Phil Castle, The Business Times

An upcoming conference is expected to showcase Mesa County to economic development decision makers from across Colorado.

The Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC) has scheduled its 2023 Drive Lead Succeed Conference for Oct. 18 to 20 in Grand Junction.

With tours, an exposition and other events, the event will draw attention to the area and its businesses, said Curtis Englehart, executive director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership. “We’re really excited to be a part of it.”

The conference will exert short-term economic effects in bringing people to Grand Valley hotels and restaurants, Englehart said.

But the long-term effect could be more profound in bringing businesses to the area, he said.

Englehart credited Steve Jozefczyk, deputy director of GJEP and a member of the EDCC board of directors, for his role in planning the conference.

Established in 1976, the EDCC promotes economic development and represents the interests of both the public and private sectors across the state. Members of the council come from local and regional organizations and governments, chambers of commerce, universities and private industries.

Englehart said council members include high-level decision makers.

The conference will feature a range of speakers as well as panel discussions, workshops and networking sessions.

Presentations will address such topics as housing, land use, tourism, workforce development and the changing economic climate. Nathan Perry, an economics professor at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, will moderate a panel discussion on data sources.

“Nowhere else will you find a better opportunity to collaborate and connect with a greater diversity of peers, business professionals, policy experts and others with a stake in an economically healthy Colorado,” said Drew Kramer, an economic development program manager for the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and chairman of the EDCC.

In addition to sessions at the Grand Junction Convention Center, the conference will include five interactive tours set for Oct. 18 showcasing agritourism, industry, manufacturing and new developments in the Grand Valley.

Englehart said the tours will include the riverfront and downtown areas in Grand Junction as well as Fruita and Palisade. “We’re really trying to showcase our valley from end to end.”

The riverfront tour will include the Las Colonias business park and Dos Rios development.

What’s billed as a “hidden gems” tour will include stops at the CoorsTek, Innovative Textiles and Reynolds Polymer manufacturing facilities in Grand Junction.

A tour along Main Street in downtown Grand Junction will feature the history and public art of the district.

The Fruita tour will include the Fruita Arts & Recreation Marketplace, Imondi Wake Zone, Colorado National Monument and mountain biking with Over the Edge.

The Palisade tour will include stops Peachfork Orchards & Vineyards, Whitewater Hill Vineyards and Z’s Orchard.

The conference also will include an outdoor recreation manufacturing and retail expo scheduled for 3:15 to 6:15 p.m. Oct. 18. The expo will be free and open to the public.

More than 20 businesses from across Western Colorado are expected to participate. They’ll include seven participants from Mesa County: GJ Adventures, the Greater Grand Junction Sports Commission, Loki, MRP, QuickrStuff, Roam Events and the Roam Collective and Wet Dreams River Supply.

An awards dinner and ceremony is planned at the Avalon Theater in downtown Grand Junction to recognize the achievements of economic development stakeholders and elected officials.

The EDCC contracted with Confluence Woodcraft, a custom woodworking firm operating out of the Business Incubator Center in Grand Junction, to create awards featuring materials from the Grand Valley.

For more information about the Economic Development Council of Colorado conference, including speakers and key topics, log on to https://edcconline.org/2023-dls-conference. A locals rate is available for those who want to attend for a day.