2025 MEDA Annual Conference RFP

The 2025 MEDA Annual Conference will be held April 27-29, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland.

Call for Proposals: MEDA is seeking proposals/speakers for sessions at the 2025 MEDA Annual Conference. The sessions must be relevant to the conference theme while also being of interest to a wide audience from across Maryland. We are seeking success stories, speakers, panel discussions, and more.

THEME: Maryland’s North Star: Regions Coming Together

We will explore collaboration across Maryland’s regions, highlighting ways to strengthen regional partnerships, leverage collective resources, and develop innovative strategies that benefit the state as a whole.

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

• Multi-County/City Collaborations: The sessions could highlight success stories and best practices for building such partnerships, offering insights into the challenges and rewards of multi-jurisdictional cooperation.
• Opportunities for Coalition: Topics could include case studies or strategies for building effective coalitions that address workforce needs, infrastructure, and other economic challenges.
• Federal Labs / Agencies: Sessions could emphasize strategies for creating partnerships that benefit multiple regions, while driving overall growth for the state.
• Tactics for Attracting and Retaining Talent and Business: Sessions could focus on the idea that regions need to collaborate on building talent pipelines 
• Transportation Initiatives: The sessions could discuss the importance of a connected state, where robust transportation networks ensure that all regions benefit from economic opportunities.
• Federal Programs for Regional Growth: Topics could explore how Maryland regions can work together to ensure that they access and effectively use these programs for the benefit of multiple jurisdictions, strengthening the state’s overall economy.
• Tech Hubs, Innovation Districts: Tech hubs can act as a unifying force for regional growth, pulling together local businesses, universities, and startups to create innovation ecosystems that transcend geographic boundaries. The session could explore how these districts can serve as anchors for regional collaboration and economic development across Maryland.

Submission Process:

Please complete the online form (below) no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 8, 2024.

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.