Request For Proposals: Conference Sessions
We are currently seeking sessions for both the winter and summer 2025 EDAM conferences.
Session Submission Deadline: Friday, November 1, 2024
Submit Now
CONFERENCE INFORMATION
Winter 2025
Dates: January 23-24, 2025
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Venue: The Lofton Hotel
Summer 2025
Dates: June 11-13, 2025
Location: Duluth, MN
Venue: Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC)
SESSION DURATION
It’s expected that proposed sessions would consist of approximately 45 minutes of presentation followed by 15 minutes of open question & answer.
KEYNOTE IDEAS
Whether you submit a session or not, we would love to hear your suggestions for keynote speakers. Email us at
[email protected] to share recommendations.
2025 EDUCATIONAL THEME: Growth Through Change
We are seeking sessions that focus on our broad theme - Growth Through Change - or incorporate the following topics. If your proposed session doesn't fit into one of the topics listed below, we still encourage you to submit! We would love to hear what you have to offer. Sessions not selected for a 2025 conference may be considered for another EDAM educational offering such as a webinar or Building Your Toolbox event.
Supporting and incentivizing entrepreneurship
- Sessions that focus on programs and policies that support and grow entrepreneurship.
- Learning goals: practical policy and programmatic solutions to foster a healthy entrepreneurial environment in communities of any size across the state.
Leadership and professional skills development
- Sessions that focus on professional skills including leadership development, mental health and well-being at work, organizational change, etc.
- Learning goals: space to share professional challenges with other like minded individuals, thinking about our work beyond the day to day deals and tasks and more about how to create healthy and effective teams, project management skills, and more.
The power of diversity and inclusion in economic development
- Sessions that are centered around fostering, promoting, and advancing diversity and inclusion through economic development.
- Learning goals: creation of programs and policies that identify and advance DEI goals of an organization or community.
Tools to advance development in your community
- Sessions based around new funding and skill development around existing tools/funds.
- Learning goals: learning about new programs or gaining additional skills with existing programs and tools (i.e. TIF, bonds, grants, etc.).
The intersection of economic development with housing and workforce development
- Sessions that feature workforce development initiatives and/or housing projects that demonstrate a connection to economic development.
- Learning goals: understanding the link between ED, workforce and housing.
The intersection of economic development with climate change and environmental justice
- Sessions that feature projects, initiatives, or policy focused on green and clean energy that
demonstrate a connection to economic development.
- Learning goals: understanding the link between ED, climate change, environmental justice, and other policy areas.
Challenges and opportunities in small communities
- Sessions based around challenges specific to small and/or rural communities and innovative approaches to addressing them.
- Learning goals: a chance for ED professionals from smaller communities to learn from each other and share solutions.
Cannabis and regulation of new markets
- Sessions based around the challenges, opportunities, and regulation that goes along with new markets such as cannabis.
- Learning goals: understanding the current legal and practical landscape related to cannabis and what that means for economic development professionals.
Infrastructure capacity planning
- Sessions focused on the strategy related to ensuring a community's infrastructure can support new opportunities.
- Learning goals: understanding the role that key infrastructure (utilities, water, sewer, technology) plays in preparing a community to support new business opportunities or developments.
Interorganizational/intergovernmental cooperation and partnership
- Sessions focused on multiple organizations working together to achieve common goals.
- Learning goals: understanding the opportunities and challenges of partnerships to achieve economic development goals.
Future opportunities and Minnesota's changing position in the national economy
- Sessions focused on the economy and how Minnesota fits into the national picture; what unique strengths or vulnerabilities set Minnesota apart?
- Learning goals: understanding how Minnesota fits into the broader economic landscape and what that means for communities and economic developers.