MEDA 2024 Annual Conference – Request for Proposals

The 2024 MEDA Annual Conference will be held April 21-23, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland.

Call for Proposals: MEDA is seeking proposals/speakers for sessions at the 2024 MEDA Annual Conference. The sessions must be relevant to the conference theme while also being of interest to a broad audience from across Maryland. We are seeking success stories, speakers, panel discussions, and more.

THEME: Leveraging Maryland’s Competitive Advantages

At the MEDA 2023 Annual Conference, Governor Moore discussed how Maryland was asset-rich and strategy-poor. MEDA is looking to explore this topic, diving deeper into assets and strategies that bring Maryland together while exploring the ways we can  enhance the State’s competitiveness.

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

• Economic Diversification:  What are strategies to diversify Maryland’s economy to include emerging sectors?
• Business Creation through Innovation Ecosystems:  How are regions leveraging federal labs, educated workforce, and technology for business creation?  This topic could include best practices for access to venture capital, technology transfer, and patent creation.
• Strategies for Social Equity and Inclusion:  In a country known as “the land of opportunity,” economic and historic inequities can stand in the way of upward mobility and progress.  What are Maryland’s best practices for economic mobility, affordability, and equality? 
• Infrastructure:  Explore Maryland’s use of renewable energy, road maintenance, bridges and transit systems, and the provision of high-speed internet access to Maryland residents.
• Future Investment: From site readiness to growing GDP, what are regions throughout Maryland doing to continue to grow the economy? 
• Tourism: What are solutions for enhancing cultural and entertainment/sports amenities? 
• Talent:  How is Maryland attracting and retaining its talent and business sectors? What are solutions to low unemployment challenges, increasing labor force participation, and job growth?

Submission Process:

Please complete the online form (below) no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 28, 2023.

Late proposals will not be considered. MEDA does not allow sales-oriented panels (promotion of products, services, or consultation) as part of the Annual Conference. If a commercial representative is included on a panel, they are asked to speak broadly about industry best practices with only minimal focus on their particular commercial entity and only as it relates to the topic or project being discussed. MEDA may invite legislators to moderate the panels, particularly when the subject matter extends into State policy or potential legislation.

MEDA’s educational sessions are typically 1 hour to 1.5 hours in length, focusing on issues of interest to economic development professionals. It is strongly encouraged that a proposed session meets the conference theme. To ensure that MEDA presents a balanced conference with varying viewpoints, MEDA’s Annual Conference typically includes four to five panels and two to three keynote speakers.

MEDA’s Program Development Committee may add or substitute speakers to achieve its desired level of viewpoint diversity – MEDA will make final decisions on speakers and invite speakers directly.

Contact Information:

Any questions regarding this process may be directed to Sandy Dubay sandy@medamd.com or Pam Ruff pamr@medamd.com.