In November 2012, Broadband Communities Magazine hosted the first of its Economic Development Conference Series in Danville, Virginia. The second conference, scheduled for November 5-7, 2013, will bring another group of leaders together in Tinley Park, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.
This year, the conference will focus on the Midwest with discussions about Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
As usual, our own Christopher Mitchell will speak there and will be generally available to discuss community owned networks with those who attend.
From the announcement:
We are assembling an outstanding multi-disciplinary roster of national, regional, and local experts who have extensive experience in using advanced communications capabilities to foster economic development and create jobs. We will examine what is working well, what is not, and what lies ahead, particularly as federal stimulus funding ends.
Our speakers will provide attendees a wealth of economic research, case histories, how-to materials, and other practical information that they can use effectively in their communities. We will address the latest “hot” topics, including Google Fiber, FirstNet, the Connect America Fund, the FCC’s new Health Care Connect Fund, emphasizing their potential to foster economic development and job creation. We will also provide ample time for networking and learning about relevant cutting-edge products and services.
The leadership panel includes:
- Jim Baller – Conference Chariman and President of Baller Herbst Law Group
- Joel Mulder – Illinois Broadband Deployment Council, Illinois Municipal Broadband Association, and Senior Director of Business Development, G4S Technology
- Gary Evans – Former CEO of Hiawatha Broadband Communications
- James Salter – CEO, AEG
- Susan Crawford – Roosevelt Institute Fellow
- Lev Gonick – CEO, OneCommunity (as of July 2013)
- Blair Levin – Executive Director, Gig.U
- Diane Kruse – Former Chair, FTTH Council and President of Neo Fiber
You can register now until July 1 for the Special Early Bird Rate. The event will be at the Tinley Park Convention Center and the adjoining Holiday Inn offers a special rate for conference attendees.