Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference

Network at the Guild’s Most Popular Event

Each year, the Guild holds its marquee Annual Conference event with all global Guild members in attendance. The cornerstone of the Annual Conference is knowledge sharing, an interactive exchange of ideas and networking between Guild members and economic developers and investment promotion professionals from around the world.

At the conference, the ratio of Guild members to economic development organization (EDO) participants is eight to one (eight attendees for every one Guild member). Members plan all conference content, serve on panels and participate in interactive breakout sessions with conference attendees for the purpose of sharing insights and fostering discussion. Additionally, our awards program for the Annual Conference gives EDOs, their partners and communities the opportunity to be recognized within the industry and receive complimentary registration.

See below for general registration, sponsorship opportunities, agenda and other information.

Event details

Date & Time

April 3-5, 2024

Location

Nashville, TN

Venue

Grand Hyatt Nashville

General Registration

Complete the form below to register for the 2024 Annual Conference.

Fill out my online form.

Registration Fee

The 2024 registration fee is $2,450 per attendee and is non-transferrable between other Guild events such as the Annual Conference and/or Fall Forum and can only be transferred to another attendee within the same organization.

Eligibility

To be eligible to attend the Annual Conference, you must be a practicing professional from a local, regional, state or national economic development organization in the U.S. or abroad. Each registration will be vetted for eligibility before attendance is confirmed. Once eligibility is confirmed, you will receive notification of your acceptance and provided information in regards to payment.U.S. or abroad. Each registration will be vetted for eligibility before attendance is confirmed. Once eligibility is confirmed, you will receive notification of your acceptance and provided information in regards to payment and the hotel link.

Deadlines

The last day for registration refunds is February 23, 2024.  The last day for registration transfers is March 15, 2024. Transfers can only be made to another attendee within the same organization and are non-transferrable between Guild events such as the Annual Conference and/or Fall Forum.

Sponsorships

Sponsorships for the 2024 Annual Conference are now open! Click on the button below to review benefits and sign up!

Agenda

All events are located at the Grand Hyatt Nashville hotel unless otherwise noted. Event locations, times and participation assignments are subject to change.

WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2024

11:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Conference Badge Pick-Up
Location TBA

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Presenting Sponsor event
(Private event for Presenting Sponsor & Guild Members)
Off-site

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Guild Partner Event
(Private reception for Guild Partners and Guild Members)
Ole Red (Off-site)

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Gold Sponsor Dinners
(Private dinners for Gold Sponsors and Guild Members)
Off-site

7:00 PM – 9:30 PM | Welcome Reception
Ole Red (Off-site)


THURSDAY, April 4, 2024

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM | Breakfast
Grand Hall DE

8:05 AM – 9:00 AM | Welcome & Meet the Guild Members
Grand Hall DE

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Table Talk
Grand Hall DE

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM | Break
Grand Hall Foyer

10:30 AM – 11:30M | Breakout Sessions – block 1

  1. Navigating the Energy Landscape in 2024
    Panelists: Tracey Hyatt Bosman, Didi Caldwell, Will Hearn and Phil Schneider (Session Lead)
    Interchange
  2. The Power of Second: Turning a “Near-Win” Into a Competitive Advantage
    Panelists: Alex Ash, Jeannette Goldsmith, Chad Sweeney and Gregg Wassmansdorf (Session Lead)
    Crescent
  3. Investment Insomnia: FDI Issues Keeping Global Executives Up at Night
    Panelists: Andreas Dressler, Spencer Schobert, Matthijs Weeink and Dennis Meseroll (Session Lead)
    Diplomat C
  4. Pitch Perfect: Real-Time Feedback on EDO Collateral
    Panelists: Johan Beukema, Monty Turner, Leslie Wagner and Kim Moore (Session Lead)
    Brickyard B
  5. The Great Debate
    Debaters: Courtney Dunbar, Ford Graham, Seth Martindale and Gray Swoope
    Grand Hall C
  6. Navigating Scarcity: How EDOs Can Approach Talent, Site and Energy Shortages
    Panelists: David Dera, Dennis Donovan, Don Schjeldahl and Sarah White (Session Lead)
    Diplomat A
  7. Lightning Round: The Six Top Topics in 60 Minutes
    Panelists: Natalie Lynch, John Rocca, Thomas Stringer, Matt Szuhaj, Mike Mullis (Session Lead) and Patsy Van Hove
    Grand Hall B
  8. Leading Forward: Recommended Traits for Next Gen ED Leadership
    Panelists: Sydney August, Elias van Herwaarden, Bob Hess (Session Lead) and Andrew Ratchford
    Brickyard A

11:30 AM – 12:45 PM  | Lunch, Ady Scholarship & ED Award Presentations and Meet the Guild Members
Grand Hall DE

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM  | Breakout Sessions – block 2
Same Guild Members & locations as previous block

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM | Case Study Panel
Grand Hall DE

3:15 PM – 3:45 PM | Break
Grand Hall Foyer

3:45 PM – 4:45 PM | Table Talk
Grand Hall DE

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Silver Sponsor Reception
(Private reception for Silver Sponsors & Guild Members)
Grand Hall A

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Happy Hour
Grand Hall Foyer


FRIDAY, April 5, 2024

7:45 AM – 8:45 AM | Breakfast
Grand Hall DE

8:45 AM – 9:45 AM | Ask Anything Breakout Rooms

  1. Region 1: NY, OH, MI, PA, CT, DE, MD, NJ
    Guild Members: Sydney August, Dennis Donovan, Jeannette Goldsmith, Dennis Meseroll, Scott Redabaugh (Session Lead), Spencer Schubert, Matt Szuhaj and Sarah White
    Diplomat A
  2. Region 2: CA, CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY, AZ, NM
    Guild Members: Johan Beukema, Andreas Dressler, Ford Graham, Kim Moore, Jim Renzas (Session Lead), Alexandra Segers, Monty Turner and Mark Williams
    Diplomat C
  3. Region 3: KY, NC, SC, VA, WV
    Guild Members: Robert Boehringer (Session Lead), Courtney Dunbar, Chris Loyd, Larry Moretti, John Rocca, Thomas Stringer, Patsy Van Hove and Gary Yates
    Brickyard B
  4. Region 4: AL, FL, GA, MS, TN
    Guild Members: Michelle Comerford, Tess Fay, John Longshore, Denise Mullis, Chad Sweeney, Leslie Wagner and Wolfgang Riedel (Session Lead)
    Brickyard A
  5. Region 5: IA, IL, IN, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD, WI
    Guild Members: Kim Williams Davis, Jay Garner, Natalie Lynch, Sarah Raehl, Matt Ryder (Session Lead), Gray Swoope and Gregg Wassmansdorf
    Grand Hall B
  6. Region 6: TX, OK, LA, AR
    Guild Members: Jan Desmaretz (Session Lead), Larry Gigerich, Seth Martindale, Andrew Ratchford, Don Schjeldahl, Jerry Szatan and Matthijs Weeink
    Grand Hall C
  7. International
    Guild Members: Alex Ash, Rene Buck, David Dera, Elias van Herwaarden, Bob Hess, Jason Hickey (Session Lead) and Carter Wood
    Crescent
  8. Utility
    Guild Members: Tracey Hyatt Bosman, Didi Caldwell, Taylor Gravois (Session Lead), Will Hearn, Mike Mullis, Phil Schneider and Rajeev Thakur
    Interchange

9:45 AM – 10:15 AM | Break
Grand Hall Foyer

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM | State of Site Selection Panel
Grand Hall DE

11:15 AM – 11:30 AM | Conference Conclusion
Grand Hall DE

Upcoming Annual Conferences

Dates & Locations

Join our mailing list to be notified when registration is open for our next event.

Past Annual Conferences

Previous Dates & Locations

2023 | San Antonio, TX | March 29-31
2022 | San Diego, CA | March 2-4
2021 | Orlando, FL | June 10-12
2020 | Atlanta, GA | March 9-11
2019 | Salt Lake City, UT | March 25-27
2018 | Cincinnati, OH | March 19-21
2017 | Tucson, AZ | March 13-15

Participating Guild Members

Alex Ash

Alpha Strategies
London, UK

Sydney August

CBRE, Inc.

Johan Beukema

BCI Global

Robert Boehringer

KPMG LLP
Wayne, PA

Tracey Hyatt Bosman

Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company
Chicago, IL

René Buck

BCI Global
Arnhem-Nijmegen

Didi Caldwell

Past Chair

Global Location Strategies
Greenville, SC

Michelle Comerford

Board Member

Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company
Cleveland, OH

Kim Williams Davis

Quest Site Solutions
Greenville, SC

David Dera

Newmark
Berlin, Germany

Jan Desmaretz

Antwerp, Belgium

Dennis Donovan

Wadley Donovan Gutshaw Consulting
Bridgewater, NJ

Andreas Dressler

Location Decisions
Berlin, Germany

Courtney Dunbar

Burns & McDonnell

Tess Fay

Global Location Strategies
Greenville, SC

Jay Garner

Past Chair

Garner Economics, LLC.
Fayetteville, GA

Larry Gigerich

Chair

Ginovus
Indianapolis, IN

Jeannette Goldsmith

Strategic Development Group
Greenville, SC

W. Ford Graham

McGuireWoods Consulting

Taylor Gravois

CSRS, Inc.

Will Hearn

Atlanta, GA

Bob Hess

Newmark
Arlington Heights, IL

Jason Hickey

Hickey & Associates
New York, NY

Chris Lloyd

Board Member
Past Chair

McGuireWoods Consulting, LLC
Richmond, VA

John Longshore

Newmark
Greenville, SC

Natalie Lynch

Deloitte Consulting

Seth Martindale

Vice Chair

CBRE, Inc.
Orange County, CA

Dennis Meseroll

Tractus Asia Limited
Bangkok City, Thailand

Kim Moore

Board Advisor

Newmark
Dallas, TX

Larry Moretti

Board Advisor

LFM Corporate Location Solutions

Denise Mullis

J.M. Mullis, Inc.
Florida and Tennessee

Mike Mullis

J.M. Mullis, Inc.
Memphis, TN

Sarah Raehl

Deloitte Consulting LLP
Chicago, IL

Andrew Ratchford

Site Selection Group
Greenville, SC

Scott Redabaugh

JLL Business Consulting
Washington, D.C.

Jim Renzas

Bespoke Real Estate Advisors
Irvine, CA

Wolfgang Riedel

Riedel Consulting
Stuttgart, Germany

John Rocca

Secretary

JLL Consulting
Los Angeles, CA

Matt Ryder

Avison Young

Don Schjeldahl

DSG Advisors
Cleveland, OH

Phil Schneider

Treasurer
Past Chair

Schneider Strategy Consulting, LLC
Milwaukee, WI

Spencer Schobert

Newmark
San Francisco, CA

Alexandra Segers

Tochi Advisors LLC
Atlanta, GA

Thomas J. Stringer

BDO
New York City, NY

Chad Sweeney

Ginovus
Greater Indianapolis

Gray Swoope

VisionFirst Advisors

Jerry Szatan

Past Chair

Szatan & Associates
Chicago, IL

Matt Szuhaj

Strategic Development Group
Oakland, CA

Rajeev Thakur

JLL
Seattle, WA

Monty Turner

Colliers
Atlanta, GA

Elias van Herwaarden

Colliers
Brussels

Patsy Van Hove

IBM-PLI (Plant Location International)
Brussels, Belgium

Leslie Wagner

Ginovus
Indianapolis, IN

Gregg Wassmansdorf

Board Member
Past Chair

Newmark
Greater Toronto

Matthijs Weeink

JLL EMEA
Netherlands

Sarah White

Global Location Strategies
Greenville, SC

Mark Williams

Past Chair

Strategic Development Group, Inc.
Columbia, SC

Carter Wood

Ernst & Young, LLP
Singapore

Gary Yates

Atlanta, GA

Testimonials

Once again, I found the Annual Conference to be very informative with great networking opportunities. I appreciate all the work that goes into having such a meaningful event.

— Alen Neel, East Tennessee Economic Development Agency

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Featured Contact

Ashley Hayden

[email protected]