Economic Summit scheduled in SLC on April 15

The theme for this year’s summit is “Innovate Utah!” and pays tribute to innovation as one of the keys to Utah’s prevailing economic success. Pierre Lassonde, founder and chairman of Franco-Nevada Corp. and founder of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah, will be the summit’s keynote speaker.

Details of the 10th annual Utah Economic Summit have been announced.

The event, presented by Zions Bank and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), will take place 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on April 15 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.

The theme for this year’s summit is “Innovate Utah!” and pays tribute to innovation as one of the keys to Utah’s prevailing economic success. Pierre Lassonde, founder and chairman of Franco-Nevada Corp. and founder of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah, will be the summit’s keynote speaker.

“Innovation drives our winning economy,” said Gov. Gary R. Herbert, who will address attendees in the summit afternoon session. “New ideas and a strong entrepreneurial spirit help Utah’s economy stand out, but it’s collaboration that helps it truly succeed. The summit provides an opportunity both for learning and creating connections and partnerships across industries and interests.”

Lassonde’s keynote will detail the story of his humble beginnings and powerful insight on strategic entrepreneurship. The Lassonde Studios, a one-of-a-kind housing and "creating" facility, will open for students at the UofU this fall.

“The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute fosters the human ingenuity of our researchers and the creativity of our entrepreneurs,” Lassonde said. “As leaders statewide come together to encourage that culture, they will create the jobs of the future for the state of Utah.”

Following Lassonde’s keynote will be multiple breakout sessions based on the following themes: Investment, It’s About People, Innovation, Strategic Management and Cool Tech. The sessions are designed to cater not only to C-level executives; many workshop-style presentations are aimed at entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

Breakouts include:

• “M&A in Today’s Market: How to Prepare Your Company to Be Acquired,” with representatives from UBS Bank, EMC, Lazard and Goldman Sachs.

• “Building the Right Team,” presented by Carine Clark of MaritzCX.

• “Secrets to a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign,” featuring Utah companies.

• “Workplace Culture: Create a High-Performing Team,” with HR representatives from Domo, Vivint, InsideSales and Instructure.

• “Moving from the $1 Million Deal to the $100 Million Deal,” by Robert Clarkson of Paypal.

• “An Automated Life: The Internet of Things,” with representatives from Jabil Circuit Inc.

New to the summit this year is the “Innovation Hall,” which will showcase business incubators, investors, schools, law firms and more.

“It’s fitting that we apply a philosophy of innovation to the structure and offerings of the summit every year,” said Val Hale, GOED’s executive director. “I genuinely believe our 10th anniversary Utah Economic Summit will be unlike anything we’ve done before. It is always our goal for it to be a highly inclusive, collaborative and engaging experience for attendees.”

Registration and details are available at www.utaheconomicsummit.com.

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