Governor's Conference bringing 1,200 to Springfield

Perhaps a glimpse of downtown revitalization efforts or a session examining how rural communities became boomtowns would be worthwhile.

These topics and dozens of others are on the agenda for the 2007 Governor’s Conference for Economic Development, which begins Aug. 27 in Springfield. The theme is “Made in Missouri: From People to Products.”

More than 1,200 people exploring the myriad dimensions of economic development will gather at the University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center for the four-day conference. Five state agencies – the Department of Economic Development, Development Finance Board, Housing Development Commission, Women’s Council and Career Center – are partnering to put on the event. This year marks the first time the agencies have consolidated their individual conferences into one event, said Annette Wallace, a DED marketing specialist. “All five of those work together as one for economic development,” she said.

60 sessions

There are about 60 breakout sessions on the conference agenda. Some are aimed at a very specific set of attendees – one session touches on how to land government contracts – while others have a general appeal, such as a panel featuring local businesswomen who will discuss challenges facing female entrepreneurs.

The keynote speaker is Jack Schultz, founder and CEO of Effingham, Ill.-based industrial development firm Agracel Inc. Schultz also wrote “Boomtown, USA: The 7K Keys to Big Success in Small Towns,” a book based on three years of research that examined more than 15,000 small towns across the country.

Through his research, Schultz identified 397 towns he dubbed “agurbs,” or booming rural communities not within a metropolitan statistical area. Thirteen agurbs – Branson and Cape Girardeau among them – are in Missouri, he said.

Schultz said the boomtown research is prevalent in his speeches, which often extol young entrepreneurs, downtown revitalization efforts and the benefits of regionalism. Schultz said attendees from small to medium-size cities typically hone in on the success stories he incorporates into his speeches.

“These are real-life examples of what people have done and what is possible if you work together,” he said.

Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock will present the closing breakfast keynote on Aug. 30.

Springfield contacts

Diane Gillespie, a Jefferson City-based sales manager with the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, worked to secure the Governor’s Conference for Springfield. CVB officials also attended last year’s conference in St. Louis to promote Springfield, Gillespie said, noting that the decision to include all five state agencies was only made about six months ago.

“It was a very short turnaround for a nice-sized conference,” she said. “It was kind of rough trying to figure out everyone’s schedules … but it panned out.”

The CVB has worked with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce to organize a city bus tour on the first day of the conference. Wallace said about 250 attendees have signed up for the tour, which will count the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center among its stops. Between 700 and 800 attendees also are scheduled to attend a Springfield Cardinals game Aug. 28, Gillespie said.

Loren Cook II, president of Springfield-based manufacturer Loren Cook Co., said he thinks conference-goers will enjoy seeing Springfield’s recent strides in economic development. Cook sits on the Missouri Housing Development Commission, one of the groups behind the conference.

“It does surprise a lot of people when they come down here if they haven’t been here in a while,” he said. “They’re pleasantly surprised about how the city’s laid out, the resources, generally how clean the city is.”

Gillespie said she hopes to book the Governor’s Conference for Springfield again in 2010.

Conference Registration

To learn more about the 2007 Governor’s Conference on Economic Development or to register, visit www.missouridevelopment.org. For more information, contact Annette Wallace at the Missouri Department of Economic Development at (573) 522-9479.