Wisconsin Economic Development Association: Madison to host international economic development conference

Contact: Janet Ady
Tel: 608-663-9218
Email: jady@adyvoltedge.com

The 2015 event will showcase Wisconsin’s achievements, support the local economy.

Thanks to the campaigning of a coalition of local professionals, Madison will be the host of the International Economic Development Council’s 2015 Spring Conference, an event that will have a local economic impact of approximately $230,000.

The conference, which will have over 250 attendees, was chosen to be held in Madison thanks to a proposal sent by a 12-member group of local economic development professionals co-chaired by Janet Ady of Ady Voltedge and Pam Christenson of MG&E.

The IEDC evaluates a potential host city on a number of factors, including the strength of the proposing member organization and whether the host location can showcase projects that represent state of the art economic development approaches and issues.

“When the IEDC conference comes to Madison, our state will be on display for all the attendees to see,” Andy Albarado, the Wisconsin Economic Development Association’s president said. “This is a great opportunity to showcase what we’ve done, where we are headed and the talent that our region has in the economic development arena.”

Paul Jadin, CEO and secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, said the IEDC event is a great way to display Wisconsin’s economic development achievements and expertise.

“We are excited to showcase Wisconsin, the WEDC and the unique regional expertise and assets during the conference,” Jadin said. “I couldn’t imagine a better marketing opportunity than this conference.”

Previous IEDC events have been in cities such as Charlotte, N.C, San Antonio, and St. Louis. According to Jenn Post Tyler, interim executive vice president at Thrive, the fact that Madison was chosen says a lot about what the region has to offer.

“It is encouraging to know that despite being smaller than many of the cities that the IEDC normally chooses, Madison delivered when it came to their relevance in economic development and having features that are enticing for the conference’s attendees,” she said. “I think that really shows the south central Wisconsin region has something special to put on display for the IEDC.”

The Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau was also involved in the process due to the criteria that a hosting city must meet in order to be considered.

“The GMCVB has been hoping to host an IEDC conference for years,” Deb Archer, president and CEO of the GMCVB, said. “We are excited this opportunity has been bestowed upon Madison and our organization is looking forward to working alongside the exceptional IEDC professionals, in our region, as we prepare to welcome this important event.”

The Greater Madison Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is the city’s official destination marketing organization. The GMCVB attracts new destination events to the community, provides services and support to existing and recurring events, and provides area visitors with information.

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If you would like more information on the event, or you would like to schedule an interview with one or more of the involved parties, please call Janet Ady at 608-663-9218 or Pam Christenson at 608-252-5647.