CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — St. George Area Economic Development is excited to present the 25th annual “What’s Up Down South” Economic Summit on Jan. 14. This event has been the go-to summit for anyone wanting to be on the front lines of Southern Utah business, tourism, technology and the economy, and while the summit will be held virtually this year, attendees can still expect the high caliber of past years.
Featuring inspirational keynote speakers and engaging breakout sessions, Gregg McArthur said the one-day What’s Up Down South summit is for anyone who wants to be “in the know.”
“What it’s designed to do is to keep anybody who would like to know what’s going on economically in Southern Utah, in the know.”
McArthur is the executive director of the St. George Area Economic Development Council. He has been involved with the summit for many years and said that anyone who attends will walk away with a greater knowledge of what is happening in economic development and business in Southern Utah.
As the area continues to show rapid growth, McArthur said that people from all over the region typically attend the summit.
“There is a lot of development and new things happening in our area,” he said.
This year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the entire summit has gone virtual. In addition to keeping guests safe, this change will allow for a larger audience to attend, McArthur said.
Another benefit of the digital platform, he said, is that each breakout session will be recorded and made available to attendees online for a month following the summit.
This allows for people to go back and review a session or speaker they loved or attend a session they were not able to get to on the day of the event.
The conference will open with a welcome address given by Gov. Spencer J. Cox, one of his first official events after being inaugurated.
“He’ll be talking about his thoughts on Southern Utah and where he sees things going as the newly elected governor,” McArthur said.
Other keynote speakers include David Elkington, founder and CEO of Xant and a co-founder of Silicon Slopes, as well as Amy Rees Anderson, a managing partner of REES Capital and author of “What Awesome Looks Like: How to Excel in Business & Life.”
In addition to the keynote addresses, the What’s Up Down South summit will include several educational and engaging breakout sessions, including the annual “What’s Up Down South” session.
This year’s “What’s Up Down South” session is a bit different than in previous years, McArthur said, adding that it is something that he and other event organizers are pretty excited about.
Because the event is online, they were able to reach out to separate municipalities within Washington County, and leaders from each city will be presenting the top three things happening in their respective cities.
Attendees will learn what kind of developments and capital projects are happening in each area of the county.
“We’re highlighting over 40 items that are happening in Southern Utah,” McArthur said.
Other sessions will include what is happening in tourism, public safety, real estate, transportation and more.
A full schedule of speakers and breakout sessions can be found here.
Registration is available online, which is also where attendees will be able to log in on the day of the conference.
Event details
- What: What’s Up Down South Economic Summit.
- When: Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, 8:20 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Where: Online virtual event.
- Schedule: A full schedule of speakers and breakout sessions can be found here.
- Cost: Individual ticket, $65; corporate bundles, $480-$580.
- Register: Online.
• S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T •
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