Creative Economy Summit - Detailed Agenda

Keynote Address

The Role of Government in Growing and Sustaining Your Creative Economy

Governments around the world are now actively competing for innovative industries. These businesses are expected to be the future of economic activity and growth. Take away key strategies that government is implementing to help you:

• Attract and retain creative companies and organizations
  
• Increase job growth and tax revenue in communities
  
• Enhance local business and cultural development

Learn how government can drive economic development through creative commerce for your community.

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science & Technology; Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), Government of Canada

Case Study: MaRS

How to Build Successful Innovation Centres that will Drive Research and Economic Prosperity

MaRS has been at the forefront of developing novel programs and incubation facilities to support entrepreneurial ventures. Insights from this session can be used to further development of your research centres. Source solutions on how you can:

• Develop a model for your innovation centre to strengthen long-term economic growth
  
• Design programs and services to nurture your start-ups
  
• Measure your achievement and success

Learn from the business model at MaRS and establish your own innovation centre.

Don Duval, Vice President, MaRS Discovery District

Mid-Morning Networking Break

Interact with conference speakers and fellow attendees.

Case Study: City of Boulder

Take Advantage of Your City's History, Culture, and Geography to Develop Successful Clusters

The City of Boulder has cultivated unique industry clusters, including natural and organic products, the outdoor products industry, and clean technology. The city is also one of the most entrepreneurial municipalities in North America. Learn how to:

• Take your city's history and culture into account when building clusters
  
• Leverage your geography to foster innovative industries
  
• Cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship

Develop your competitive edge by capitalizing on your geographical and cultural advantages.

Liz Hanson, Economic Vitality Coordinator, City of Boulder (Colorado)

Creative Industries Panel

Using the Arts and Cultural Industries as Catalysts to Grow Your Economy

Fashion, media, and other cultural industries all have unique characteristics that contribute significantly to your region's economic success. Take away key strategies to enhance growth in your community.

• Understand how creative industries spark economic development
• Investigate mechanisms that foster success in such industries
• Identify the industry that your city can capitalize on
• Recognize how smaller communities can tap into such opportunities

Understand the dynamics of various creative industries and their role in sparking and rejuvenating your economy.

Moderator Frank Miele, CAO, Town of Gravenhurst	Shelley Carroll, City Councillor, City of Toronto; Board of Directors, Toronto Fashion Incubator
Norm Bolen, President & CEO, Canadian Media Production Association	David Buchbinder, CEO / Artistic Director, Diasporic Genius
Jacqueline Nuwame, Productions Programs Manager, Canadian Film Centre

Networking Luncheon

Join the conference speakers and your peers for a relaxing luncheon.

Technologies Panel

Leveraging Technologies to Fast Track and Exceed Your Economic Development Goals

To compete today and in the future, economic development needs to evolve with advancing technologies. Hear about the innovative tools that will save you time, increase the effectiveness of your strategies, and improve your marketing activities and cluster developments.

• Design interactive elements in your marketing content to engage visitors
• Use state-of-the-art technologies to develop your city
• Analyze and benchmark your progress and performance
  

Take away innovative strategies and tools to enhance your municipal development.

Anya Codack, CEO, Yfactor

More panelists to come...

Marketing Case Studies: Chicago | St. Catharines

Implementing Inventive Marketing Strategies to Attract Talent and Businesses into Your City

Many cities are cutting budgets in this tough economic environment. Hear how World Business Chicago has developed external partnerships and how the City of St. Catharines is leveraging digital channels to help market and brand their city. This combination of perspectives will help you:

• Stretch your budget through effective marketing practices
  
• Extend your reach by collaborating with external partners
  
• Take advantage of Youtube and other social media channels

Develop and implement progressive, cost-effective marketing strategies to bring artists and businesses to your community.

Carolyn Kae Phillips, Director of Strategic Initiatives, World Business Chicago (Illinois)

David Oakes, Director of Economic Development and Tourism, City of St. Catharines

Mid-Afternoon Networking Break

Interact with conference speakers and fellow attendees.

Rural Strategies

Unique Strategies to Develop Creative Clusters in Rural Economies

Smaller municipalities often find themselves struggling to compete with bigger cities. However, rural towns can use their unique assets to draw in talent and businesses. Hear how the successes of Prince Edward County and other regions can apply in your community.

• Conduct market intelligence to identify your existing talent pool
  
• Appeal to the Creative Class using unique rural amenities
  
• Build a dynamic rural community consisting of artists, businesses and investors

Emulate the success of other rural economies in your community.

Dan Taylor, President & CEO, Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation; (Former) Economic Development Officer Prince Edward County

Jeff Dixon, Associate Director, The Monieson Centre, Queen's School of Business, Queen's University

Closing Address

What the Government of Ontario is Doing to Help You Attract New Investments and Create High Skill Jobs

The province of Ontario recently introduced the Attracting Investment and Creating Jobs Act. If passed, this bill would create development funds that will drive businesses forward and strengthen the local economy.

• Take advantage of provincial incentives to develop your local economy
• How the Ontario Development Funds will work
• What the provincial government is planning to introduce in the future

Understand how you can leverage aid from the Government of Ontario to support development.

Donna Cansfield, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation

Conference Adjourns to Day Two

Evening Social Activities

Network with industry leaders and stakeholders while enjoying some of the best Toronto has to offer. Start by joining fellow delegates and speakers for complimentary appetizers.

Opening Comments from the Chairperson

Kevin Stolarick, Research Director, Martin Prosperity Institute

Engaging the Creative Class

Understanding the Latest Trends on Their Demographics, Motivations, Behaviours, and Lifestyles

Gaining insights into the characteristics of the Creative Class will help you attract this diverse group. Take away timely information and updates on this socioeconomic class to enhance future economic development.

• Understand the demographic profile of the Creative Class
  
• Align city development with their needs, wants, and expectations
  
• Maximize the benefits of their contribution to your city

Develop strategies to engage and attract talent into your municipality.

Kevin Stolarick, Research Director, Martin Prosperity Institute

Building Competitive Advantage

Leveraging Your Existing Economic Strengths to Map Your Unique Competitive Advantage

To compete for talent, cities need to leverage their existing assets. Before economic development plans are established, you need to know where your existing strengths lie. Take away strategies for:

• Mapping assets to understand your advantages and weaknesses
  
• Conducting SWOT reviews to generate competitive advantage
  
• Developing effective strategies to cultivate clusters that fit your city's advantages

Capitalize on local strengths to build a vibrant economy in your community.

Ken Greenberg, Principal, Greenberg Consultants Inc.

Mid-Morning Networking Break

Interact with conference speakers and fellow attendees.

Networking Luncheon

Join the conference speakers and your peers for a relaxing luncheon.

Case Study: City of Lowell

How to Improve the Quality of Life in Your City to Attract Creative Talent

Creative individuals need to be engaged in the places they live in. They generally choose where to live based in part, on the lifestyle amenities and character of their communities. As a result, much value is placed on these factors in addition to economic incentives.

• Identify quality of life factors that impact Creative Class location decisions
  
• Capitalize on your community's assets and strengths as established by both public opinion research and planning analysis
  
• Use quality of life to overcome other disadvantages you may have

Ensure your city appeals to talented professionals and artists by enriching your quality of life.

Adam Baacke, Assistant City Manager, Director for Planning and Development, City of Lowell (Massachusetts)

Mid-Afternoon Networking Break

Interact with conference speakers and fellow attendees.

Case Study: City of Kitchener

How to Build Upon and Sustain the Momentum of Your Creative Clusters

The Kitchener-Waterloo area has one of the most dynamic and exciting high tech clusters in Canada. The region is continuously improving its cluster and keeping it vibrant by securing world-class companies such as Google. Emulate their success by:

• Understanding what it takes to sustain creative economies
  
• Exploring key challenges to long term sustainability and identifying solutions
  
• Continuously finding new ways to build and expand

Take away strategies to sustain and expand upon your past success.

Rod Regier, Executive Director of Economic Development, City of Kitchener