I am very excited about this year’s Bend Chamber Impact Conference! Please plan to join us for this important half-day summit and look me up to say hello during the conference.
Here are some highlights of what to expect:
Keynote Speaker
This year’s opening presentation focuses on how Bend is reconciling growth with its housing and infrastructure needs. Our keynote, Dr. Megan Lawson, senior economist at Headwaters Economics, will present insights from her national report on “amenity rich” cities. Bend certainly falls in that category and I’m looking forward to hearing what we can learn from peer cities across the country.
Real Estate Breakout Session
Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors will share insights on the future of home sales and affordability.
Policy & Growth Breakout Session
Advocacy and policy development are a cornerstone of what we do at the Bend Chamber. Our own Sara Odendahl will lead a panel on how Central Oregon is dealing with growth. Join Brian Rankin, Long Term Planning Manager for the City of Bend, Heather Ficht, Executive Director of East Cascade Works, and state economist, Josh Lehner, for an insightful discussion on how we are planning and coping with growth.
Hospitality Breakout Session
Julia Theisen from Visit Central Oregon, Kevney Dugan from Visit Bend, Dr. Lawson, and Jaime Eder, Director of Workforce Development & Community Engagement for the tourism industry talk about leveraging our robust visitors workforce and economy with the needs of the local community.
Hope to see you there!
~Katy Brooks, CEO — Bend Chamber
