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The Governor's 6th Annual Utah Economic Summit, which kicks off April 10 at 8 a.m. in Salt Lake City's Grand America Hotel, promises to be the most unique economic summit ever held in the state. 

The summit runs from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and features addresses by Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert and Robert M. Knight Jr., chief financial officer of Union Pacific Corporation. Governor Herbert will focus his remarks on economic leadership in the United States and its "best practices," and will look at the nearby states and some nations that are coming to Utah to understand the state's economic development model. The Governor will also examine opportunities for increased global growth that will catalyze Utah businesses, further advancing the state's economy, accelerating job creation and solidifying Utah's place as a premier global business destination. Summit speaker bios can be found here. 

The summit kicks off with an economic analysis of the state by Natalie Gochnour, executive vice president of policy and chief economist for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. 



Breakout Sessions

In two unique breakout sessions, Todd Rowe, managing director of Google's Global Channel Sales, will present "How Utah-Based Companies Can Leverage Technology to Compete and Win in a Global Economy," while Dr. Ron Pollina, president and founder of Pollina Corporate Real Estate, will present "The Nation Does Not Have a Credible Jobs Plan: Utah as a Model for the Nation." 

Rowe oversees sales of Google's AdWords as well as video and mobile products to small and mid-sized companies throughout the world. His session will offer targeted advice for businesses seeking to increase their global presence through the calculated deployment of important business technologies. Dr. Ron Pollina is an expert in corporate location analysis, lease and contract negotiations and geo-economic trends. Dr. Pollina will focus his session on job creation and how to build on Utah's strengths to sustain the momentum of job growth that has occurred over the last several months. 

In the summit's other breakout sessions, respected leaders from across the state and nationally recognized experts from around the county will discuss the challenges and opportunities for business leaders across Utah's economic landscape. The presenters and panelists are influential thinkers in their respective fields and they are sure to generate big ideas through timely business insights. Further, the pragmatically designed breakout sessions will provide attendees with distinct and practical "takeaways" to integrate into their own business practices. The 2012 Summit schedule and breakout session details can be found here. 



Innovation and Investment

"The Summit's theme is centered around 'Innovation and Investment: Building Utah's Economy,'" says Spencer Eccles, executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED). "The Summit will address the State of Utah's economy in 2012 and discuss strategies for building upon our present successes to ensure a prosperous future." 

Eccles explains the goal of the summit is to tap into the successful strategies of Utah's economic vitality and amplify the state's nation-leading economic momentum. "The annual Governor's Economic Summit is a proven catalyst from which Utah's business leaders have gained the inspiration and practical training to continue to propel the state's economy well into the future," he says. The summit should be of special interest to businesses of all sizes as well as government leaders, especially those in economic development positions within city and county governments. 



Special Recognition

In a unique Summit event, during the lunch hour Mary Helen Sprecher, managing editor for Due North Media, publisher of Trade & Industry Development magazine, will recognize three Utah recipients of Trade & Industry Development's Corporate Investment and Community Impact (CiCi) Awards. The magazine annually selects 15 top companies in each of the two distinct categories. The Utah recipients are Lehi-based IM Flash Technologies (Corporate Investment), eBay in Draper and South Jordan, and Salt Lake City's ITT Exelis (Community Investment). 

"Incredibly, Trade & Industry received over 700 applications from all over the nation for recognition in corporate site selection," says Eccles. "It speaks volumes of Utah's collaborative business atmosphere that there were three companies in Utah alone that were bestowed this unique recognition." 

(In 2011, the magazine recognized ATK Aerospace Systems in Clearfield, and Adobe in Lehi City with CiCi awards in the Corporate Investment category.) 

At 3 p.m., summit attendees will gather for a closing reception and networking session that features food from the Utah Department of Agriculture's "Utah's Own" program. Last year's inaugural Utah's Own food tasting networking event drew hundreds of the Summit's business leaders into a successful forum for nourishing ideas and strengthening emerging business relationships. This year's networking event will be fueled by more than 20 Utah's Own vendors and their foods, grown and manufactured in Utah and prepared by Utah culinary students under the instruction of the chefs of Grand America in the property's kitchen that day. For details about this event, contact Seth Winterton, Utah's Own, (801) 870-8707. 



Bottom Line

It's no secret that the state of Utah is incredibly well managed. Eccles explains that the Utah economy is poised for renewed growth, saying the state has weathered the economic storm better than most of the country and is poised to rebound quickly. "Over the past decade, Utah has consistently been one of the top states for growth in business and careers and has proven to have tremendous economic vitality," he adds. 

Summit developers expect the 2012 event to sell out, drawing 1,200 attendees. Hence, those interested in attending are encouraged to register early and keep in mind that organizations may benefit from sending multiple representatives in order to leverage the multiple track offerings. Register for the Summit online here.