(Louisville, KY) –The Mile High City of Denver, Colorado will be the destination for the 2018 Greater Louisville Idea Development expedition, GLIDE, presented by Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC. On September 16th through 18th, GLI will fly more than 120 of Greater Louisville’s top business and civic leaders to Denver to explore their remarkable regional economic growth across all sectors.
“Our chamber is focusing on initiatives that lead to regional business and talent attraction. Visiting Denver will allow us to learn from one of the best economic development corporations in the country,” Kent Oyler, GLI’s President & CEO, said. “GLIDE Denver is guaranteed to be a valuable three days for our local leaders.”
Denver has been able to attract the headquarters of major financial and technology firms by capitalizing on low real estate prices and a growing, educated population. Colorado is the second fastest growing and second most highly-educated state in the U.S. The majority of Metro Denver’s population growth is from Millennials working in the leisure & hospitality, professional & business services, wholesale & retail trade, and government sectors.
“When GLI first traveled to Denver in 2006, John Hickenenlooper was the city’s mayor. Now, Hickenlooper, a Denver businessman, is the Governor of Colorado. He continues to advocate for regional transformation on the local and state levels. I think we can learn a lot from the city’s changing demographics over the past 12 years, ” GLIDE Steering Committee Chairman & Chief of Operations for LG&E and KU, Lonnie Bellar, said.
GLIDE stands for Greater Louisville Idea Development expedition. The three-day trip is designed to give Greater Louisville’s community representatives, elected officials, entrepreneurs, education delegates, and business leaders the opportunity to experience how selected cities have overcome obstacles and achieved success. The last two GLIDE trips to Nashville and Austin sold out and GLIDE Denver is also expected to move to a wait list quickly.
“This is the 33rd year for the chamber’s economic study mission. It is the most valuable opportunity to build collaboration to make positive changes in our region,” Shawna Burton, GLI’s VP of Engagement & Organizational Advancement, said. “This is not a site-seeing venture. Each year we return with a tangible plan to increase economic growth and push our community forward.”
Previous GLIDE destinations also include Nashville, Austin, Portland, Charlotte, and Oklahoma City. Registration is open to GLI Top Investors only until May 10th. Registration for all GLI investors will open on May 11th and continue until the trip sells out. GLI welcomes business and civic leader participation in this three day study mission. More information can be found online at https://www.greaterlouisville.com/chamber/initiatives/glide/.
