
9/14/2025 7:00 PM

Time
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
9/14/2025 7:00 PM

Learn about the 20-year-old academic-private-public regional economic development partnership that has resulted in a robust technology-based economy around the University of Michigan, home to an annual $2B research budget one of the largest of any university in the U.S.  Hear about U of M’s Innovation Partnership initiative and Ann Arbor SPARK harvesting University technology licensing and startup activity to grow companies to scale.  Tour stops include the R&D facility of KLA, a global hardware company, American Center for Mobility which is the nation’s leading open-source facility for testing connected and autonomous vehicles and the famous Zingerman’s Deli for lunch (lunch included).
Time
11:30 AM - 5:15 PM
9/15/2025 11:30 AM

Please note that the number of boxed lunches available for this session is limited and will be capped at the number listed above. To receive a boxed lunch, you must register in advance. Attendees are welcome to join the session regardless of lunch availability; however, once the boxed lunches are claimed, no additional meals will be provided.
Time
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
9/15/2025 11:45 AM

Please note that the number of boxed lunches available for this session is limited and will be capped at the number listed above. To receive a boxed lunch, you must register in advance. Attendees are welcome to join the session regardless of lunch availability; however, once the boxed lunches are claimed, no additional meals will be provided.
Time
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
9/15/2025 11:45 AM

9/15/2025 11:45 AM

Please note that the number of boxed lunches available for this session is limited and will be capped at the number listed above. To receive a boxed lunch, you must register in advance. Attendees are welcome to join the session regardless of lunch availability; however, once the boxed lunches are claimed, no additional meals will be provided.
Time
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
9/15/2025 11:45 AM

Please note that the number of boxed lunches available for this session is limited and will be capped at the number listed above. To receive a boxed lunch, you must register in advance. Attendees are welcome to join the session regardless of lunch availability; however, once the boxed lunches are claimed, no additional meals will be provided.
Time
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
9/15/2025 11:45 AM

What separates technical assistance programs that drive transformative community and small business growth from those that stall out? Join us for a fast-paced, high-impact Lunch & Learn that dives deep into the five most common—and costly—missteps made in technical assistance efforts, and more importantly, how to avoid them. Tailored for economic development professionals who are building or managing Small Business TA initiatives, this session flips the script by highlighting strategies that have empowered communities to deliver smarter support, stronger outcomes, and scalable success—especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs. We’ll explore real-world examples and lessons learned from practitioners who have revitalized their approaches and achieved meaningful results through intentional program design, stakeholder alignment, and outcome tracking. Whether you're launching a new TA initiative or refining an existing one, you’ll leave with practical insights to expand your program’s reach, advance equity, and deepen its impact on small business success and community wealth-building. *Please note that the number of boxed lunches available for this session is limited and will be capped at the number listed above. To receive a boxed lunch, you must register in advance. Attendees are welcome to join the session regardless of lunch availability; however, once the boxed lunches are claimed, no additional meals will be provided.
Time
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
9/15/2025 11:45 AM

Please note that the number of boxed lunches available for this session is limited and will be capped at the number listed above. To receive a boxed lunch, you must register in advance. Attendees are welcome to join the session regardless of lunch availability; however, once the boxed lunches are claimed, no additional meals will be provided.
Time
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
9/15/2025 11:45 AM

9/15/2025 11:45 AM

By invitation-only.
Time
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
9/15/2025 12:00 PM

Experience a behind-the-scenes look at America's Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Gardner-White. Learn about the Parade's history, explore the 200,000 square-foot storyland of floats, and see how artisans bring them to life. You'll get an inside look at the world's largest collection of papier-mâché heads and over 3,000 costumes. Pictures are welcomed!
Time
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
9/15/2025 12:30 PM

While the world knows Dearborn as the home of Ford Motor Company, this city's true economic engine is driven by a different kind of innovation. As the first Arab-majority city in the U.S., Dearborn offers a living case study in small business success unlike any other. For over 150 years, this city has been a powerful incubator for new beginnings, driven by generations of immigrants who arrived with a dream and built it here.

Join Dearborn's leadership for an exclusive tour and seated lunch to hear how culture and community have nurtured this spirit of entrepreneurship. You'll get a firsthand look at how this rich heritage has guided success as we visit select businesses and food production facilities. We'll meet with the founders of our local food economy, from bakeries to supermarkets, to hear their strategies for growth and how the success of these businesses serves as a key driver for workforce development, attracting talent and creating new opportunities. Discover how Dearborn's enduring narrative of hope and hard work translates into tangible economic results.

*Meal included
Time
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
9/15/2025 1:00 PM

LIFT is a nonprofit, public-private partnership between industry, academia, and government which supports our nation's economy and enhances its national security by accelerating innovative advanced manufacturing technology and talent development. Visit LIFT's 100,000-square-foot headquarters in Detroit's historic Corktown neighborhood. A technology accelerator and pilot facility that showcases the “art of the possible” in the future of manufacturing. LIFT also serves as a sandbox where the U.S. industrial base can design, test, and prototype new materials, processes, systems, and curricula.

Please note: tour attendees must be a U.S., NATO, or Australian citizen.
Time
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
9/15/2025 1:00 PM

Launched in 2016, the Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF) reinvests in 10 long-disinvested neighborhoods across the city through a public-private-philanthropic partnership that brings a suite of tools and partners to each area: commercial corridor investment, catalytic parks, streetscape improvements, and housing stabilization, all shaped by a year-long planning study in partnership with residents and stakeholders. This initiative has invested over $300M to date.  Invest Detroit will showcase two SNF neighborhoods, highlighting development projects, small businesses, and public space investments in these commercial corridors.
Time
1:30 PM - 4:00 PM
9/15/2025 1:30 PM

Explore the newly restored Michigan Central Station and the surrounding 30-acre innovation district in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. Originally opened in 1913 and closed in 1988, the historic Beaux-Arts station has undergone a six-year, $740 million restoration led by Ford Motor Company. Learn how Michigan Central is advancing next-generation transportation, workforce development, and neighborhood revitalization, all while honoring the legacy of Detroit’s past.
Time
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
9/15/2025 1:30 PM

Time
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
9/15/2025 2:30 PM

9/15/2025 6:00 PM

Sponsored by Kellogg Foundation and Walker Miller
Time
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
9/15/2025 7:00 PM

Time
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
9/15/2025 7:00 PM

9/16/2025 12:00 PM

Time
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
9/16/2025 1:30 PM

Enjoy taking in the sights and sounds of the iconic, international Detroit RiverWalk with a walking tour from Cullen Plaza to Robert C. Valade Park. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy will showcase this transformative project improving public space and boosting tourism for the city.
Time
1:30 PM - 4:00 PM
9/16/2025 1:30 PM

Enjoy a walking tour that takes you through the heart of Detroit’s central business district, highlighting three cornerstone developments led by Bedrock. Each stop showcasing a unique piece of Detroit’s past and future. Stops include: 1. Book Tower, 2. Hudson’s Project development site, that will feature office and retail space, a hotel, residences, and an observation space and 3. the Urban Tech Exchange (UTX) at the Julian C. Madison Building, a collaborative workspace for Detroit’s tech and innovation community.
Time
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
9/16/2025 1:30 PM

Get transported into an era of musical magic by walking in the footsteps of your favorite Motown artists where hit after hit was recorded in the original Studio A from 1959 to 1972. Exploring the gallery of rare historic photos and glittering stage uniforms. Seeing the apartment that was home to young Berry Gordy and his family, the early Motown offices, Control Room and Tape Library. You’ll also can shop the museum gift store for memorabilia, quintessential CDs, DVDs, and iconic graphic T-shirts.
Time
1:30 PM - 4:00 PM
9/16/2025 1:30 PM

Discover how Detroit’s iconic Cultural Center is being reimagined through the innovative Cultural Center Planning Initiative, blending world-class arts, education, and public space in this dynamic walking tour.
Time
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
9/16/2025 2:00 PM