Press release from the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development; November 10, 2014:
NASHVILLE—The 61st Annual Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development will be held Nov. 13 – 14 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Nashville. The conference theme will focus on “The Tennessee Story” celebrating the state’s exceptional craftsmanship, dedicated workforce and the unmatched experience of living and working in Tennessee.
“Tennessee has an undeniable level of uniqueness that sets it apart from the rest of the states. Our reputation speaks for itself in that Tennessee is known around the globe not only for its robust business environment and workforce strength, but also for its genuine hospitality, for being a wonderful place to raise a family and, it goes without saying, being home to the best music industry in the world,” TNECD Commissioner Bill Hagerty said. “This year’s conference will give economic development professionals a chance to build upon their skillsets by learning from experts in a multitude of fields, while gaining a sense of how they can contribute to Tennessee’s exceptional story.”
The two-day conference includes multiple educational sessions with the latest on economic development topics including branding, marketing, social media, the federal regulatory climate, ThreeStar, Main Street, certified sites, storytelling success stories, retail, exporting and more. Also on the agenda are three plenary sessions which will explore issues involving best practices in site selection, creating innovative partnerships in workforce development, and how to build a brand around an organization’s people.
Phillip Fulmer, former University of Tennessee football head coach, will keynote the Commissioner’s Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 13. One of the winningest coaches in SEC history, Fulmer ranks eighth all-time among SEC coaches with 152 wins and is tied for fifth all-time with 98 SEC regular season wins. His record at the University of Tennessee as head coach is second in school history behind legendary General Robert Neyland. During his time at the University of Tennessee, Fulmer earned a national championship, two conference titles and seven divisional crowns while winning more than three-quarters of his games.
For more information on the 61st Annual Governor’s Conference, please visit http://www.govcon.tnecd.com/. If media is interested in attending, they must be credentialed. Please RSVP to Jennifer McEachern at jennifer.mceachern@tn.gov by 5 p.m. CST Tuesday, Nov. 11.
