2024 Annual Conference

Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline1. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its more than 74,0002 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 137 million Customers carried in 2023. Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.

Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey since Q1 2021
Fulltime-equivalent active Employees

DCI is “The Leader in Marketing Places." Since 1960, we have worked with more than 500 cities, regions, states, provinces and countries, helping them to attract investors, visitors, and talent. We specialize exclusively in three areas of place marketing: economic development, talent attraction and tourism including websites, branding, public relations, social/digital media, research, prospect development, travel trade, and special events. Current clients include a range of states (Michigan, Florida, North Dakota, Vermont, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey), cities/regions (Charleston, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Columbus, Houston, Research Triangle Region, and Jacksonville) and countries (Netherlands, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Georgia), to name a few. With a team of more than 60 place marketers, DCI is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Denver, Los Angeles and Toronto.

Placer.ai is the leader in location analytics, instantly generating foot traffic insights for any location in the U.S. Commercial real estate, retail, and economic development professionals are using the product daily to optimize their decision-making. Placer.ai provides a range of easily accessible reports on-demand including true trade areas, visit trends, customer journey data, demographics, cross-shopping, property rankings and more. The breadth of perspectives empowers local governments to understand consumer behavior, attract the best-fit business and enhance local business performance to drive economic growth.

Enriching lives, engaging communities, expanding economies; NAR is the ultimate resource for commercial real estate practitioners. REALTORS® benefit from access to robust tech tools, proprietary data and invaluable commercial real estate research that enrich their business and the communities around them. NAR offers its members an unmatched network of 1.7 million real estate colleagues worldwide and an advocacy team fighting every day for the issues that matter at the federal, state and local level. Find out more at commercial.realtor

TIP Strategies is a privately held Austin-based consulting firm committed to providing innovative strategy solutions for public and private sector clients since 1995. The firm’s core competencies are strategic planning for economic development, talent strategies, organizational development, resiliency planning, and equity initiatives. Specific topics in which TIP has deep experience include entrepreneurship, target industries, workforce analytics, and defense industries/communities. During our 27 years in business, we have worked with more than 300 clients throughout the country and around the world to develop innovative, publicly supported economic development strategies. Community leaders across the country have embraced the TIP model of Talent, Innovation, and Place to achieve successful and sustainable economies. Our approach places a premium on well-informed decision-making, sound planning practices, and a commitment to an equitable future.

Fort Collins - a healthy, equitable and resilient community where people and businesses can thrive. Nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University and a talented and diverse workforce. As the 4th largest city in Colorado, Fort Collins is known for its commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, exciting recreations opportunities, unique cultural offerings and its vibrant downtown. Fort Collins is the premier hub for research and development for companies such as Hewlett Packard, Broadcom, AMD and many more.

Chmura Economics & Analytics is an applied economic consulting firm specializing in delivering advanced economic analysis. Data are at the heart of Chmura. As individuals, organizations, and communities, we rely on accurate, timely data to help make critical decisions and plan for growth and improvement. The team at Chmura is dedicated to developing tools and services with that need in mind. Whether developed through customized consulting projects, delivered via off-the-shelf reports, or compiled through our software tools such as JobsEQ®, our data help you answer complex questions and implement effective solutions. Chmura has the experience and expertise to transform data into information that drives effective strategy.

Greater Sacramento, the capital of the world’s fifth largest economy, is situated within the Northern California Megaregion, sharing an economy and workforce with the San Francisco Bay Area. Here, companies recruit diverse, highly educated talent. There are 300,000+ four-year college students enrolled within a 100-mile radius and two nationally ranked educational institutions in the region, UC Davis and Sacramento State. The region is home to Aggie Square, a $1.1 billion mixed-used life science innovation district, and the California Mobility Center, a partnership of global leaders accelerating the commercialization of new technologies. Within the region, the Greater Sacramento Economic Council unites business and community leaders to create a cohesive economic development strategy with a focus on growth, sustainability, equity and competitiveness.

PEDCO’s mission is to attract, retain and expand primary jobs for Pueblo, Colorado. We serve as the single point of contact for companies and site selectors considering doing business in our community. Pueblo is the Manufacturing Hub of Southern Colorado and offers companies ease of access, strong transportation infrastructure, low cost of living, abundant supply of locally sourced water, available properties and greenfield sites, award winning workforce development programs, ample renewable energy generation efforts that helps to meet ESG goals and competitive incentive packages. Learn more at www.pedco.org or give us a call at 719-544-2000.

Founded in 2010, ResearchFDI is a specialized investment attraction consulting firm widely recognized within the economic development industry for its accomplished lead generation programs that have yielded over $50 billion in new investments for its clients worldwide. In addition, ResearchFDI offers a suite of strategy, business intelligence and research reports that act as precursors to any investment attraction campaign such as developing economic development plans, FDI strategies, marketing plans, benchmarking reports, sector profiles, industry reports, investor pitches, pitch deck development and investment attraction training.

BNSF Railway is one of North America’s leading freight transportation companies, with a rail network of 32,500 route miles of track in 28 states and also operates in three Canadian provinces. It is one of the top transporters of consumer goods, grain and agricultural products, low-sulfur coal and industrial goods such as petroleum, chemicals, housing materials, food and beverages. BNSF’s shipments help feed, clothe, supply and power American homes and businesses every day. Its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced, and efficient railroads in the industry. We work continuously to improve the value of the safety, service, energy and environmental benefits we provide to our customers and the communities we serve.

BNSF’s Economic Development team works closely with companies, communities and consultants to establish transportation and distribution solutions that are customized to their enterprise. With our

knowledge and expertise, we can help bring businesses and jobs to locations where our network operates by expediting rail development and increasing businesses’ speed to market. For more information, visit bnsf.com/rail-development.

Since opening on Feb. 28, 1995, Denver International Airport (DEN) has become one of the world’s busiest airports. In 2023, DEN welcomed a record-breaking 77.8 million passengers, a more than 12 percent increase over the previous year. DEN is Colorado’s primary economic engine, generating $36.4 billion in annual economic impact for the state. The airport operates on 53 square miles of land (twice the size of Manhattan), serves over 200 destinations on 26 different carriers, and offers over 200 food and retail options for passengers.

Vision 100 is DEN’s strategic vision for how to ensure the maintenance of current infrastructure with an eye toward the growth expected in the future. It consists of four pillars – Empowering Our People, Growing Our Infrastructure, Maintaining What We Have and Expanding Global Connections. In December 2023, DEN broke ground on the Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation (CEEA), an idea that underscores the first pillar, which recognizes that people are the greatest asset an organization has, including current DEN employees as well as those who want to be part of the aviation industry in the future. CEEA is a first-of-its-kind institution designed to provide training, business development and research into innovations that benefit the entire air travel industry. Programming has already begun focusing on creating career pathways, advancing innovation and aviation research, and creating more opportunities for minority, women and veteran-owned businesses.

Established in 1976, the Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC) promotes effective, responsible economic development practices across Colorado. Today we are the state’s premier economic development resource, representing the economic development interests of both the private and public sectors throughout the state. We connect our communities, our members and our partners to high-quality educational opportunities and trusted resources, and advocate for sound policies and programs that support a vibrant economy and enhance quality of life for all Coloradans. EDCC members come from a variety of settings. We are rural and urban, public and private sector, for profit and not-for-profit, and include individual communities, counties and regional organizations, local and state government, chambers of commerce, universities, and private industry. We are economic development professionals, community volunteers, and business and political leaders.

The mission and passion of EY’s Economic Development Advisory Services (EDAS) is to help communities create more prosperous and equitable economies. We provide industry-leading services including strategic planning, competitive assessments, benchmarking, global industry market insights, innovation strategies, and creative custom solutions. Our clients include economic development organizations, local governments, chambers of commerce, state agencies, entrepreneur and innovation support organizations, educational institutions, and workforce development agencies.

EY’s mission is to “build a better working world,” and we advance this mission every day by arming our clients with the strategies and tools necessary to create vibrant, prosperous economies. Our integrated economic development strategies and services help communities across the US thrive. With our assistance, clients are better able to create new jobs and capital investment, improve workforce development, address persistent community challenges, increase economic mobility, strengthen organizational effectiveness and amplify brand recognition.

The Town of Frederick is ideally located in the northern Front Range, halfway between Denver and Fort Collins. Frederick rests on two prime transportation corridors, Interstate 25 and Highway 52, which provide easy access to the nearby municipalities of Denver, Longmont, Boulder, and Fort Collins. This strategic location helps the Town access one of the strongest labor pools in the region. Frederick boasts one of the fastest-growing populations in the State of Colorado. The Town is proud to be home to over 16,000 residents, who comprise a young, educated, and talented workforce. The Town of Frederick’s priority is to ensure that growth results in a cohesive community that preserves a small-town atmosphere while embracing the amenities and opportunities accompanying new development.

Next50 is a Colorado-based national foundation that works toward a society that values aging and makes growing older an empowering, fulfilling experience. Today, our systems in the U.S. don’t prioritize our economic well-being as we age, which causes widespread economic hardship for older adults and their families. That’s why we focus on funding innovative and equitable programs that create economic opportunity for older adults, especially in low-income communities and communities of color. We fund programming in three key areas: ending age-related bias and discrimination; advancing digital equity so technology is available to all; and making it possible for people to age where they want to live.

The world is changing; are you?

Resource Development Group (RDG) was established in 1995 to provide experienced fundraising counsel to economic and community development organizations. RDG has worked with a wide variety of clients including Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Corporations, Community Improvement Corporations, and Regional Partnerships. Our specific expertise includes managing multi-faceted fundraising initiatives in complex regions comprised of multiple political jurisdictions. We build organizations that build communities! We have managed more than 200 economic/community development funding projects generating over $2 billion in operating revenue for our clients. In addition, we also consult in areas designed to improve your organization’s ability to provide crucial solutions for your communities. Our products range from “turn-key” capital campaigns to specific consulting solutions, all designed with your unique challenges in mind.

Alliance Consulting Engineers, Inc. is a multi-disciplined, full-service civil engineering firm dedicated to providing our clients with a quality product in a timely manner. Our team has extensive experience in Land Planning, Site Development, Water, Wastewater, Roadway, Railway, and Storm Drainage Design to support Development Projects. Using traditional business practices and modern technology, our mission is to demonstrate our commitment to our clients through personal involvement, responsiveness, and quality results. Taking the approach of streamlined and efficient project execution, our team offers professional design services, comprehensive knowledge of local, state, and federal regulatory requirements, and familiarity with local and regional construction practices. This approach, coupled with our commitment to providing a quality product, enables Alliance Consulting Engineers, Inc. to provide our clients with a cost-effective and efficient solution to their engineering needs. Alliance Consulting Engineers, Inc. was founded on the concept that our clients want in-depth personal involvement for today’s complex projects. Our hands-on approach guides the client from conceptual planning through final design, permitting, and construction.

Community Attributes Inc produces strategies, analysis, and on-line data tools. We tell data-rich stories that move communities forward. Grounded in data and packaged for effective communication, our solutions are evidence-based and delivered to be shared broadly.

CAI Live is a powerful window into your data story. With the CAI Live platform, we combine economic and planning expertise with technology and innovation to give you a dynamic tool that helps you visualize and inform your development strategy and communicate impact to your stakeholders.

CAI is community-centric, wherever your community is. We operate nationally and solve problems locally. We work with you, your community, and your stakeholders to deeply understand your needs, then develop strategies and tools that meet these needs to advance local initiatives.

NYSEG, an Avangrid company, operates more than 35,000 miles of electric distribution lines and 4,500 miles of electric transmission lines across more than 40% of upstate New York. It also operates more than 8,150 miles of natural gas distribution pipelines and 20 miles of gas transmission pipelines. With a commitment to the well-being of the communities we serve, NYSEG creates sustainable value for our customers by providing reliable service and investing in innovative technologies to make the electric grid more resilient. https://www.nyseg.com/

RG&E, an Avangrid company, operates more than 8,800 miles of electric distribution lines and more than 1,100 miles of electric transmission lines. It also operates more than 10,600 miles of natural gas distribution pipelines and 105 miles of gas transmission pipelines. Serving a nine-county region surrounding the City of Rochester, RG&E creates sustainable value for customers by providing reliable service and investing in innovative technologies to make the electric grid more resilient. https://www.rge.com/

CORE Electric Cooperative provides over 375,000 members the energy to thrive across Colorado’s Front Range. Covering 5,000 square miles, we are the largest electric distribution cooperative in Colorado, and one of the largest in the U.S. As a member-owned cooperative, CORE operates on a not-for-profit basis. Our Business Development team nurtures business retention, expansion, and attraction activity with flexible options to meet a variety of business needs. We are honored to sponsor the IEDC annual conference in Colorado.

Together with residents and partners, we help forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America–great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. LISC invests in overlapping program area that reach into every corner of community life including:

Affordable Housing, Child Care & Early Learning, Creative Placemaking, Economic Development, Education, Income & Wealth Building, Health, Safety & Justice, Small Business, and Sports & Recreation.

Our approach is comprehensive, effective and—most important—rooted in what neighbors want for themselves, their families and the places they call home. Since 1979, LISC has invested over $27.9 billion in our communities.

Welcome to Loveland, a city where art and science meet and where innovation manifests itself in both the technology and the creative sectors. Situated in the center of Northern Colorado, the heart of Colorado’s growing innovation cluster and one of the top regions for high-tech startup density. Located right off I-25 and U.S. Highway 34 just 45 minutes north of Denver, Loveland is the basecamp of northern Colorado anchored by Northern Colorado’s largest retail shopping center and near natural outdoor areas, nationally recognized art and sculpture parks, a growing craft beer and distillery market and more.

Revby is a technical assistance (TA) provider and consultant for small businesses. We partner with municipalities, economic development organizations, and entrepreneurial support organizations to deliver TA under their small business development programs. The businesses we work with are often minority, women, and immigrant owned – and in industries such as retail, restaurants, personal services (e.g., hair salons), and professional services. We are a national-level TA provider with experience and capacity to provide culturally competent assistance to small businesses locally, in urban and rural environments. Our team’s expertise includes business planning, digital marketing, website development, e-commerce, and financial analysis, and other growth and resilience building scopes of work. We also provide TA in Spanish and Chinese Mandarin.

Revby is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE).

Axios Media delivers trustworthy news, expert insights and engaging information to get people smarter, faster on what matters most. The company was created around a simple proposition: deliver the cleanest, smartest and most efficient experience to our audience. Axios Local delivers smart, modern local news to 30 cities across the U.S. The daily newsletters are written by the best local reporters in each city in order to give readers exclusive scoops and consequential information about their cities.

Business Facilities is the leading full-service media brand specializing in the site selection marketplace. In print, online, and face-to-face, Business Facilities has created a dynamic community that connects corporate site selectors with economic development organizations from across North America and around the world. Business Facilities magazine is read by C-Suite executives, corporate real estate professionals, site consultants, and other business leaders. Published six times a year, each issue profiles state, regional, and international locations. BusinessFacilities.com is the share of market leader among all site selection websites, providing up-to-the-minute site selection news and industry-specific features. Business Facilities LiveXchange is an invitation-only matchmaking event that connects corporate executives and site consultants who have active projects with economic development organizations from across North America.

Since 1954, Site Selection has documented global corporate location decision-making for facility investment and related strategic topics. Our audience includes corporate executives responsible for location decisions. As one noted in our 70th anniversary issue, “As the Bible is to preachers, your magazine is to site selectors.” The magazine’s highly anticipated rankings are driven by a proprietary global facility project database and rigorous research. Our branded Investment Profiles bring journalistic precision to concise, well-produced reports. Site Selection staff also produce annual economic development publications for states and regions via the Conway Custom Content division.

Conway Data Inc. specializes in publishing, association management, and economic development data collection and analysis. Conway also manages the Industrial Asset Management Council, a global professional association with over 600 members in corporate and commercial real estate or economic development.

Expansion Solutions Magazine (ESM) is a leading media outlet for world-class economic development content, key industry-related trends, education, and breaking economic development news. ES facilitates connections between expanding companies and economic development professionals while assisting in the growth and maintenance of key relationships between a vital community of business professionals with their fingers on the pulse of economic development.

Through our bi-monthly digital and print magazine, website, LeadGen Program, eNewsletter, social media and digital campaigns – ES has created a multi-layer platform for C-level executives, site location consultants, commercial real estate brokers and economic development organizations to exchange ideas and collaborate.

As a full-service, multi-media company with a complete suite of tools available for branding, marketing, public relations, and business recruitment assistance, ES provides a full spectrum of services and assists in bridging the gap between corporate decision makers and public and/or private agencies seeking investment.

Resonance creates transformative strategies, brands and campaigns that empower destinations, cities and communities to realize their full potential. As leading advisors in real estate, tourism and economic development, Resonance combines expertise in research, strategy, branding and communications to make destinations, cities and developments more valuable and more vibrant. Our Best Cities platform is the home of the planet’s most trusted city rankings. The data is used by leading news outlets, trusted by city leaders, and is widely considered to be the world’s most comprehensive annual city ranking. Bloomberg calls it, ”“The most comprehensive study of its kind; it identifies cities that are most desirable for locals, visitors, and businesspeople alike, rather than simply looking at livability or tourism appeal.” ResonanceCo.com | WorldsBestCities.com | BestCities.us

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people. Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques. “Game Changers”—our tagline—summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and Mid-60 indices and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD). ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP www.ipsos.com

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