Governor Gary Herbert Hosts 9th Annual Economic Summit

Pete CodellaNews

Quite a few thrilling features will set this year’s summit apart from the rest, including stories about scaling actual mountain summits. The Governor’s 9th Annual Economic Summit will be held Friday, April 17 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Grand America Hotel.

“This year’s theme is an appropriate reference to Utah’s continued economic excellence,” said Governor Gary R. Herbert, who will be the featured speaker in the afternoon portion of the all-day event. “The summit is designed to help business leaders learn about the strategies that have repeatedly put Utah at the top. Officials and leaders in attendance will be able to apply these strategies immediately to enhance their own firms’ growth and success.”

The theme for the 2015 Governor’s Economic Summit is “Innovate, Invest, Grow: Utah’s Ascent to the Summit.” More than 1,000 business leaders and economic experts will attend.

Right in line with the summit’s theme will be the morning keynote address by Chris Warner, Wharton School of Business professor and president/CEO of Earth Treks Climbing. Warner’s 30 plus years of experience in mountaineering have taken him to the top of five of the world’s tallest peaks, including Everest and K2. A successful business owner, author and filmmaker, Warner and his 175-employee firm have trained more than a half million people. He regularly conducts leadership training for groups like Google, Comcast, National Counter Terrorism Taskforce, Johns Hopkins University and more.

Warner’s keynote address will be followed by an exciting major panel called “Leadership Insights from Wonder Women in Power.” The panel will be headlined by Representative Mia Love; Amy Rees Anderson, managing partner of REES Capital; Andrea B. Thomas, senior vice president of marketing at Walmart; Carine Clark, CEO of MaritzCX; and Jacki Zehner, president and CEO of Women Moving Millions and former partner and managing director of Goldman Sachs.

The keynote and major panel will be followed by a number of custom breakout sessions lead by respected leaders and experts in their fields. Session topics include workforce development, risk management, content marketing, small business solutions, international trade and cybersecurity. The sessions are presented in a way designed to help attendees pick what is best for their educational needs. The summit session will provide something for businesses of all sizes and scopes.

“To say this year’s event will be inspiring would be an understatement,” said Val Hale, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “It’s no secret that Utah has been repeatedly reaching great heights economically. We want to provide every business the opportunity to catch that same spirit and to experience similar success. The summit has always proven to be an excellent tool for Utah’s business leaders for companies large and small. Events like this help us solidify the foundation of collaboration throughout the state. It’s only by working together that we’ll all stay on top.”

Back by wildly popular demand is the “Utah’s Own” food and networking reception at the conclusion of the summit. At the “Utah’s Own” event, attendees will have the opportunity to network and synthesize the day’s training while enjoying food grown or manufactured in Utah and prepared onsite by local culinary students under the instruction of Grand America’s chefs. From internationally-acclaimed cheese and aged meats to the very best in candy and drinks, the two dozen food vendor offerings are not to be missed.

Register today. Visit www.UtahEconomicSummit.com.