top of page

A Place to Explore: How City Nation Place is transforming conference programming


We're proud to be an Expert Partner at this years' event. Use code FourthEconomyContacts20 or follow this link to redeem a 20% discount rate for delegate attendance tickets.


As an economic development practitioner, I’ve had the opportunity to explore new places as I travel for client engagements and learn about the lived experiences of residents and the assets that make their communities unique. These exploratory experiences continue when I attend conferences and engage with peers from a variety of disciplines and areas of the country.


I am excited to continue these conversations when I attend the City Nation Place Americas conference June 7-8 in New Orleans. The conference focus–Joining the dots between economic development, tourism, and quality of life for your communities– says it all; the speakers and attendees represented are different from the traditional conferences I’ve been attending for so many years now.


In 2022, I attended my first City Nation Place Americas conference in Pittsburgh and was inspired by conversations about improving one’s place through shared strategic investments that benefit the local community and attract outside investment. Oftentimes the organizations supporting a community through destination marketing/place branding, economic development, and community development have remained in conference silos. As a result, the opportunity for cross-sector serendipity is limited. To combat this, City Nation Place is creating an environment for new collaborations and blurring the defined roles of organizations to inspire new initiatives through peer sharing.


I asked Claire Dewhirst, the Director and Founder of City Nation Place to describe the event in her own words:


“At City Nation Place we create a forum for economic development and tourism leaders to join all the dots between city governance, place shaping, community, tourism, and economic development. Our speakers and delegates share ideas and explore opportunities for implementing a strategic place brand approach to unify all place stakeholders – this year we’re looking forward to hearing from places as diverse as Asheville, Burlington, Envision St John, Houston, Vancouver, and of course our hosts, New Orleans. Given our focus on quality of life - on what makes a great place to live, visit, or invest – and how to deliver more sustainable growth, we’re delighted to have Fourth Economy as one of our Expert Partners at the event.”


You may use code FourthEconomyContacts20 or follow this link to redeem a 20% discount rate for delegate attendance tickets.

 

The Fourth Economy team has been focused on placemaking a great deal over the past few years. You can see some of our recent engagements with the outdoor economy, arts and culture, and community strategy on our project page. Contact us today to learn how we can support your community or organizational placemaking efforts.


Recent placemaking blog posts:

bottom of page