Birmingham Business Alliance recently hosted our inaugural Regional Economic Development Summit on Thursday, November 16th, 2023 at the Historic Greyhound Bus Station in downtown Birmingham. We are grateful to all the attendees, speakers, sponsors and supporters who contributed to the success of this event, marking it as a significant step forward in our mission to foster collaboration across the Greater Birmingham Region.
We want to express our deep appreciation to our sponsors, whose support was instrumental in making this event possible. Thank you to this year’s sponsors Big Communications, Brasfield & Gorrie, Jefferson County EIDA, Maynard Nexsen, Markstein, Spire, The Barber Companies, BioCryst, Bradley, The University of Alabama and Mike Mouron for playing a crucial role in bringing this summit to fruition.
We’d also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the speakers who generously shared their expertise and perspectives throughout the day.
Jesslan Wilson, Director of Economic Development at the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, kicked off the day with an insightful presentation about how communities can get prepared for economic development opportunities.
Alan Truitt and Bart Turner, Partners at Kazmarek Mowrey Cloud Laseter LLP, provided an update on HB378, the recent brownfield development legislation passed in June, emphasizing the importance of repurposing underutilized properties to revitalize communities.
Greg Canfield, outgoing Secretary of Commerce for the State of Alabama, delivered a powerful keynote highlighting the state's commitment to economic growth over his past 12 years of service.
Guin Robinson, Dean of Economic Development at Jefferson State Community College, moderated a panel discussion around land and property development, exploring the challenges and opportunities faced by developers. Othell Phillips (JCEIDA), David Fleming (REV Birmingham) and Robert Simon (Corporate Realty) discussed strategies to attract investments and drive development across communities.
Jim Searcy, Executive Director of the Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA), led a thought-provoking panel on incentives featuring Trey Hill (Bradley), Mike Mouron (Capstone Companies) and Alex Patrick (Birmingham Business Alliance). The discussion emphasized the importance of well-structured incentive packages to attract businesses and foster growth.
Bryan Holt, Principal at Southpace Properties, moderated an engaging panel discussion on retail development. The panel featured Robbie Cather (The Stewart/Perry Company), Jamey Flegal (Noon Real Estate) and Kevin Jennings (Noon Real Estate), who all shared valuable insights into the evolving retail landscape in the Southeast.
Karla Khodanian, BBA’s Chief Communications Officer, provided closing remarks that inspired attendees to tell the Greater Birmingham Region’s story with a united message that “Birmingham Has More.”
As we reflect on the success of the inaugural Regional Economic Development Summit, we are excited about the future. The connections made, ideas shared and lessons learned will continue to shape our region's competitiveness and accelerate our economic development efforts.
Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s event. Click here to view photos and subscribe to our newsletter to stay tuned on what’s next for the economic development community in the Greater Birmingham Region.