Economic Development Now

Survey Says: Corporate Decision Makers Define Best Practices in Economic Development Marketing
What does the economic development world’s “customer” view as best practices in marketing places? A recent survey of corporate executives with site selection responsibilities provides some insight – and while third parties and the Web are important, face time matters, too.

Annual Conference Preview: A View from the Top with GE’s John Rice
John Rice, President and CEO of GE Infrastructure and a member of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin’s advisory committee on economic development, is a dynamic business leader with key insights on issues of competitiveness and renewable energy. In advance of his appearance at IEDC Annual Conference on October 21, Rice spoke with ED Now about some of his thoughts on economic development.

Learn from Your Peers at IEDC’s Town Hall Forums
Who best understands the issues you face in your job? Most likely, it’s other economic developers – in communities of similar sizes – who are dealing with similar problems. At IEDC’s upcoming Annual Conference, we’ve created a series of Town Hall Forums just for attendees from urban, suburban and rural communities to share their experiences and learn from their peers. Join other economic developers on Sunday, October 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to discuss the successes and challenges facing communities like yours in today’s economy.

IEDC News

October Web Seminar: The Future of Economic Development at $5.00 a Gallon

The rapidly escalating price of energy is altering the location choices of businesses and people with subsequent impacts on the competitive location advantages of communities. Join a panel of experienced economic developers to discuss what increasing energy prices mean in our web seminar, The Future of Economic Development at $5.00 a Gallon, Thursday, October 2, 2:30 - 4:00 pm EST.

Summer 2008 Economic Development Journal Available for Download

Download the latest issue of Economic Development Journal, the premier publication of our profession. Case studies in this issue focus on leveraging private industry intellectual property assets, ways communities are shaping their broadband future, sustainable economic development practices, social capital, and more!

Bring IEDC Expertise to Your Community

IEDC can assemble a team of staff and member experts to visit your community to address your challenges and opportunities. IEDC Advisory Services solve tough economic development problems by drawing on case studies, our research library, and the knowledge and experience of our staff and members.

Spring 2008 Economic Development Journal Available for Download

Download the latest issue of Economic Development Journal, the premier publication of our profession. Case studies in this issue focus on building a 21st century workforce, green buildings, the role of urban design for maximizing the economic development benefits of brownfield redevelopment, and more!

Primer on Globalization

IEDC’s newest membership category, the Economic Development Research Partners, is a think-tank environment which supports practice-oriented research. The Partnership’s first product is the Primer on Globalization (994 Kb PDF), a guide to the transformational forces shaping the economic development needs of US communities. The Primer delineates the opportunities and challenges presented to economic developers by our rapidly globalizing economy.

New to IEDC's Bookstore: Dr. Richard Florida's Who's Your City

It’s a mantra of the age of globalization that where you live doesn’t matter: you can telecommute to your high-tech Silicon Valley job, a ski-slope in Idaho, a beach in Hawaii or a loft in Chicago; you can innovate from Shanghai or Bangalore. According to Richard Florida, this is wrong. As he details in his new book, Who's Your City?, place is not only important, it’s more important than ever.

IEDC Shows Support for Revitalization of New Orleans

IEDC purchased a $100,000 Katrina Investment Deposit (KIDs) with Liberty Bank and Trust Company, showing our unremitting support for the revitalization of the greater New Orleans region. Liberty Bank offers KIDs as FDIC-insured certificates of deposit with a below market interest rate. The proceeds from the difference in rate are reinvested by the bank in the form of loans and related activities to promote rebuilding and investment in Katrina-damaged communities.

IEDC Publications

2006 Salary Survey of Economic Development Professionals

Perhaps your economic development organization (EDO) is looking to hire a new employee. How do know that your offer is competitive, or what benefits should be provided? Or maybe you’re looking to move to a new community. How do you know what someone with your experience, or expertise, can expect to make? IEDC's 2006 Salary Survey Report of Economic Development Professionals can help with the answers.

Free Download: Economic Development and Smart Growth

Economic development success and smart growth can go hand-in-hand. IEDC’s newest publication, Economic Development and Smart Growth, presents eight case studies on communities that incorporated smart growth principles in their development projects and have experienced economic development improvements. Download the PDF for free!

Free Download: "Forty Years of Urban Economic Development: A Retrospective"

In October of 2007, IEDC hosted a reunion of the leading professionals whose careers encapsulate the past forty years of urban economic development. They were tasked with using their experience to reflect upon the past and to look ahead to the challenges facing economic developers today and in the coming decades. Forty Years of Urban Economic Development: A Retrospective (PDF) captures the lessons learned and creates a living history of the participants' experiences to inform the next steps within urban economic development.