Chambers: Summit will bring the world to Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) — A first-of-its-kind event is set to take place on Memorial Day weekend in Indianapolis. The Global Economic Summit is billed as a showcase for innovation, disruptive technology and new economy thinking, and is expected to attract big names, including a former Google CEO. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers says the event fits perfectly with his goal of telling the Indiana story to the world.
In an interview on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick, Chambers said early data suggests the summit will be a blockbuster event. Click here to watch interview
“We have had 800 people register for this event; we have had to close registration,” said Chambers. “We’ve got 25 countries participating. The governor likes to say he wants to take Indiana to the world and bring the world to Indiana. Well, the world is coming to Indiana at the end of May.”
Plans for the summit were originally announced in late 2019, but were put on hold due to the pandemic. As restrictions eased and the recovery from the pandemic continued, those plans were renewed last December.
The summit is scheduled for May 26-29 at the Indiana Convention Center. The event will feature many high-profile speakers, including former Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt, Saab CEO Micael Johansson, and Amazon Vice President of Worldwide Economic Development Holly Sullivan.
Chambers says having the summit during the weekend of the Indianapolis 500 brings an added element to the event.
“There is no better way to showcase Indiana’s hospitality than bringing the world to Indiana and throwing on a thought conversation about innovation and the future of sustainability and the future of our economy and having it done over our international race weekend,” he said. “So, we’re super excited and the guests are excited.”
Chambers says the goal is to provide a demonstration of innovation talent in Indiana and converting those conversations into action.
“There’s a lot of these conversations that happen globally and it’s all talk. Indiana is a state with Midwestern values and takes that talk and converts it to action,” he said. “So, we really want to take these innovative conversations from these global thought leaders, distill them in Indiana and then put them into action for the benefit of our world, really.”
You can learn more about the summit by clicking here.