KEY TAKEAWAYS: Nearly 2,000 economic development professionals and industry partners are expected in New Orleans Oct. 25-28. The IEDC Annual Conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans and mark the organization’s 100th anniversary. Sessions will focus on artificial intelligen ce, workforce development, infrastructure, housing, child care and economic resilience. Featured speakers include Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, author Richard Florida and World Central Kitchen CEO Javier Garcia.   Nearly 2,000 economic development professionals and industry partners from around the world are expected to gather in New Orleans Oct. 25-28 for the International Economic Development Council’s 2026 Annual Conference, which will focus on workforce development, artificial intelligence, infrastructure and strategies for economic growth. The four-day conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 601 Loyola Ave. IEDC, which describes itself as the world’s largest association for economic development professionals, will bring together industry leaders, policymakers and community development experts to discuss challenges and opportunities facing local and regional economies. Conference sessions will address entrepreneurship, healthcare, child care, foreign direct investment, rural economic development, housing, infrastructure investment and community resilience. Discussions also will examine how emerging technologies and changing workforce needs are influencing economic development strategies. Among the scheduled speakers are Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser; Richard Florida, an author and professor at Vanderbilt University; Javier Garcia, CEO and board co-chair of World Central Kitchen; and Victor Hwang, founder and CEO of Right 2 Start. IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle and board Chair Danielle Casey, who also serves as president and CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, are scheduled to participate. Several sessions will focus on issues relevant to Louisiana’s economic development efforts, including disaster resilience, housing availability, workforce challenges and the growing role of artificial intelligence in business operations. An Oct. 25 session, “Fortified for the Future: Resilience as Economic Strategy,” will examine how communities can incorporate resilience planning into long-term economic development. On Oct. 26, a session titled “The AI-Ready EDO: Building the Operating System for the Next Era of Economic Development” will explore how economic development organizations can prepare for and integrate artificial intelligence. An Oct. 27 discussion will focus on community-based approaches to child care challenges and the role economic development organizations can play in addressing access to care. Another session that day will examine housing, building improvements and the infrastructure needed to support economic growth. The conference also will include tours throughout New Orleans, providing attendees opportunities to learn about local development initiatives and the city’s economic landscape. As part of its community engagement activities, IEDC will partner with the Junior League of New Orleans Diaper Bank for an Oct. 26 volunteer project called “Packing with a Purpose.” The conference is supported by a local host committee and several corporate and government partners. Founded in 1926, IEDC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization representing economic development professionals working in government, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, utilities and other organizations. The association provides professional education, research, networking opportunities and policy advocacy aimed at supporting economic development initiatives worldwide. Additional information, including the conference schedule and registration details, is available at www.iedc.org. ...read more read less