Business Retention and Expansion Training Course

AICP Certification Maintenance points: CM | 16

Date: June 20 - 21, 2013
Location: Baltimore, MD

This interactive course presents the core components of a BRE program and why the concerns of local businesses need to be actively addressed. By building an understanding of business visitation techniques and survey methods, practitioners will be able to clearly gauge their community's business climate. Learn the "red flags" that may indicate a company is looking to move elsewhere, and learn how to structure an effective technical assistance program to respond to business concerns. This course helps participants understand how a BRE program relates to attraction, workforce development, small business finance, technology transfer and many other economic development activities.

Course Highlights:

• Establishing, maintaining and upgrading a BRE program
• Creating effective models for business visitations and surveys
• Customer-Relationship Management (CRM) techniques
• Marketing a BRE program
• Establishing an early warning system
• Cluster and industry-focused BRE programs
• Tracking and analyzing customer feedback and response
• Quantitative and qualitative economic development metrics

Instructors:

Erik Collins
Economic Development Manager
Montgomery County, Ohio

Erik Collins is the Economic Development Manager for Montgomery County, Ohio – the state's fourth largest county. Erik manages the Economic Development Division and is responsible for business attraction, retention and the county's incentive programs. His accomplishments include development of Montgomery County's Linked Deposit Program in partnership with the Montgomery County Treasurer; the Linked Deposit program a $20 million program designed to buy-down interest rates for businesses that create and retain jobs in Montgomery County. Erik was instrumental in developing, and is now responsible for managing, the County's business retention and expansion initiative known as Business First! For A Greater Dayton Region, which has expanded outside of Montgomery County that includes 28 jurisdictions within a five county region.

Laith Wardi, CEcD
President
ExecutivePulse, Inc.

Laith Wardi, CEcD, is president of ExecutivePulse, Inc. He has worked in the economic development profession for over 20 years. Laith has comprehensive experience in business retention & expansion that includes outreach to hundreds of value-added client companies, work as a resource provider, and 15 years of regional program management. In 1994-95, Laith pioneered the first web based system for business retention. Today, the ExecutivePulse™ Business Intelligence System is the most widely used database for business retention & expansion in North America. As a founder and President of ExecutivePulse Inc., Laith provides skills training, survey development, technology development and management consultation to clients seeking to implement a systematic and sustainable customer outreach program.

Accommodations/Training Location

Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore
20 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (800) 395-7046
www.radisson.com

IEDC Room Rate: $129 single/double
Cut-Off Date: May 30, 2013

Business Retention and Expansion Training Course