Growing from Within: Economic Gardening as an Economic Driver
http://www.iedconline.org/?p=Economic_Gardening

Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 pm EST
Cost: $85 for IEDC members, $125 for Non-members
Registration deadline: Tuesday, May 18

http://events.iedconline.org/Core/Events/eventdetails.aspx?meeting=WEBI…

Focusing on an inside-out strategy, economic gardening-growing jobs through entrepreneurship, rather than recruiting companies to a community-can be an effective response to the challenging economy. Economic gardening helps accelerate the growth of local companies by providing sophisticated, tactical and strategic information that is difficult for entrepreneurs to access elsewhere. From small communities like Littleton, Colo., to large communities such as Jacksonville, Fla., to states such as Wyoming and Florida, economic gardening is a strategy relevant to communities of all sizes.

Webinar speaker Christian Gibbons is credited with being the co-inventor of economic gardening-an innovative entrepreneurial approach to economic development.
Incorporating this strategy in the City of Littleton, CO, during the period 1990 to 2009, it more than doubled the community's jobs from 15,000 to 30,000, and sales tax revenues more than tripled from $6 to $21 million without recruiting an industry or providing incentives or tax rebates.

Our other speaker, Dan Ripke, has been instrumental in the development of Economic Gardening programs within the western United States. He has made over 42 presentations to groups throughout 6 western states, and helped 4 programs become established.

Join IEDC on May 19 for an informative web seminar to hear how your community can incorporate economic gardening into its economic development strategy.

Attendees of this web seminar will:
• Discover why this economic development strategy works
• Learn the key steps and questions to ask when starting an economic gardening program
• Hear how a community incorporated economic gardening in its economic development strategy

Space is limited! Register today.
http://events.iedconline.org/Core/Events/eventdetails.aspx?meeting=WEBI…

WEBINAR SPEAKERS:
Christian Gibbons
Director of Business/Industry Affairs
City of Littleton, Colorado

Dan Ripke
Director
Northeastern California Small Business Development Center and
The Center for Economic Development
California State University, Chico

WEB SEMINARS ARE EASY & CONVENIENT
Here are just a few ways that we have made it easy for you:

• All you need is an internet connection & a telephone land line!
• One registration is good for the whole office – invite your staff into the conference room for maximum benefit.
• No travel, no hotel and no lost days from the office. It couldn't be easier!

Stay Ahead of the Game and Register for our June Webinar!
Building Strong Board-CEO Partnerships In Challenging Times, June 16, 2:30 - 4:00 pm EST.
http://www.iedconline.org/?p=Board-CEO_Partnerships