2010 MEDC Winter Conference  . February 3 – 5 . Hilton . Jackson

“REINVENTING RENEWING REFOCUSING DURING CHALLENGING TIMES”

Wednesday morning, February 3

7:30 - 8:30 AM - BREAKFAST HONORING LEGISLATURE
Location - Galloway United Methodist Church, Jackson (directions)
“Mississippi - Captured in Cartoons”
Speaker: Marshall Ramsey (bio), Syndicated Cartoonist, Clarion-Ledger, Jackson
(Members invite legislators to attend. RSVP to carol@medc.ms)
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Wednesday afternoon, February 3

(All sessions except Legislative Breakfast will take place at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson.)

1:00 – 4:30 PM - Registration – Hilton Hotel

1:00 – 2:00 PM - “Know Thy Supply Chain: New Tool for FDI Prospecting”
Speaker: Mark Condon, Executive Director, World Trade Center, Nashville, TN and Executive Director, CenTradeX Services, Franklin, TN
 
This overview of MSWTC’s newest source for comprehensive global intelligence includes a community case study. Using detailed data on buyers, suppliers, shippers, competitors, and customized profiles of millions of U.S. and worldwide companies, local developers can make strategic business decisions and formulate proactive marketing plans for FDI recruitment.
 
2:00 – 4:00 PM - "Using the State's Services and Resources to Your Community's Advantage"Mississippi Development Authority Roundtables

Brought back by popular demand, participate in this interactive exchange of ideas on economic and community development ideas and meet the team leaders.

4:00 - 4:30 PM (New to agenda) - "PRIORITY ONE"
Speaker - Chandler Russ, Director, EIB, MDA

Thursday, February 4
7:00 AM - Registration

7:00 – 8:00 AM - Networking Breakfast

8:00 AM - Early Risers Program - Combined Session
“2010: Mississippi - Captured in Cartoons”
Speaker - Marshall Ramsey (bio), Syndicated Cartoonist, Clarion-Ledger, Jackson

Ramsey shows his favorite editorial cartoons from the past decade and tells the stories behind them.  Ramsey is a two-time Pulitzer Finalist and is nationally syndicated by Creators Syndicate.  He's proud to call Mississippi home.

8:45 AM -Combined Session                  
“Increasing Your Professional Power to New Levels of Excellence”
Speaker: Jerry V. Tepitz, JD, Ph.D., Jerry Teplitz Enterprises, Virginia Beach, VA

Research shows that we use less than 10% of our brain power. Dr. Teplitz gives you actual tools for achieving unlimited professional growth by unleashing the power of your mind.  Learn to increase creativity and productivity to new levels of excellence with practical take-home-value techniques for reaching your life goals and objectives.

10:00 AM - Break

10:30 AM - Combined Session
“Creating High Energy Web Sites and PR Materials”
Speaker: Jerry V. Tepitz, JD, Ph.D., Jerry Teplitz Enterprises, Virginia Beach, VA

The experts will tell you a variety of reasons some ads and websites work and others don’t, however, there's one key explanation besides the graphics and copy.  It's the energy it creates in the viewer! Everything has an energy attached to it. It can encourage someone to read your ad or throw it away, or click off your website. In this session, you'll discover these hidden secrets. 

12:00 NOON - Heidel Awards Luncheon
“If You Build It They Will Come…or How Viking Range Transformed a Sleepy Delta Town into an International Culinary Destination”
Speaker: Carol Puckett, President, Viking Hospitality Group, Greenwood, MS
Presenter:  Jimmy Heidel, MEDC Honorary Life Member, Jackson, MS

1:30 PM – Concurrent Sessions

“The Changing Face of Incentives”
Speaker:  Dr. C. R. (Buzz) Canup, President, Canup & Associates, Greenville, SC

In today’s economic environment, states and economic development entities are rethinking and reevaluating incentives.  Dr. Canup brings a unique perspective as a site location consultant having an extensive background and experience working with world class corporations on a global basis.
               
“Refocusing Membership Recruitment and Retention”
Speaker:  Kyle Sexton, Founder of Fast Chamber, Co-founder of ChamberThink Strategies, and Director of Member Services, Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, OR

Learn where and how to adjust your recruitment and retention efforts to adapt to your members’ fast-changing needs. From marketing language and referrals to payment systems and social media strategies, this is a fast-moving introduction to many of the nation's best practices for chambers of commerce, led by the past chair of ACCE's Membership Development Division, Kyle Sexton.
                    
2:45 PM - Networking Break

3:15 PM – Concurrent Sessions

“Seeing is Selling:  How Economic Development Visionariesare Embracing New Technologies”
Speaker: John Abbate, President, Marketing Alliance, Inc., Jackson, MS

You have the vision. But other people can’t always see it. Abbate will show ways that the Jackson-based company has used 3D technology and interactive virtual tours to help economic developers paint the picture and make the sell.

“Packaging and Marketing Service Tiers to Refresh Member ROI”
Speaker:  Kyle Sexton, Founder of Fast Chamber, Co-founder of ChamberThink Strategies, and Director of Member Dervices, Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, OR

The nation's foremost expert on membership tiers will answer your questions and concerns, giving plenty of marketing "silver bullets" along the way. Even if you don't move toward packaging and selling, this session guarantees steal-able marketing and sales-psychology ideas for your membership recruitment efforts.

4:30 – 5:30 PM - Reinventing Renewing Refocusing Reception
Sponsor: Entergy Mississippi

Friday, February 5

7:30 – 8:30 AM - Networking Breakfast 

Combined Sessions

8:30 AM - “Preparedness – The Difference Between Winning and Losing”
Speaker: Dr. C. R. (Buzz) Canup, President, Canup & Associates, Greenville, SC

Dr. Canup draws on his experience in “reverse consulting” to give tips, some high in effort and low in cost, on how to be better prepared to readily respond to opportunities and to maximize a community’s chances for success in recruiting projects. 

9:15 AM - “A Tour of the Global and Local Economy”
Speaker:  Stacy Spearman, Senior Vice President and Director, Renasant Financial Services, Tupelo, MS

Given the cards we’ve been dealt in the recent economic climate, what are the opportunities, what are the threats, and how do we advantageously play them?  You will leave this session informed, motivated and inspired.

10:00 AM - Break

10:15 AM - “Focus and Originality - Positioning the State to Respond and Recover”
Speaker:  Gray Swoope, Executive Director, MDA

In the increasingly challenging economic climate, we are compelled to find new ways to work with our communities, support existing industry and to expand our efforts to secure new investment. In this session Swoope will present MDA's commitment to innovation, global opportunities, fiscal responsibility, strategic partnerships and responsiveness to the market, describe the agency's relentless approach to its efforts and will challenge economic developers to stay focused and to be original in all they do.