Fairfax County to host first National Conference on the Creative Economy
March 12, 2007, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. â€" Fairfax County will host the 2007 National Conference on the Creative Economy, set for October 24-25, 2007, at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Hotel. The conference will examine the role that a strong, creative workforce plays in the growth and success of businesses and communities in an information-based economy.
(Media-Newswire.com) - March 12, 2007, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. – Fairfax County will host the 2007 National Conference on the Creative Economy, set for October 24-25, 2007, at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Hotel. The conference will examine the role that a strong, creative workforce plays in the growth and success of businesses and communities in an information-based economy.
The conference will feature three acclaimed keynote speakers: George Mason University Professor Richard Florida, author of “The Rise of the Creative Class” and “The Flight of the Creative Class”; Pulitzer Prize winner, New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman, author of “The World is Flat”; and Alvin Toffler, author of “Future Shock,” “The Third Wave” and “Revolutionary Wealth.”
The 2007 National Conference on the Creative Economy ( www.creativeeconomies.org ) will address topics such as:
What is creativity in the workplace? What makes a company attractive to the creative workforce? What a creative economy is and how it is attained and sustained. How communities can help companies attract and retain creative talent. “Old rules governing business location and attraction no longer apply in the creative economy, and this conference will be valuable to companies and communities alike,” “Businesses need the fuel of creative talent to thrive and are looking for every way possible to attract and retain that talent. At the same time, communities want to attract high-performing companies that build local economies,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority ( FCEDA ). “The conference will enable communities and businesses to understand more fully the benefits of fostering creativity and the means of implementing it.”
“People are the leading economic driver of prosperity,” Florida said. “Companies will go where they can tap into and support a quality workforce. To build that workforce, regions need to think about how they will support the creativity and innovation of the people who live there."
To date, sponsors of the 2007 National Conference on the Creative Economy are Fairfax County, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, The Push Group LLC, and Siddall.
Fairfax County is host to the National Conference on the Creative Economy and is an example of the creative class: 57 percent of county residents work in “creative occupations” in information technology, professional services, education and other fields. Business growth helps Fairfax County fund public services such as a top-ranked public school system and library, public safety, social services and park systems that improve the quality of life. Fairfax County offers diverse real estate opportunities, access to domestic and international markets through Washington Dulles International Airport, a business community based on technology and professional services, and a well-educated workforce.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority ( www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org ) promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. In the last 15 years, Fairfax County has emerged as the Washington metropolitan area’s private-sector job leader and is a major hub for regional economic activity, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The FCEDA maintains worldwide marketing offices in Silicon Valley, Bangalore, Frankfurt, London, Seoul and Tel Aviv.
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Contact: Alan Fogg, afogg@fceda.org, 703-790-0600 ( office ) or 571-213-5065 ( mobile )
This story was released on 2007-03-13. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.