PEDA just wrapped up its annual fall conference at the Hershey® Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania!

On Monday, preceding the Welcome Reception held at Tröegs Brewing Company, a PEDI pre-conference session (Introduction to Tax-Exempt Financing) and a series of committee meetings were held, ending with the fall meeting of the PEDA Board of Directors.

The event officially kicked off on Tuesday morning with an entertaining keynote presentation by Jim George - Founder and President of All About Hershey - focusing on Milton Hershey's legacy, the Hershey Idea, and the uniqueness of the thriving company town that Milton Hershey established. Throughout subsequent sessions, attendees participated in trainings focusing on such topics as urban development opportunities and challenges, best practices and new developments in business acceleration, workforce challenges, tourism as an economic driver, and the cultivation of the life sciences. The conference closed with our semiannual DCED Update. A list of speaker bios is available here.   

During Tuesday's lunch, PEDA Membership Awards were presented to individuals and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in economic development and significantly contributed to the well-being of their communities. Additionally, three President's Awards were given to recipients who have done exceptional work in advancing economic development efforts in Pennsylvania. Information on this year's award recipients can be accessed here. 

This event could not have been so successful without the help of many individuals and organizations dedicated to economic development, beginning with our sponsors, whose generous support allowed for the development of a truly top-notch event. A special thank you is also extended to our exhibitors, advertisers and Conference Committee members for their involvement. Finally, many thanks to our presenters for sharing their time and expertise and to all of our attendees who were a part of this year's event.

Photos from the conference will soon be available on PEDA's Facebook page, where we welcome you to Like us. Conference attendees will also be receiving a link to a brief survey in the coming days and they are encouraged to take a few minutes to provide valued feedback.  Thank you in advance!

Thank you to our 2014 Fall Conference sponsors, exhibitors and supporters!

 *Hershey® Lodge is a trademark used with permission.