RED BANK, NJ – After more than a year of business conducted online in virtual space due to the pandemic, corporate site selectors with big-ticket projects flocked to Business Facilities’ 2021 LiveXchange event in Tucson, AZ last week to meet face-to-face with representatives from locations they’re evaluating.
With the spectacular Santa Catalina Mountains as a backdrop, BF’s annual deal-making event came roaring back to life Oct. 26 -28 at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Arizona’s second-largest city. More than two dozen corporate site selectors and site consultants engaged in 267 one-on-one meetings with representatives from state and metro economic development agencies to discuss active projects.
The atmosphere at the 17th annual Business Facilities LiveXchange in Tucson was buoyant, as old friends embraced each other and new attendees relished the opportunity to resume business travel and see their business partners in person. In his welcoming remarks, Ted Coene, BF’s Chief Business Officer, heralded the end of the separation caused by the pandemic.
“I’m very pleased to welcome you back—in person—to LiveXchange. I couldn’t be happier to see everybody face-to-face once again after the events of this past year and a half. I’d like to offer a special thank you to our host, the City of Tucson, for welcoming us to this beautiful city, and to all of our Sponsors, Speakers and Delegates for attending,” Coene said.
“This is a great event and we are so glad we are able to introduce so many new people to Tucson through this opportunity,” said Barbra Coffee, Economic Initiatives Director for the City of Tucson.
As always, BF’s in-person LiveXchange event in Tucson combined intimate business meetings with an informative series of Executive Conference presentations as well as networking opportunities, including a rugged “4-wheeling” jeep adventure in the local mountains.
Attendees are drawn to this unique event by its measurable ROI and customized itineraries for confidential project discussions. They also appreciate the opportunity to get to know potential business partners while networking in a resort setting.
“It’s a great opportunity to put faces with names, to discuss current projects and to develop future projects. When I come to LiveX, I always learn about regions I may not be too familiar with, which is very helpful when my clients come to me for location advice,” said Brian Wahl, Director of Incentives & Location Advisors at Bradley Company.
The Executive Conference program at LiveX 2021 included a Keynote, Domestic Threats to Democracy, delivered by former FBI special agent Mike German, who spent years undercover tracking down racist and reactionary extremist groups in the U.S.
The program also included two panel discussions. The Fintech Revolution featured Paymerang CEO Nasser Chanda and Koalafi General Counsel Andrew Ting explaining how fintech is transforming the financial services sector. The fintech startup execs also weighed in on the prospects for federal regulation of the burgeoning fintech sector.
Charles Sutcliffe, Louisiana’s Chief Resilience Officer, and Troy Hartley, Director of Virginia Sea Grant, joined BF Editor in Chief Jack Rogers for a discussion on Coastal Resilience, Restoration and Adaptation that focused on the need to rethink coastal development and disaster recovery as the impact of climate change intensifies.
Dr. Betsy Cantwell, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Arizona, provided an in-depth look at the tech talent pipeline at the university, where 90 percent of graduates emerge from school with job offers.
Reservations are now being accepted for LiveXchange 2022, which will take place April 3-5 at the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel in Charlotte, NC. For more information, visit www.BFLiveXchange.com or contact Neil Eisenberg at neil@groupc.com.