The Metro Orlando community hosted the first-ever Site Selectors Guild Conference this week at the Hilton Orlando. A new professional association comprised of the world's most respected site selection consultants as voted by their peers, the Site Selectors Guild members represent an estimated 60 percent of corporate site selection projects ranging from international supply chain analysis to local business relocations - from globally-known corporations to new business startups. This was the first conference of its kind, providing a platform for networking, training and information sharing for economic development agencies across the U.S. and site selection consultants to exchange information and build business relationships.
The Metro Orlando EDC and partners - Enterprise Florida, JAXUSA Partnership, Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance and FPL - hosted a private dinner for the Guild members at Walt Disney World Resort's Epcot as part of the conference. Understanding the importance of this group, Florida Governor Rick Scott was in attendance to express his commitment to helping site selectors and their clients do business in Florida.
Rick Weddle, EDC president and CEO, provided the opening remarks for the conference and introduced Dr. Sean Snaith, UCF's director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness, who served as the keynote speaker. Rick also participated in a panel discussion that featured economic development professionals speaking directly to the site selector guild members. Throughout the week, members of the EDC's business development team participated in conference activities and fostered relationships with this important group.
