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Event Details

Dates: June 24-25
Location: UIC Isadore & Sadie Dorin Forum, 725 Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608
Pricing: $249 for IEDA members, $349 for non-members - $50 discount provided on IEDA membership for new members who join and register for the conference together. 
Networking Event: 5:30PM-7:30PM on June 24, Haymarket Pub & Brewery, 737 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661 (~5 minute walk from the Crowne Plaza West Loop)

**Bussing provided between the Crowne Plaza West Loop and the UIC Dorin Forum on June 24 and 25, in accordance with event times. 

Discounted Hotel Block

Hotel: Crowne Plaza West Loop, 25 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60661
Block closes on June 12, 2026.
Group Code: ILE
Booking Link: Reserve your room here
https://tinyurl.com/2026iedasummit

Tentative Schedule

Wednesday, June 24

Start

End

Session Topic

7:30 AM

8:30 AM

Breakfast

8:30 AM

9:00 AM

Opening Remarks from DCEO Director Kristin Richards

9:00 AM

10:00 AM

The State of Transportation: How Trucking, Aviation, and Rail Are Shaping Economic Development

10:00 AM

10:15 AM

Break

10:15 AM

11:45 AM

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Presentation

11:45 AM

1:15 PM

Lunch, Membership Meeting, Legislative Update

1:15 PM

2:15 PM

Powering Illinois' Future: Capacity, Resource Adequacy, and the Role of Nuclear Energy

2:15 PM

3:15 PM

Aligning Workforce Strategy with Business Needs

3:15 PM

3:30 PM

Break

3:30 PM

4:30 PM

Small Places, Big Impact: How Tourism Sparks Economic Growth Across Illinois

4:30 PM

4:45 PM

Closing Remarks

5:30 PM

7:30 PM

Networking Event at Haymarket Pub and Brewery, 737 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661

Thursday, June 25

Start

End

Session Topic

7:30 AM

8:30 AM

Breakfast

8:30 AM

8:45 AM

Opening Remarks from Illinois EDC President & CEO Christy George

8:45 AM

9:45 AM

Making Sense of the Economy: Federal Reserve Midyear Assessment

9:45 AM

11:15 AM

Illinois EDC Presentation

11:15 AM

11:30 AM

Break

11:30 AM

12:30 PM

Community Approaches to Address Housing Needs

12:30 PM

12:45 PM

Closing Remarks

*Times, topics, and session names are all subject to change.

Featured Panelists

The State of Transportation: How Trucking, Aviation, and Rail are Shaping Economic Development
Moderator:Kristin Richards, Director, DCEO
Tim Butler, President, Illinois Railroad Association
Matt Hart, Executive Director, Illinois Trucking Association
Clayton Stambaugh, Deputy Director of Aeronautics, IDOT
 
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Presentation
Alyson Grady, Deputy Director, DCEO Office of Regional Economic Development (RED)
Manuel Lopez, Assistant Deputy Director, DCEO Office of RED
Andrea Runge, Assistant Deputy Director, DCEO Office of RED
Renee Wott, Northeast Senior Region Manager, DCEO Office of RED
Additional DCEO Team RED Members
Margo Markopoulos, Deputy Director, DCEO Office of Trade and Investment
 
Powering Illinois’ Future: Capacity, Resource Adequacy, and the Role of Nuclear Energy
Moderator: John McBride, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
Dwayne Pickett, Vice President of Government Affairs and Regulatory Advocacy, Constellation Power
Brian Granahan, Director, Illinois Power Agency
Brad Tietz, Director of State Policy, Data Center Coalition
 
Aligning Workforce Strategy with Business Needs
Moderator: Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, President and CEO, Lincolnomic Growth Strategies
Dr. Justin Arnold, President, Illinois Workforce Association
Julio Rodriguez, Deputy Director, DCEO Office of Employment and Training
Laticia Holbert, Senior Manager of Workforce Development, ComEd
Jackie Gallo, Senior Director of Programs, Revolution Workshop
 
Small Places, Big Impact: How Tourism Sparks Economic Growth Across Illinois
Moderator: Katie Dudley, Community and Economic Development Specialist, Illinois Extension
Roz Stuttley, Vice President, Inclusive Tourism and Community Engagement, Choose Chicago
Cortney Strohacker, Executive Director, DeKalb County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Tom Daughhetee, Economic Development Director, City of Casey
 
Making Sense of the Economy: Federal Reserve Midyear Assessment
Thomas Walstrum, Principal Business Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
 
Illinois EDC Presentation
Paulina San Millan, SVP, Business Development, Illinois EDC
Illinois EDC Leadership
 
Community Approaches to Address Housing Needs
Ron Clewer, Principal, Tipping Point Consultancy
Doug Pryor, President and CEO, Will County CED
Olivia Ortega, Director of Housing Solutions, Office of Governor JB Pritzker
Mike Doyle, Vice President, Holladay Properties
Drew Mitchell, Vice President, Holladay Properties
 

Sponsorship Opportunities

Platinum Sponsorship – $5,000

  • Four (4) Full Event Registrations
  • Name and logo on signage at the Summit
  • Name and logo on the screens at the luncheon
  • Name and logo in event program
  • "Sponsor" name badges
  • Name and logo on tabletop signs
  • Acknowledgement of sponsorship by event moderators
  • Recognition on IEDA website
  • Reserved Table for Sponsor materials (table staff must be full registrant)
  • Sponsor collateral piece distributed at Summit on shared table
  • One (1) minute video or slideshow displayed between sessions
  • List of Summit attendees
Gold Sponsorship – $2,500
  • Two (2) Full Event Registrations
  • Name and logo on signage at the Summit
  • Name and logo on the screens at the luncheon
  • Name in event program
  • "Sponsor" name badges
  • Acknowledgement of sponsorship by event moderators
  • Recognition on IEDA website
  • Reserved Table for Sponsor materials (table staff must be full registrant)
  • Sponsor collateral piece distributed at Summit on shared table
  • List of Summit attendees
Silver Sponsorship – $1,000
  • One (1) Full Event Registration
  • Name on signage at the Summit
  • Name in event program
  • "Sponsor" name badges
  • Acknowledgement of sponsorship by event moderators
  • Recognition on IEDA website
  • List of Summit attendees
Bronze Sponsorship – $500 
  • Name on signage at the Summit
  • Name in event program
  • "Sponsor" name badges
  • Recognition on IEDA website


If you are interested in sponsoring the 2026 Summit, please email: [email protected] or call 217-527-1279.

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