ICF SUMMIT 17
May 9, 2017
What will you take away from Summit 17?
The annual ICF Summit is unlike any municipal, urban planning or economic development conference you attend. You will take away value that translates into direct benefit to the citizens, businesses and institutions you serve:
- Economic development leads. Identify site location and investment opportunities, as well as “soft landing” targets for local business, at our economic development matchmaking session.
- Ideas you can put to use. Meet officials from cities, counties and metro areas who face similar challenges and have created strategies and programs to deal with them. Many may have developed solutions that apply to your community. Peer mentoring starts at the Summit and continues long after through the relationships you forge.
- Inspiration to act. Too often, efforts to build a better community wind up in an endless loop of meetings, analysis, workshops and more analysis. The inspiring examples you encounter at the Summit show you how to take the first essential steps on the journey.
- International reach. McKinsey & Company estimates that 80% of the world’s trade will cross international borders by 2027. Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Solow has proven that 80% of economic growth comes from technology innovation. The Summit is your most direct route to international opportunity in the innovation economy.
Key Events at the Annual Summit
- Urban and Rural Master Classes teaching development strategies based on information and communications technology
- Economic Development Matchmaking for public and private-sector organizations seeking new opportunities.
- Top7 Intelligent Communities Reception, honoring the finalists for the Intelligent Community Awards
- Top7 Conversations with the mayors and administrative leaders of our finalists
- Intelligent Community Awards Dinner, where one of the Top7 is named Intelligent Community of the Year