Investment Attraction in a Changing Global EconomyA seminar based on real world location strategy experience from some of the world’s top site selection consultants aimed at assisting North American economic development and investment promotion organisations stay ahead of the competition in attracting meaningful investment to their locations.

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Day One 11th February

08.30 – 09.00 Registration and Networking

09.00 – 09.15Welcome remarks from Conway Events and Investment Consulting Associates (ICA)

09.15 – 10.15FDI Trends – The Opportunity for North AmericaDouglas van den Berghe, CEO, Investment Consulting Associates

What FDI opportunities exist across North America? What kinds of industries look to North America for new opportunities? This session will look to the recent past to describe which areas of the continent have fared the best in attracting FDI, and for what kinds of industries and functions/activities.

10.15 – 11.15 FDI vs. Regular Economic Development? How to Best Organize Your Community for FDI?Chris Steele, COO & President North America, Investment Consulting Associates

In order to fully understand the potential of FDI for your community it is necessary to understand the similarities and differences between standard business attraction and FDI attraction. This session will cover topics like FDI assessment by country and key industries given today’s global economy and looking ahead which industries will be key in the future. How to develop real value propositions for foreign companies and understanding their requirements. It also addresses how to educate your city council and commissions on relevant FDI issues and coordinate regional activities (Don’t ‘Go It Alone strategy’).

11.15 – 11.45Coffee break and networking

11.45 – 12.30 Comparing Economic and Investment Agency PerformanceLocation Advisor

Competition among locations is intense and EDOs are increasingly adopting similar methods to attract investment. This makes it more difficult for EDOs to differentiate themselves and find new methods of attracting investment. This session looks at the activities of EDOs from around the world and highlights innovative ideas and best practices and sets those against results achieved.

12.30 – 13.30

Lunch and networking

13.30 – 14.30Corporate investment and location decisions: a corporate perspectiveChris Steele, COO & President North America, Investment Consulting Associates

The decision to invest in a particular location is based on a wide range of location determinants. Such location determinants are based on the motive and strategy behind the corporate investment and vary per industry and business activity. How do companies make investment decisions and when can EDOs play a role and how can they influence the decision making process? Are there different approaches to this between domestic North American firms and foreign firms?

14.30 – 15.30Q&A – Corporate Investment Drivers – Criteria That Sealed the DealLocal Corporate Investor moderated by Chris Steele, COO & President North America,Investment Consulting Associates

We hear directly from at least one multinational company about how their investment decisions are made:

• What are they looking for in a location? What are the must-haves and what are the deal-changing add-ons?

• What kind of services would they value and appreciate from local government bodies when looking at locations?

• Policy tools• What locations do they see as potential

for future investment and why?• How important is liveability to them?

We hear a candid view of how your city or state could improve services to the corporate investor.

15.30 – 16.00Coffee break and networking

16.00 – 17.00Putting it All Together. Identifying your value propositionLocation Advisor

Drilling down to identifying your value proposition, selling to the client, winning and retaining the investment! An interactive session where delegates will use the knowledge from the day to prepare a SWOT analysis of their own location.

17.00 – 18.00 Join us for drinks, networking and informal Q&As with our speakers.

Day Two 12th February

08.30 – 09.00Breakfast and networking

09.00 – 9.45Making Investment Incentives WorkChris Steele, COO & President North America Investment Consulting Associates

Investment incentives are often the primary tool to attract (foreign) investment, but have also become highly political given the exposure of many governments to reduced tax revenues. How can authorities continue to exploit incentives as tool for economic development whilst simultaneously respecting principles of transparency and accountability? Which incentive programs are effective in attracting investment?

9.45 – 10.45External Communication, Marketing and Social MediaShirar O’Connor, Principal, Conway PR & Marketing

In this session we look at ways to improve marketing plans with all the components of promoting a location for investment.

Key questions addressed in the session include:• New perspectives on marketing’s role in FDI.• Marketing’s role in developing sector propositions. • Strategies marketers can leverage to

build perception and market-share.• A mix of tools, strategies, and resources.• Using the right marketing channels,

instruments and social media.• The reality of the social meda

phenomenon: facts and figures.• Dispelling some myths – social media is it worth it?• EDOs and their use of social media.• Which should you be using?• Who is using it well and what can we learn from them?

10.45 – 11.15Coffee break and networking

11.15 – 11.35Advice from Select USA on marketing your region to encourage economic development and FDI.Alev Gunay, Senior International Investment Specialist, SelectUSA

11.35 – 12.30Lead generation Lead generation expert

How can you set up a detailed lead generation program to attract more investors and which results can you expect.

• Using clusters to attract niche sectors such as Cleantech, Social Enterprise, eHealth.

• Targeting certain geographic regions such as Asia Pacific/Europe/Middle East.

• Using talent attraction and retention as a value proposition.

• Policy tools at your disposal to improve the business climate and image of your location.

• Resources: using your networks, intermediaries and even traditional competitors as well as market intelligence.

• Sales techniques• Closing the deal.

12.30 – 13.30Lunch and networking

13.30 – 15.00Best Practice Session: Maureen Donohue Krauss, Vice President, Economic Development, Detroit Regional Chamber

Douglas Lee, Deputy Head, Invest Hong Kong

Dennis Pruitt, Vice President of International Business Recruitment, Missouri Partnership

William Delaney, Delaney Law, Founding Partner

The questions we get most frequently asked, are: “Who does it well? How do we benchmark our work? How can we compare and discuss best practice?”With this in mind we selected panellists from economic development agencies to answer specific questions pre-prepared and set by you in this session. This is your chance to discuss and compare best practice on attracting and retaining FDI.

Key questions addressed in the session include:• How are investment and economic development

agencies aligning their investment strategies with other areas of economic development?

• Talent, workforce and training• How are they reviewing their approach to foreign

investment attraction while ensuring an efficient and effective use of limited resources?

• Internal account management tools and techniques (Customer Relationship Management Systems)

• How is their organisation structured?• How can they compete on a worldwide scale?• What is their value proposition and how

are they getting this message across?• Pitfalls, challenges and successes• Lead Generation Options• Setting Agency Objectives and Measuring Results• Reinvestment/Aftercare – what works?

15.00pm Close of seminar

Contact lauramartin@conway.com for more information.

Special rate of $999 available until the end of 2015.

Registration available at www.conway.com/events