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British Columbia Economic Development Association



The British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA) is presenting its 2021 Annual Summit online from March 8-11, 2021.   This is an opportunity to highlight success stories, lessons learned, share cutting-edge ideas, and engage your colleagues at the premier event for economic development practitioners in British Columbia.  The annual BC Economic Summit attracts over 200 local, regional, Indigenous, national and international experts in the field of economic development and elected officials from various parts of our province.   BCEDA is seeking compelling session proposals to ensure a comprehensive program.  The Summit theme is “Economic Revival: Charting a Path Forward for BC Communities”.
 

With the uncertainty around COVID19, we are planning a virtual Summit   The program will be delivered over four days utilizing a comprehensive interactive virtual event platform to enhance your Summit experience. By stretching out the two full-day program to four days, the Summit schedule will have shorter days and more breaks, allowing you to continue your everyday tasks to drive your community’s economic development program. 

We will have a great lineup of speakers from leading economic development experts and peers, a program that will include many panel discussions and interactive discussion forums as well as exhibits, BC Economic Development Awards and networking opportunities.  

The COVID19 pandemic has impacted every corner of BC and the globe.  How have communities managed these impacts?  What worked – and, yes, what did not?  How are businesses recovering and what role can local, regional, Indigenous, and senior levels of government play in helping?  How has the environment changed for office work? Are more people working at home? Is industry looking at growth or retraction?  These are all questions that you will need answered as you prepare your community to chart a path forward for a healthy and sustainable economic future. 

The program will include numerous keynote presentations, breakout sessions, panel discussions and discussion forums on economic development.  Recipients of the BCEDA 2021 Economic Development Awards will be recognized in a variety of ways.

Our last year's conference registration fee has been discounted by more than 25 percent to make attendance more cost-effective. The reduced fee and no need to travel, allows even more from your community to attend.  A Group Rate for groups of up to 8 will allow you to bring your whole team, councils, board members and more

The BCEDA is BC’s largest membership organization serving the economic development profession. From public to private, rural to urban and local to international, our members represent the entire range of economic development experience. 

Each year we look for speakers to address a wide variety of current economic development trends. If you have a relevant topic you would like to present and feel that your subject will be of interest to our audience, we would like to hear from you.   Whether you are associated with education, Local, Regional or Indigenous Governments, or the private sector, we invite you to submit your presentation proposal for consideration.