The Power of Local Businesses and Economies

in creating healthy and vibrant communities

Thursday and Friday, October 18 and 19  2018
Keene Courtyard

       "Locally owned businesses matter: they create communities that aremore resilient, prosperous, entrepreneurial, and connected."  (Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self Reliance)

In this two-day conference, we will look at different perspectives of fostering a local economy, and its powerful influence on the social, environmental and yes, economic fabrics of New Hampshire's neighborhoods, towns and regions. 

Local, state, regional and national thought leaders will share their wisdom, informing and inspiring attendees to think differently about how they can be a part of creating a healthy and vibrant future for all of us.

Stacy Mitchell Institute for Local Self Reliance	Paul Bruhn Preservation Trust of VT	Dar Williams, singer/songwriter and author What I Found in a Thousand Towns

Intended audiences: municipal planners and leaders, real estate professionals, economic development people, landscape and building designers and developers,employers and entrepreneurs, lawmakers and decision-makers and interested citizens.

credits pending       

AGENDA 

Thursday October 18

11:00  – 12:30    OPTIONAL walking tour of Keene.  Participants will then have lunch in town on their own

1:15                  Doors open.  Registration and networking

2:00                   Welcome and introductions

2:15 – 3:30        Growing a local economy: how to strengthen independent businesses and build communities that are more resilient, prosperous, entrepreneurial and connected.An interview with Stacey Mitchell, co-director, Institute for Local Self Reliance.  Interviewer:  Matt Mowry, Editor, Business NH Magazine.

3:30 – 3:45        BREAK

3:45 – 5:00        The Monadnock Story.  Hear from Medard Kopczynski and Rhett Lamb of the City of Keene, Mary Ann Kristiansen of the Hannah Grimes Center in Keene, Jack Dugan, Monadnock Economic Development Corporation and Jennifer Risley, co-founder of Monadnock Buy Local and Marketing Manager at the Monadnock Food Co-op,  

5:00 Reception (cash bar and appetizers)

6:00 Dinner in Keene - on your own but we will all be together.

Friday, October 19:

8:00-8:30  Breakfast and networking

 8:30 Welcome

8:45 - 10:30 Hawk Talks related to fostering a strong local business environment from Laurel Adams of the Regional Economic Development Center of Southern NH, Nancy Pearson of the Center for Women & Enterprise, Carol Miller of the Divsion of Broadband Technology in the NH BEA and Sarah Wrightsman of the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast.

 10:30 Break

10:45 - Noon General Stores, Community Cafes and local services - an interview with Paul Bruhn, Preservation Trust of VT.  (Interviewer:  Michael Petrovick, Catlin and Petrovick, Keene.)

Noon - 1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 2:30 The Power of Positive Proximity: What I Learned in a Thousand Towns - Dar Williams, singer/songwriter, will integrate music and storytelling to inspire us.

2:30 Wrap up and depart by 3:00/

* Introducing Plan NH's "Hawk Talks", a short-presentations format named for Roger Hawk, a planner and supporter of Plan NH who passed away in 2016

 And more, just for YOU:

• As you can see, on Thursday there are three optional events.  If you are planning to attend any or all, we would deeply appreciate it if you could please register for each so that we can have an idea of numbers. Thank you!

                  

 

Thanks to our sponsors:

                

 

              

                     

 

 

                    

Register Now! 

"Locally-owned businesses matter: they create communities that are more resilient, prosperous, entrepreneurial and connected." (Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self Reliance). In this two-day conference, we will look at different perspectives of fostering local resources and their potential influence on the fabrics of our communities.

"Locally-owned businesses matter: they create communities that are more resilient, prosperous, entrepreneurial and connected." (Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self Reliance). In this two-day conference, we will look at different perspectives of fostering local resources and their potential influence on the fabrics of our communities.