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Visit IEDC's 2017 Annual Conference website

You are cordially invited to attend the 2017 IEDC Annual Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Experience first-hand how to Connect, Collaborate, and Create at the global level with a special lineup of international speakers and thought leaders, sessions and social events. From September 17-20, you will find many ways to advance your organization's business objectives, and your career. Below are ways you can expect to spend your time during the event:

Four plenary sessions led by inspiring and internationally renowned keynote speakers


All Annual Conference keynote speakers are leaders in their industries. You will hear from Dr. Richard Florida, Author and Professor at the Creative Class Group LLC, Dr. Ron Foxcroft, entrepreneur and Chairman, Founder and CEO of Fox 40 International Inc. and Professor Meric Gertler, President of the University of Toronto.


Five economic development conference content tracks

Every Annual Conference theme is supported by several concentration areas. This year's range from global trade, entrepreneurship ecosystems, and regional collaboration - all topics which perfectly align with an international event.


Six educational tours, which will allow you to see areas of the city that have successfully implemented economic development projects. Here are a few tours made available to you, and you can see them all:


Markham Centre - Sun, Sept. 17
Markham's new downtown is a compact, vibrant and diverse neighbourhood that's emerged from within a traditionally suburban environment. The largest planned mixed-use development in Canada, Markham Centre spans 243 acres and is situated in one of the fastest-growing regions in the province.

Liberty Village - Mon, Sept. 18
Located on one of Toronto's oldest settlements, this neighborhood in Toronto, founded in 2001, represents more than 600 member businesses which employ more than 10,000 people.

DMZ Incubator at Ryerson University - Tues, Sept 19
DMZ, located in the heart of Toronto and near the vibrant Yonge Dundas Square, is a leading business incubator for tech startups in Canada.


30 supporting concurrent sessions, led by hundreds of speakers, all of whom are experts in their profession. Below are some of the topics you can expect to focus on alongside your peers.


Expanding Ambitions of Inter-Tribal Trade and Growing Opportunity for All Communities: Explore how indigenous populations in North America are charting their own future through trade.

Design: The Secret Success Factor for Economic Development: Learn how designers from the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, graphic, industrial and interior design play a key role in creating economic value for municipalities and regions.

Beyond Borders: Having Global Reach with a Regional Impact: Get a peek into how economic development is done in Canada and gain an opportunity for open exchange around various growth-promoting tactics.

Everyone's a Salesman: Collaboratively Selling and Marketing Your Region: Learn how many regional leaders and organizations have become sales champions for their regions.

BR&E: A Sharing of International Best Practices: Explore common denominators for success and identify unique attributes of each of these successful and sustainable programs.

Business Location Consultants Forum: You'll learn about the hottest industry trends, leading business location indicators, and what local communities must do to stay in the game.


Endless opportunities to network. Annual Conference is IEDC's premier event; more than 1,200 economic developers are expected to attend this year.


Take Advantage of Your Reduced Registration Pricing

As a Canadian-based attendee, you have a special registration rate that places the CAD on par with the USD. For instance, $50 USD will be charged as $50 Canadian Dollars. To receive this special rate, register online and enter coupon code TORONTO17 at checkout. The on-par only applies to registration, and additional events and tours are in USD only.

Join IEDC for Dinner

Each year, IEDC likes to provide thanks to our international-based attendees with a special appreciation dinner Sunday evening of the conference. Attendees from the United States and Canada should register for the dinner through the conference registration page.

Whether participating or speaking in the educational sessions, the international dinner, or networking with global economic development professionals in-between sessions, this year's conference is an exciting opportunity for economic developers.

I look forward to seeing you in Toronto.

International Economic Development Council


IEDC is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban and local to international, IEDC's members are engaged in the full range of economic development experience. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in a wide variety of settings including local, state, provincial and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions.

734 15th Street NW, Suite 900
Washington DC, 20005
Phone: 202.223.7800

Official Hashtags: #IEDC #EconDev

Link: Visit IEDC's website