Why economic developers chose Detroit for their biggest gathering
The Motor City has transformed into a dynamic ecosystem where cutting-edge startups thrive alongside manufacturing plants, blending expertise across sectors to revitalize an iconic community.
What you need to know: IEDC is the world's largest non-profit, non-partisan membership org dedicated to economic development, and its members serve across sectors from government and chambers of commerce to public-private partnerships and academia.
📆 The 2025 Annual Conference will be held Sept. 14—17 with a focus on the theme "Catalyzing Opportunity, Vitality and Prosperity."
🧠 Attendees will learn from local success models in the Motor City and hear both national and international expert takes.
Why it's important: Economic development is a community health catalyst — when successful, it revitalizes neighborhoods, brings new jobs, increases public revenues, and strengthens social fabrics.
Okay, but: The landscape is shifting, forcing economic developers to adapt to address urgent community needs like housing, workforce development, and childcare, while using data to inform their strategies and measure their impact.
IEDC's Annual Conference is a chance for smart pros to head home with new tools, insights, and partnerships to help their communities develop resilience for the future.
What IEDC is saying: Energy is building ahead of the conference.
"I know that the people they bring in and the content they bring in will always be of the highest quality," ACC Capital Foundation Executive Director Tiffany Henry said.
"As the profession and expectations on economic development grow and change, we need to continue to learn, innovate, and challenge traditional ideas to remain a thought leader," IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle said.
What's in store: This isn't your typical professional development conference. Attendees will:
Choose from curated tracks on topics like small business ecosystems, workforce transformation, cross-border collaboration, and capital access.
Tour Detroit's revitalized corridors and see the impact of local public-private partnerships.
Build peer networks that spark long-term collaboration.
Participate in interactive sessions, case study presentations, and behind-the-scenes insights into Detroit's story as a model for community transformation.
The takeaway: Detroit's transformation shows what's possible when bold strategies meet long-term investment — and IEDC's 2025 Annual Conference gives attendees the tools they need to do the same back home:
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