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2023 Webinar Half-Series

IEDC is pleased to present the 2023 Webinar Series. This year's series features four, two-part miniseries focusing on current issues in economic development. The goal of the webinar series is to provide economic development professionals and stakeholders with targeted insights and technical know-how that will help them succeed in their important work. Guiding these discussions will be top thought leaders with real-world expertise. This year our series will focus on: 

- Effective Marketing Strategies  
- Global Opportunities  
- Data-Driven Decision Making 
- Innovative Solutions for Housing & Care Shortages 

Please select 4 of the 8 webinars listed below when registering for this half-series.
When
7/13/2023 2:00 PM - 12/31/2023 3:00 PM

Program

   

Thursday, 13 July 2023

Description
Effective LinkedIn Marketing Strategies
Did you know that LinkedIn has more than 610 million members, of which 153 million are actual decision makers, and that LinkedIn is responsible for 80% of business deals that transpire from social media? Including LinkedIn as part of your overall online integrated marketing strategy is vital to the growth of your community. Join part one of our marketing strategies series as we take a deep dive into:

- The do's and don'ts of Linked In marketing
- Developing targeted Linked In strategies
- Getting the most bang for your marketing bucks
- Measuring the success of your Linked In marketing strategies
Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:00 PM

Wednesday, 02 August 2023

Description
How Marketing Your Region Drives Local Growth
It's unanimous: site selectors have all agreed that the most effective marketing strategy for communities is to promote regionally. Regionalism encourages local governments to pool resources, and efforts. Collaborating in this way creates more effective strategies that all stakeholders both big and small, can participate in. It also creates a larger budget to deliver stronger results. Join part two of our marketing strategies series as we highlight: 

- Winning regional strategies that have attracted businesses and a talented workforce
- The detrimental impacts of not integrating a regional strategy 
- How regionalism drives successful relationships with site selectors
Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:00 PM

Thursday, 10 August 2023

Description
Making Global Goals a Local Affair
For communities wanting to grow, attract and retain a talented workforce and create a lasting impact, adopting and advancing the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is imperative. While the scale and scope of the global goals are unprecedented, all business communities can contribute to the United Nations SDGs. Part 1of our Global Opportunities series will convene a panel of international stakeholders to discuss how your community can prosper by becoming engaged on the SDGs, including:

- An understanding of the 17 SDGs
- New business growth opportunities and emerging industries 
- How partaking in the SDG's has become an important factor in the 'war for talent'
- How quality of life may further strengthen within communities that take action to advance the SDGs
- How to leverage existing strategies and goals around the SDG's
Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:00 PM

Thursday, 24 August 2023

Description
Running a Successful International Sister Cities Program
In addition to trade delegations and tourism dollars, sister city programs create connections with international municipal officials, institutions, and businesses. These connections build trust, access, and expertise that help local businesses find new opportunities. Whether it is access to new markets, assistance navigating import and export regulations, or introductions to new partners, sister city programs expand the resources available to local businesses. This webinar is designed to meet the following learning objectives: 

- Highlight best practices of sister cities programs that attract private and public investment
- Learn from diverse communities that have attracted tourism dollars, capitalized on business growth and expansion from international trade relationships
- Receive insights on how sister cities facilitate port-to-port relationships that increase trade routes and transportation hubs
Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:00 PM

Thursday, 07 September 2023

Description
The Importance of Understanding Your Local Demographics
If you are like most economic development professionals that provide technical assistance and services to the business community, then it can be challenging to find or understand the existing data. You should know things like 'how many non-employer businesses exist in your community' and 'what percentage of your populations has a bachelor's degree or higher' but may not know where to look or how best to articulate that data in the context of your daily work. By sharing some real-world examples, this webinar will:

- Identify the top data sources for learning and understanding your community demographics 
- Uncover hidden data points that can further highlight the selling points of your community
- Learn how to access and download various data sources that will help communicate your value proposition to elected officials, and key stakeholders
Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:00 PM

Thursday, 21 September 2023

Description
Communicate Value Through Benchmarks and Data
Job creation, commercial tax base, and median salary are standard metrics for communicating economic development successes. However, innovative and forward-thinking EDOs are shaking things up by measuring the number of new patents, emerging industry exports, commuter times, venture capital investment, and Generation Alpha spending. 

Communicating value propositions through clear and fresh metrics is imperative in a post covid economy. Join this webinar as we examine how effectively communicating benchmarks helps to: 

- Secure budget increases
- Increase bond ratings
- Attract, retain and expand businesses and
- Close more deals
Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:00 PM

Thursday, 12 October 2023

Description
Solving the Workforce Housing Crisis
A widespread lack of affordable and accessible housing has disproportionately impacted many rural and small areas. Factors include an aging housing stock in decline, higher new construction prices, supply chain expenses, and appraisal values often falling below the cost of new home construction or repairs.  Legislators are taking sweeping actions to jump-start rural housing development through creative financing, new income tax credits, loan guarantees, and state grants. As a result, economic developers are moving quickly to implement strategies; join us to learn:

- Highlights from forward-thinking workforce housing programs, 
- Specific policies needed for advocating to our elected officials, and
- Existing funding mechanisms that can help solve the crisis
Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:00 PM

Thursday, 26 October 2023

Description
The Care Crisis
Communities have grappled with the caregiving crisis for decades, long before the pandemic, with thousands of parents dropping out of the workforce for childcare, adult care and elder care.  We need federal and state governments, the private sector, early childhood experts, and the community to create a full-scale, creatively designed childcare system that eliminates care deserts scattered throughout our country. Attendees of this webinar will learn how some communities are addressing this crisis, as well as what else may be needed, including: 

- What sustainable care ecosystem building looks like from a government perspective
- Care infrastructure systems that support working families 
- Existing care policies and tax credits that can be used in talent attraction and retention efforts. 
- Working with the business community to implement care benefits that support working families
Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:00 PM