Joel Kotkin to Deliver Keynote Address at 2012 Economic Development Forum on May 9

Forbes Columnist Will Speak at the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Forum and Launch of Triangle Talent Attraction Campaign

Raleigh, NC, April 26, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Wake County Economic Development (WCED) (http://www.raleigh-wake.org/home), in partnership with the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce (http://www.raleighchamber.org) and the Chamber’s Competitive EDGE4 program has announced that Joel Kotkin, an author and Forbes columnist, will be the keynote speaker for the Economic Development Forum to be held from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on May 9 at the Marriott City Center at 500 Fayetteville St. in Raleigh.

Kotkin, an internationally recognized authority on global, economic, political and social trends, has written and spoken about the Triangle’s potential to be one of the top hot spots in the United States in the coming decades. In Forbes, he recently ranked the region as home to the No. 1 City for Families and the No. 1 Best Place for Business and Careers. He is a professor of urban development and a fellow at Chapman University in Orange, Calif. as well as the Legatum Institute, a London-based think tank. He is also the author of “The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050,” published by The Penguin Press.

The Forum will mark the launch of the Triangle talent attraction campaign and Web portal called Work in the Triangle, Smarter From Any Angle (http://www.WorkintheTriangle.com), which will showcase why the Triangle is a smart place to work, live, learn and play. The Work in the Triangle campaign is a regional initiative to attract highly skilled workers in specific targeted industry clusters to move to the region. Wake County Economic Development is leading the initiative in partnership with the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Orange County Economic Development, Research Triangle Foundation and Research Triangle Regional Partnership.

Quotes:
“Our annual Economic Development Forum showcases the highlights of our marketing efforts to attract companies to the Triangle,” said Jennifer Bosser, assistant executive director for Wake County Economic Development. “At this year's forum we are launching a marketing campaign and Web portal to support our regional businesses in their search for top talent. Based on our research showing that people are most influenced by friends, family and rankings when deciding on a place to live; we’ve developed the Work in the Triangle campaign to showcase the talent we have here in the Triangle and what they love most about the area. Joel frequently ranks the Triangle among the best place for business, careers and quality of life, and we look forward to hearing what he sees as the Triangle’s advantages in the future.”

New Media Content:
Work In The Triangle Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/WorkInTheTriangle

Work in the Triangle Twitter Page
https://twitter.com/#!/WorkTriangleNC

Details:
- RSVP to attend the Economic Forum by May 4 at http://www.raleighchamber.org. Tickets are $40 for members and $55 for non-members.

- Sponsorships for this event are still available. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, contact Kelly Maness at (919) 664-7071 or kmaness@raleighchamber.org.

-For more information about Joel Kotkin, visit http://www.joelkotkin.com.

About Wake County Economic Development:
Wake County Economic Development (WCED), a program of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, is the primary economic development organization for Wake County and its 12 municipalities. WCED hosts clients evaluating Wake County for possible facility locations each year and facilitates dozens of corporate expansions, resulting in new jobs and capital investment for Raleigh and Wake County. Services available to companies that are considering relocating or expanding in Wake County include economic and demographic research, site and building inventory searches, visitation itineraries, community tours, corporate executive and employee briefings, employee relocation assistance, and post-relocation services. In both 2002 and 2003, Site Selection magazine recognized WCED as one of the top ten economic development organizations in the United States. For more information about WCED, please visit http://www.raleigh-wake.org.

About The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce is the Triangle’s largest business membership organization, made up of more than 2,500 firms representing two-thirds of the private sector employment in Wake County. The Chamber has been representing the interests of the local business community for more than a century. Its mission is to sustain and develop a thriving economy and to enhance the community's quality of life. For more information, visit http://www.raleighchamber.org.

Erin Smith
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
Erin@mmipublicrelations.com
http://twitter.com/MMIPR
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com
Contact
Wake County Economic Development
Patty Briguglio
919-233-6600
www.raleigh-wake.org
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