2026 Annual Conference

Cleco Power is a regulated electric utility that owns 8 generating units at 5 facilities with a rated capacity of 2,676 megawatts and operates 946 megawatts on behalf of its generation partners. Assets also include approximately 1,387 miles of transmission lines and approximately 12,319 miles of distribution lines.

Cleco Power uses multiple generating sources and multiple fuels to serve approximately 298,000 customers in 24 of Louisiana's parishes through its retail business and supplies wholesale power in Louisiana.

Parishes served include Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Catahoula, DeSoto, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Vernon and Washington.

Comcast Corporation is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

DCI is “The Leader in Marketing Places.” Since 1960, we have worked with more than 450 cities, regions, states, provinces and countries, helping them to attract both investors and visitors. We specialize exclusively in all phases of economic development and tourism marketing including branding, websites, public relations, social/digital media, talent attraction, prospect development, travel trade, and special events. Current clients include a range of states (California, Iowa, North Dakota, Texas, and New Jersey), cities/regions (Charleston, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Columbus, Denver, Houston, Research Triangle Region, and Louisville) and countries (Netherlands, Thailand, Scotland and Peru), to name a few. DCI is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Denver, Los Angeles and Toronto.

Placer.ai is the leader in location analytics, instantly generating foot traffic insights for any location in the U.S. Commercial real estate, retail, and economic development professionals are using the product daily to optimize their decision-making. Placer.ai provides a range of easily accessible reports on-demand including true trade areas, visit trends, customer journey data, demographics, cross-shopping, property rankings and more. The breadth of perspectives empowers local governments to understand consumer behavior, attract the best-fit business and enhance local business performance to drive economic growth.

ResearchFDI Academy is an online platform designed to help economic development professionals enhance their expertise in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). With flexible, self-paced modules, you can learn anytime, anywhere. The Academy offers expert-led content, real-world examples, and actionable insights into the FDI process, from lead generation to investor aftercare. Tailored for those in investment attraction, stakeholder engagement, and economic development, the Foreign Direct Investment Professional (FDIP) Certification provides a recognized credential to advance your career. Elevate your skills and confidence to attract and sustain investments and help your region thrive.

Investing $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity, The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on unlikely partnerships and innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for people in the United States and around the world. We leverage scientific breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies to make big bets across energy, food, health, and finance with our partners and our affiliated public charity, RFCC. For more information, follow us on LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation, X @RockefellerFdn, Instagram @rockefellerfdn, and YouTube @RockefellerFdn, and sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe.

Chmura Economics & Analytics is an applied economic consulting firm specializing in delivering advanced economic analysis. Data are at the heart of Chmura. As individuals, organizations, and communities, we rely on accurate, timely data to help make critical decisions and plan for growth and improvement. The team at Chmura is dedicated to developing tools and services with that need in mind. Whether developed through customized consulting projects, delivered via off-the-shelf reports, or compiled through our software tools such as JobsEQ®, our data help you answer complex questions and implement effective solutions. Chmura has the experience and expertise to transform data into information that drives effective strategy.

ExecutivePulse is a CRM platform built specifically for economic development organizations across the U.S. and Canada. It gives EDO teams one system to manage BR&E visits, track prospect and deal pipelines, and monitor incentive commitments — helping staff catch at-risk businesses early, keep full visibility into every deal, and preserve institutional knowledge through staff transitions. Each client operates on a dedicated, SOC 2 Type II–certified database, ensuring full data ownership and security. With 120+ EDO clients and 2,100+ users nationwide, ExecutivePulse combines deep economic development expertise with a continuously evolving platform, including new AI-powered tools like AskPulse that help teams spot opportunities faster.

QTS is a global data center leader with unrivaled access to scalable infrastructure across North America and Europe. QTS delivers state-of-the-art data center solutions, including robust digital Telecom connectivity, custom data center design and construction, leasing of data center space, and premium technical support and customer service to leading hyperscale technology companies, enterprises, and government entities, while prioritizing responsible growth and investing in the communities where it builds and operates. QTS is a Blackstone portfolio company.

Violet PR custom-designs and implements communications programs for economic development organizations around the world through our core service offerings: Media Relations, Social Media and Content Development. We also offer an array of client program add-ons such as media training, speaking engagement booking, paid digital advertising program management, and more.

This approach results in compelling stories highlighting an organization’s success and purpose, igniting interest from targeted investors, clients and supporters in both local markets and around the world.

Whether it’s rebranding a city, drawing attention to a revitalized neighborhood, or promoting a new sustainable development, Violet PR helps clients make a difference.

Business Facilities is the leading full-service media brand specializing in the site selection marketplace. In print, online, and face-to-face, Business Facilities  has created a dynamic community that connects corporate site selectors with economic development organizations from across North America and around the world.

Business Facilities magazine is read by C-Suite executives, corporate real estate professionals, site consultants and other business leaders. Published six times a year, each issue profiles state, regional and international locations. BusinessFacilities.com is the share of market leader among all site selection websites, providing up-to-the-minute site selection news and industry-specific features. Business Facilities LiveXchange is an invitation-only matchmaking event that connects corporate executives and site consultants that have active projects with economic development organizations from across North America.

Site Selection Magazine, the leading publication covering global corporate real estate strategy and economic development, is in its 69th year of publication. It is mailed every other month to a qualified circulation of more than 42,000* corporate end users in print, in addition to publishing all of its material at www.siteselection.com.

Global corporate expansion experts Conway Data Inc., publisher of Site Selection, state economic development guides under its Custom Content Publishing Division, and the Site Selection Investor Watch newsletter, has been a trusted source of business intelligence to corporations, government economic development and investment promotion agencies around the world since 1954.

Conway Data owns and manages Conway Data Events, organizer of the World Forum for FDI and FDI training seminars. Conway Data also manages the Atlanta-based Industrial Asset Management Council, a professional association of 600-plus corporate real estate executives, economic developers and commercial real estate service providers.

*December 2021; all circulation information is publisher’s own data unless otherwise specified.

Founded in 1951, Adams & Reese is a full-service, multidisciplinary Am Law 200 and NLJ 500 law firm with over 350 attorneys and advisors. With 20 offices across 10 states, our legal team represents businesses nationally in more than 50 industries, with particular strengths in the areas of Construction, Intellectual Property, Alcohol & Hospitality, Commercial Litigation, Government Relations, Real Estate, and Financial Services. We represent clients globally in Intellectual Property; Insurance; and Global Trade & Transportation.

GrowthX works with economic developers to deliver expert sales coaching programs that help founders grow revenue, create jobs, attract capital, and stay rooted in their community (because prosperity shouldn't require a change-of-address form).

AI made it easier for your local founders to build, write, and automate. But building no longer separates the companies that stall from those that get to the scale-up stage. The commercialization gap is now an economic development challenge. GrowthX is a practical way to help your founders convert support into outcomes, not just participation.

Our flagship B2B sales training program, delivered through our national platform or in partnership with local ecosystems as a place-based program, combines hands-on coaching, founder-led sales execution, and our AI-powered GrowthX Go platform. With more than a decade of experience across 60+ rising innovation ecosystems, GrowthX has supported over 650 founders whose companies have collectively generated over $1 billion in new revenue, raised over $500 million in capital, and created over 2,000 durable jobs.

Startup ecosystems have gotten much better at helping founders start. But the next test for economic developers, foundations, and ecosystem leaders is helping more of those founders become real companies: companies with customers, repeatable revenue, jobs, and a reason to keep growing where they started. We present a practical opportunity: help more local companies reach the scale-up stage by giving them the GTM support that is often missing between product development and durable growth.

Together we rise.

Hart is a full-service, independent brand transformation agency dedicated to creating growth for middle-market companies in today’s experience-driven economy. Since 1965, Hart has partnered with B2C and B2B brands across industries to uncover clarity, amplify purpose, and generate momentum through integrated strategies that move audiences from apathy to advocacy. Guided by our promise of Every Day Greater™, we design and deliver unified brand experiences that connect and inspire. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, with additional offices in Columbus, Detroit, and Washington, D.C., our team brings deep expertise in marketing strategy, creative, digital, media, and consulting. With proven vertical strength in economic development, healthcare, travel and tourism, and food and beverage, Hart helps organizations transform brands and drive sustainable growth. Learn more at hartinc.com/economic-development

“Building Teams That Build Communities” reflects the purpose behind our work. Jorgenson Pace has been placing executives for over 30 years in critical state, regional, and local leadership positions that have contributed to billions of dollars in economic investment and the creation of millions of well-paying jobs across the country.

Jorgenson Pace, Inc. is a national executive search and consulting firm dedicated to organizations that strengthen communities and drive economic growth. We specialize in serving economic and community development organizations, chambers of commerce, downtown development organizations, foundations, and nonprofits whose leaders have a lasting influence on the people and places they serve.

Every engagement begins with listening. We take the time to understand an organization’s priorities, culture, community, and aspirations before developing a customized strategy to identify the right leader. Our highly personalized approach combines rigorous research, national relationships, and hands-on guidance throughout the search and selection process.

Long-term organizational strength depends on more than a single hire. Jorgenson Pace also provides customized compensation and benefits studies that give organizations the market intelligence they need to structure competitive packages, benchmark against peer institutions, and build the long-term compensation strategies that let them attract, retain, and appropriately reward exceptional talent.

Together with residents and partners, LISC helps forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America–great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. We invest in overlapping program area that reach into every corner of community life including:

Affordable Housing, Child Care & Early Learning, Creative Placemaking, Economic Development, Education, Income & Wealth Building, Health, Safety & Justice, Small Business, and Sports & Recreation.

Our approach is comprehensive, effective and—most important—rooted in what neighbors want for themselves, their families and the places they call home. Since 1979, LISC has invested over $27.9 billion in our communities.

Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. Ochsner is nationally recognized for inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through expertise, quality and digital connectivity. In 2025, more than 40,000 dedicated team members and 5,000 employed and affiliated physicians at Ochsner cared for more than 1.6 million people from every state in the nation and 65 countries. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit www.ochsner.org.

OCO Global is an international trade and investment advisory firm working in partnership with economic development organizations, governments, and companies to support sustainable economic growth through foreign direct investment and international trade.

With teams and offices across North America, Europe, and Asia, OCO brings a global perspective to the opportunities and challenges facing regions competing for investment in an increasingly complex economic environment. For more than two decades, the firm has worked alongside economic developers to help translate strategy into delivery - connecting places with the companies, partners, and markets that drive long-term growth.

OCO’s work sits at the intersection of policy, business, and place. The firm combines data-led insight with practical market engagement, supporting clients across the investment lifecycle, from strategy and value proposition development through to investor engagement, lead generation, and international partnership building. Equally, OCO supports companies navigating international expansion, ensuring that investment decisions align with both commercial objectives and regional strengths.

At our core, OCO’s approach is collaborative. We work as an extension of client teams, sharing knowledge and building capability while helping regions position themselves confidently on the global stage.

The Port of South Louisiana is the premier economic development engine for Louisiana’s industrial River Region and the second-largest port in the Western Hemisphere, handling more than 248 million tons of cargo annually. Serving the parishes of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James, the Port combines world-class maritime infrastructure with a proactive economic development strategy focused on business recruitment, industrial expansion, and job creation. Located along 54 miles of the Mississippi River, the Port connects global markets to one of North America’s largest manufacturing and logistics corridors. Through strategic partnerships, infrastructure investment, workforce development initiatives, and support for foreign and domestic investment, the Port of South Louisiana drives economic growth, strengthens supply chains, and creates opportunities that benefit businesses and communities throughout America's heartland.

The Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (USVIEDA) is the principal economic development agency for the U.S. Virgin Islands, working to strengthen and diversify the Territory’s economy by attracting investment, supporting business growth, expanding access to capital, and advancing sustainable economic opportunities.

Through its programs and divisions, USVIEDA provides a range of resources to businesses and investors, including tax incentive programs, commercial financing and access-to-capital initiatives, enterprise zone benefits, industrial and commercial space, and business attraction and investment facilitation services. USVIEDA also works closely with public- and private-sector partners to promote entrepreneurship, encourage job creation, support workforce development, and position the U.S. Virgin Islands as a competitive location for business and investment.

With opportunities across sectors including hospitality, manufacturing, professional and financial services, technology, renewable energy, and other emerging industries, USVIEDA serves as a key resource for companies seeking to establish, expand, or invest in the Territory.

Learn more at www.usvieda.org.

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