ANNOUNCEMENT: The 2023 ICF Smart21 Conference February 22 – 23, 2023
Turning Connectivity into Growth
Supported by the Economic Development Association of Canada (EDAC) and Economic Development Australia (EDA)
A decade ago, municipal leaders could still be skeptical that investments in broadband would make any real difference to the local economy. If high-speed connectivity was just about streaming movies and playing video games, did it justify the attention of government? The pandemic made clear to all that digital connectivity and services were essential. But it left unanswered the question: do they contribute directly to an increase in business investment, employment and prosperity? If so, what combination of policies and programs does it take, and how should economic development strategy adapt to this new “invisible infrastructure?”
In this one-day online conference, the Intelligent Community Forum, EDAC and EDA and their network of communities and experts around the world tackle these questions – not in academic debate, but in real-world practices and their results, from business retention to talent attraction, innovation programs to branding decisions. The day ends with announcement of ICF’s Smart21 Communities of 2023, semi-finalists for the coveted Intelligent Community of the Year award to be presented in October.
What you will take away from the event:
- Best practices for attracting private-sector investment in broadband by increasing the attractiveness of your local market
- How to assemble the business and social “infrastructure” of events, incubators, accelerators and programs that leverage connectivity for business formation and attraction
- What partnerships are most effective in making broadband an economic asset and how to develop them
- Encouraging digital services adoption by small businesses that employee most residents
- How to integrate digital connectivity and services into your economic development strategy
Who will attend?
Mayors, member of Council, CIOs and economic development officers from ICF’s global network of communities, and executives of their partners in technology, telecommunications and consulting.
When will the event take place?
The conference will have two programs:
- For the Asia-Pacific, February 22, starting at 10:00pm EST (UTC-5)
- For the Americas and Europe, February 23, 10:00am EST (UTC-5) on February 23.
All attendees may attend all programs, regardless of their location, and will have access to all sessions in archive form after the event.
Schedule
All times are EST (UTC-5).
February 22
21:00 EST – Welcome and introduction
21:10-21:55 – Turning bits into coin: an economic developers’ roundtable
Connectivity by itself adds little value – it is what people do with it that counts. Learn from communities that have leveraged their broadband assets for business retention and attraction, market differentiation, talent attraction for remote work and regional partnerships.
21:55-22:05 – Break and Interstitial Video
22:05-22:50 – Activating your small business sector
Small businesses employ most people in most places. They are also slower adopters of digital technology than their larger peers. How can local government gain their attention, motivate their engagement and equip them with the skills they need for success in the digital economy?
22:50-23:00 – Closing and Smart21 of 2023 Preview
February 23
10:00 EST – Welcome and introduction
10:10-11:10 – Broadband success stories
In short use cases, ICF’s Intelligent Communities share their struggles and successes at building out broadband infrastructure and turning broadband and digital services into effective drivers of economic growth and transformation.
11:10-11:40 – Innovative approaches to battling homelessness, drug addiction and crime
Three interlocking problems – homelessness, drug addiction and crime – put serious pressure on quality of life in many communities. As traditional solutions have proven ineffective or politically untouchable, innovative municipalities are finding new ways to combine digital technologies and imaginative programs to lessen the toll on individuals and the community.
11:40-11:50 – Break and Interstitial videos
11:50-12:35 – Attracting broadband investment: a CIO roundtable
How can you improve the business risk profile of your community and make it a more attractive investment opportunity for the private sector? Imaginative strategies range from infrastructure investments to improved permitting processes, and from identification of total demand to research partnership.
12:35-12:50 – Smart21 of 2023 Announcement
We invite you to join us for this engaging & compelling virtual event and take advantage of the opportunity to network with business, government and non-profits delegates from across the globe who have adopted smart technologies in communities to solve problems and to innovate ways of doing business.
WHEN
February 22, 2023 at 9:00am – February 23, 2023 | Eastern Time (US & Canada)
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ICF Canada 1310-20 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5J 2N8 www.icf-canada.com
Contact: John G. Jung at [email protected] 1-647-801-4238 cell
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