2024 Impact Conference—Nov 20

Registration opens, and a breakfast buffet will be available.

Katy Brooks, President and CEO of the Bend Chamber, kicks off our 2024 Impact Conference.

Hear a special message from US Senator Ron Wyden.

Katy Brooks, introduces recent findings from the 2024 Horizon Initiative.

The Horizon Initiative gives insights into the local and national State of Business, today, in the future, and navigating in between.

The Future of Chambers, the Businesses They Serve and the Horizon Initiative—What’s Next

Sheree Anne Kelly, CEO of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives

What lies ahead for chambers and how can they adapt and evolve when faced with the after-effects of a global pandemic, a monumental economic downturn, the changing nature of business, the discordant political climate and the challenges of racial equity? Sheree Anne Kelly will share ACCE’s latest research on the essential components for chamber missions and supporting business models that will ensure chambers are successful and sustainable well beyond these challenging times. The Horizon Initiative identifies nine influences shaping the future of chambers and their communities. Sheree Anne will revisit the key principles of this initiative and share the latest national research and components of Horizon 2.0, the next iteration.

Katy Brooks, President & CEO of the Bend Chamber

Earlier this year, the Bend Chamber polled a broad spectrum of local business leaders as part of the Horizon Initiative.

Katy will join Sheree Anne to compare local vs. national results covering the major issues impacting business today, and what challenges and opportunities they anticipate over the next 10 years and beyond.

Oregon’s Competitiveness

Damon Runberg, Economist at Business Oregon

There is a perception out there that Oregon is not a great place to do business. But is this perception based in reality? Damon will dive into Oregon’s economic and demographic trends to see how we compare to peer states. Additionally, he will share the results from the recently completed Business Recruitment Study highlighting the experiences of business owners in Oregon and the factors anchoring them to Oregon, internal factors pushing them away, and external factors pulling them away.

Stretch your legs, refill your beverage, and get ready for the Power Rounds!

Breaking the Gridlock: Unlocking Bend’s Economic Potential with Federal Pro-Housing Policy

Mike Kingsella, CEO of Up for Growth

Bend’s booming population and job growth are driving its success, but artificial barriers have prevented housing from keeping pace. Mike will discuss how federal policies can help remove these regulatory roadblocks, enabling the city to meet its housing needs, support workforce growth, and sustain the economic momentum that makes Bend a thriving hub for businesses.

Tomorrow’s Federal Reserve: What to Expect from Interest Rates Over the Next Decade

Tim Mahedy, Founder and Chief Economist, Access/Macro

The pandemic didn’t break the economy, but it did unleash structural forces that made the Fed’s job of setting interest rate policy much harder. Unfortunately, it’s too late to put that genie back into the bottle, and this period of heightened uncertainty around the path of monetary policy will likely linger. Tim will leverage his years of experience at the Federal Reserve and the International Monetary Fund to break down how today’s global challenges affect the trajectory of U.S. interest rates and what that means for financial markets and Main Street.

Bend Chamber CEO & President, Katy Brooks, gives closing remarks.