After four days, 38 speakers and 16 sessions attracting more than 250 people, organizers the first Delaware Economic Summit have started preparations for a second summit in April of 2015.
The summit, earlier in the spring, was the first event held at the Westin Wilmington Hotel on the Riverfront, the first new hotel built in Wilmington in more than two decades.
Session topics extended from cyber security among the local banking industry to social media to a political panel featuring State Rep. Byron H. Short, State Rep. Mike Ramone and State Rep. Quinn Johnson, the \theme returned again and again to the significant role quality education plays in bolstering the local economy.
Alan B. Levin, director of the Delaware Economic Office, spoke about the importance of strong local educational offerings in attracting large employers, and the growing rift between educators and potential employers in how prepared they feel young graduates are as they enter the workforce.
Gov. Jack Markell spoke about his administration’s focus on early childhood education programs, adopting Common Core academic standards, and giving additional help to qualified high school students as they apply to institutions of higher learning.
At lunch with Sam Calagione, the founder of Dogfish Head Brewery, attendees got to hear firsthand stories about growing a business in Delaware, from the days when his system could only brew 12 gallons at a time to becoming one of the top craft brewers in the nation.
The goal of the Delaware Economic Summit is to promote financial literacy and economic understanding among both the business community and private individuals, according to a release.
The next Delaware Economic Summit will take place April 21-23, 2015. Plans call for next year’s summit to extend into the evening hours, to allow more people to attend sessional on personal finance after work hours.
To see a video recapping the speakers and sessions of the 2014 Delaware Economic Summit, click here.
