Next year will be my 25th year in economic development. I am always on the lookout for the next new thing that can help me communicate my message as well as add value to the community or organization for which I am working. Ignite was one of those ‘next new things’. I volunteered for the very first IEDC Ignite at the 2012 IEDC Leadership Summit in San Antonio. Fortunately, it was not recorded. It was just okay, no proof it wasn’t, but I thought it was a valuable learning process – one of many initiated by my involvement with IEDC. Ignite’s blending of technology, storytelling, efficiency and, yes, a little entertainment are skills I have honed with Ignite, but that I have endeavored to use in my other speaking engagements and everyday communications.
I hope that you enjoy this and will take away some little thing that makes you a better economic development professional. The thing is if I am good, I’m good, but if I’m bad, it’s only for five minutes.