Women in Economic Development Forum Sofitel Magnificent Mile Chicago, Illinois October 7-9, 2026     About Area Development is pleased to be returning to the Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile for the annual Women in Economic Development Forum, taking place October 7th-9th. Limited to 145 attendees, the conference will provide the opportunity to hear from and network with leading site consultants and industry experts who will head an agenda focused on the trends influencing corporate location decisions and economic development strategy. Schedule The Forum opens Wednesday night with a reception and dinner. The Thursday program consists of mainstage presentations and panels followed by breakout sessions and roundtable discussions. The conference concludes Friday morning with additional breakout sessions. Links Registration Past Agenda Sponsorship Hotel 2024 Feedback: “This conference has become a must attend for me and my team. The programming is always relevant and timely. Area Development does a great job of gathering a fantastic brain trust of quality consultants.” Michigan Economic Development Corporation “I thought the conference was great! I loved the format, topics, and how easy it was to meet new people.” Louisville Economic Development Alliance, Kentucky “The conference was great! I felt that all the women were open to meeting new people and learning from one another. The consultants were engaging and genuinely interested in talking with attendees.” Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County, Indiana “I was very impressed with this conference! It was very well organized. The sessions were informative. There were great networking opportunities. The attendees were friendly. The food was delicious. The accommodations were wonderful.” Portsmouth Economic Development, Virginia “Great program. I am new to the business development side of economic development, so the sessions were spot on for training.” FloridaCommerce “Great conference. Panels were long enough to get great information and short enough to keep things moving. Lots of great content.” Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, Maryland   All contents copyright © 2026 Halcyon Business Publications, Inc