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Economic Development Conference

June 11, 2025 | 3 Willows Event Center

Welcome to Our Largest Event of the Year!

If Not You, Then Who?

At the Economic Development Conference, we’re bringing entrepreneurs and small business owners, business & community leaders, municipal leaders, and nonprofit leaders from across Northern New York together to inspire and champion growth in our communities.

This event is about more than just ideas. We believe that real economic development starts with people. After all, if it’s not you making the change you want to see, then who will?

Keynote Address

Jeff Siegler

Revitalize, Or Die.

When we shifted from a local economy to a convenience economy, we stripped away the things people cared about—local businesses, beautiful buildings, a sense of community, and legacy. In their place, we built disposable, generic spaces that breed apathy. When nothing feels worth caring about, people stop caring.

This session explores how the way we build impacts civic pride and why reinvesting in walkable, human-scale places—where people have a stake in their surroundings—is the key to reversing disengagement and restoring community identity.

See Jeff's Full Bio

Become An Exhibitor!

Exhibitor tables at the 2025 Naturally Lewis Economic Development Conference are exclusively available to Sourced Local Service Providers within the Naturally Lewis Membership Network.

How It Works:

  • Purchase Your Exhibitor Registration!
  • Get Promoted as a Resource at the Conference
  • Connect with Your Next Clients at the Event!
    • You're provided a high top table to display promotional materials at the event!
    • Be at Your Table During Registration & Networking, then Throughout the Day as Connections Are Made!
  • Follow-Up!
    • Close the Loop with Your New Clients and Keep in Touch After the Event!
See Jeff's Full Bio

Featured Speakers

Stay Tuned for Updates!

Jeff Siegler

Revitalize, or Die.

Tentative Agenda

Stay Tuned for Updates!

8:00am

Lobby & Main Hall

Registration & Networking

9:00am

Main Hall

Welcome & Introduction

9:10am

Main Hall

Keynote Address

Civic Pride & Civic Apathy by Jeff Siegler, Revitalize, Or Die.

When we shifted from a local economy to a convenience economy, we stripped away the things people cared about—local businesses, beautiful buildings, a sense of community, and legacy. In their place, we built disposable, generic spaces that breed apathy. When nothing feels worth caring about, people stop caring.

This session explores how the way we build impacts civic pride and why reinvesting in walkable, human-scale places—where people have a stake in their surroundings—is the key to reversing disengagement and restoring community identity.

Learn More About Revitalize, Or Die.

10:00am

Main Hall & Garden

Breakout Sessions

What Is My Role as a Business Leader?
Your business plays a bigger part in your community’s growth than you might think. In this panel discussion, you’ll learn real ways to make an impact on your community. By leveraging the knowledge of these business leaders, we're gaining the tools to build our community.
What Is My Role as a Community Leader?
Your organization plays a bigger role in your community's growth than you might think. In this workshop, we're learning the part community organizations play in championing growth in our communities, beyond the direct scope of their services.

11:10am

Main Hall & Garden

Breakout Sessions

Community Visioning Session
Stay Tuned for More Information!
Community Visioning Session
Stay Tuned for More Information!

12:10am

Main Hall

Lunch & Student Pitch Competition Award Announcements

Stay tuned for more information!

1:10pm

Main Hall

Plenary Session

Young Employees DO Matter!
Everyone is affected by workforce challenges. When is the last time we listened to young people to create the work environment they're looking for? In this session we are exploring workforce development from the perspective of emerging professionals. We're moving past creating jobs we think young professionals want and learning what they do want.

2:00pm

Main Hall & Garden

Breakout Sessions

What's New in Our Key industries?
While we're thinking to the future, we're honoring the legacy - and legacy industries - of our community. In this panel discussion we're learning about the innovation and creativity of our local and regional key industries to support business development projects.
How to Prepare for Large-Scale Projects
Development takes time. In this panel discussion, we're learning from business leaders, municipal leaders, and community leaders on their experiences conceptualizing and executing large-scale projects for growth.

Sponsored by Drum Country, NY

2:50pm

Main Hall

Plenary Session

Building Local Developers

Our communities won’t fix themselves—we need a new generation of small-scale developers to rebuild and restore the spaces that create local wealth, support small businesses, and bring vibrancy back to our communities. But we’ve lost the know-how and made development too difficult.

This session covers how to train and empower new developers, reform local government to support small-scale projects, and aggressively eliminate vacancy and blight. The future of our towns depends on taking action now.

Learn More About Revitalize, Or Die.

Sponsored by County of Lewis IDA

3:30pm

Main Hall

Plenary Session

If Not Now, When?

We've come a long way in the past few years. In this session, Naturally Lewis, Inc. Board Members will be sharing what we've done, where we're going, and what to expect in the years to come.

4:00pm

Garden

Happy Hour

Experience the Event

Our Sponsors:

Lunch Sponsor

Silver Sponsor