Springfield Business Development Corp. - the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's economic development arm - this week will host its eighth annual Economic Outlook Conference.
The event's attendees can expect to learn about trends and the effects of those trends on the local business climate, according to Ryan Mooney, senior vice president of business development for the chamber.
The conference will be held 8-11:30 a.m. Sept. 15 at the Ramada Oasis Convention Center. Event registration,
available on the chamber's Web site, is open until Sept. 13.
“We’ve done a few of these now, and they are really designed for business leaders in the community to not only inform them about what economic trends are coming on a global and national scale, but also what local companies, local business owners and civic leaders need to be doing to make sure Springfield is positioned to succeed in the future,” Mooney said.
The conference will kick off with a networking breakfast, followed by a keynote address at 8:30 a.m. by Ted Abernathy, executive director of the Southern Growth Policies Board, a public policy think tank that provides economic development research and advice for 13 southern states. The organization specializes in the areas of technology and innovation, talent, civic engagement, globalization, alternative energy and leadership.
“He is just a really dynamic speaker - a great guy who really understands the big picture and, from a really interesting perspective, will be able to relay to the audience some of those global and national trends that he sees ... and be able to connect them to the local level,” Mooney said.
After a question-and-answer session with Abernathy and a break, the first of two panel discussions will begin at 10 a.m. The Development Community Panel will be moderated by attorney Virginia Fry, co-managing partner with Husch Blackwell LLP. Fry will be joined by Jan Baumgartner, executive vice president of Springfield First Community Bank; Jeff Childs, senior adviser for Sperry Van Ness/Rankin Co. LLC; and Larry Snyder, CEO of Ozark-based construction contractor Larry Snyder & Co.
At 10:45 a.m., the Targeted Industries Panel will commence. That panel will be moderated by John Wanamaker, managing partner of BKD LLP. Other panelists are: Tim Roth, general manager of SRC Electrical LLC; Keela Davis, director of Mercy Research and Development; and Steven Smith, general manager of Springfield Contact Center and global customer operations for Expedia Inc.
