The early bird deadline may have passed, but there's still time to submit a winning entry for IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards. Until May 12, you can submit your community's best project, partnership or marketing material to gain international recognition for your efforts. Our distinguished panel of judges will review all submissions and winners will be recognized at our Annual Conference in Toronto this September. So why not enter? Your community could be a winner.

Awards Categories Overview:

		Promotional These awards recognize innovative and effective marketing materials used for attracting, retaining and fostering business as well as communications vehicles used by economic development organizations.
		Internet & New Media These awards recognize exceptional and inventive use of the Internet and new media - including podcasts, blogs, wikis, extranet and intranets - for economic development.
		Program These awards recognize outstanding and pioneering programs in economic and business development.
		Partnership These awards recognize significant partnerships formed to support economic development and the results achieved by working together.
		Leadership These awards recognize outstanding leaders in the public and private sectors who are advancing economic development in their communities.

A Word From the 2016 Best in Show Award Winner:

"IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards program is new territory for the City of Alpharetta. 2015 was the first year that we decided to submit. Being chosen as an award recipient is a real honor. We knew going into the awards that we would be competing in a highly selective environment for each award we applied for. I will not lie, winning some of them really feels great, but moreover, the reason for our submissions was to put each initiative we created to the test. Winning a bronze, silver or gold award brings that much more needed validation to our project and lets us know that our boat is being steered in the right direction. It also reassures our boards and investors that what we produce is top of game. Winning the 2016 Best in Show is an amazing honor, which we are very proud to have been chosen by our peers for." - Peter Tokar, Economic Development Director - City of Alpharetta

Go global with IEDC at 2017 Annual Conference in Toronto!

In this globally evolving economy, communities need to work together to encourage competition and advance economic growth. The program for Annual Conference focuses on the very topics that will prepare you to tackle global issues. The first IEDC's Annual Conference held outside of the United States, you will cover how to Connect, Collaborate, and Create at the global level to contribute to the transformation of local, state, and regional economies.

See how you'll spend your time at Annual Conference, check out this preliminary schedule:

Check out a sample of discussion topics you may have during concurrent sessions at 2017 Annual Conference:

Building Local Linkages and Expanding Global Trade
This track will explore examples of successful trade and investment relationships between international cities and regions.


Cashing in on Creative Capital
This track will explore how economic development organizations can support the advancement of creative industries to further the workforce, business development, and cultural economy of their communities.


Nurturing the Startup Ecosystem
This track will examine the ways economic development organizations can embrace the startup ecosystem strategy within their communities through the bolstering of support for local start-ups and industry expansion.


Regional Collaboration for Investment Promotion
This track will look at how you can strengthen your community's assets in order to offer a total and irresistible package for prospective companies.


The Nuts and Bolts of Economic Development
This track will cover topics such as real estate development and reuse, marketing and attraction, neighborhood development strategies, and workforce development strategies.

Make your Excellence in Economic Development Awards entry by May 12 to gain international recognition for your community and programs. Learn more about 2017 Annual Conference.