(Calgary, AB): Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) is pleased to confirm Talisman Energy Inc. as its Platinum Sponsor for the 2013 EDA Conference.
The annual EDA conference attracts almost 300 economic development experts and elected officials from various parts of the province. Delegates are provided with updates on economic development issues and trends, best practices, inspiring keynote addresses and valuable networking opportunities.

The 2013 conference will be held April 10-12, 2013 at the Delta Kananaskis Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta. The theme is “Ideas, Innovation and Inspiration.”
“We are extremely excited about the conference this year, and are thrilled Talisman Energy Inc. has confirmed their participation as Platinum Sponsor, which includes sponsorship of the Minister’s Dinner & Awards Ceremony that will take place on the night of April 11,” states Kent McMullin, EDA President. “Talisman’s corporate commitment to promoting economic development both within and outside of Alberta is to be commended.”

"Talisman Energy is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the 2013 EDA Conference,” says Jerry Lemmon, External Relations at Talisman. “We operate in numerous locations across Alberta, and we are committed to using local contractors wherever possible to support the economic development of the communities in which we operate. We are also proud to support local community projects through our Community Investment program, where we contribute to community based projects in education, environment and empowering local communities and First Nations.”

ABOUT EDA
Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) is the only professional association for economic developers in the province. It is dedicated to advancing the economic development profession by providing an active network of communications, information and education. It is a not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors, who represent the interests of its membership as a whole.
The 2013 conference includes an impressive agenda with over 30 speakers from around Alberta, Canada and the United States. For specific event details including the most up to date agenda go online to www.edaalberta.ca.

ABOUT TALISMAN ENERGY INC.
Talisman Energy Inc. is a global upstream oil and gas company, headquartered in Canada. Talisman has two main operating areas: the Americas (North America and Colombia), and Asia-Pacific. Talisman is committed to conducting business safely, in a socially and environmentally responsible manner, and is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability (North America) Index. Talisman is listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TLM.

For more information contact:

Leann Hackman-Carty, Executive Director
Economic Developers Alberta (EDA)
Work: (403) 214-0224
Email: leann@edaalberta.ca

Jerry Lemmon, Team Lead, External Relations -
Communications and Core Services
Talisman Energy Inc.
Work: (403) 693-2177
Email: jlemmon@talisman-energy.com

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EDA's Annual Conference in Kananaskis is just one month away, so here are a few last minute things to think about:

If you have not yet booked your hotel room at the Delta Kananaskis Lodge do so today. Make sure to take advantage of the special group rates. To book your hotel click here.
Go online and register for one of the pre-conference sessions:
Prairie Canada Future Game
ICCI Contribution Writing Workshop & Investment 101 Session
Productivity 101 Session
Remember to pack a few items for the Silent Auction table; a round of golf, or a piece of art that represents your region are just a couple of ideas. Click here for more information.
If you are interested in volunteering for a few hours in advance of the conference, the Organizing Committee will be stuffing delegate bags on April 5 from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM at the Calgary Economic Development offices. If you have a few hours, and would like to help out, please email leann@edaalberta.ca. The more we have, the faster it goes!

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See you at the Conference #EDA2013

As an economic development professional you have a complex and challenging job in today’s global economy.

I am pleased to announce Economic Developers Alberta now has a new tool available to help you with the demands of attracting, retaining and growing businesses in your region.

It’s called the “Investment Readiness Toolkit.” It was developed by EDA in partnership with the Province of Alberta and the Government of Canada.

This Toolkit provides you with frameworks and practices to manage familiarization tours and other aspects of investment attraction.

The Toolkit will also help you identify investment readiness gaps, develop new or improved economic development processes and expand capacity for your community to attract, receive and successfully explore investment opportunities.

Download your copy of the Toolkit by following this link; and you will see how valuable this resource document is for economic development professionals in today’s competitive environment.



Sincerely,

-Kent McMullin, EDA President

On April 12, 2013, a new Board Directors will be elected to the Economic Developers of Alberta (EDA).
If you are interested in applying for one of the four vacant positions, or wish to nominate another Member, we encourage you to submit a Letter of Interest to Leann Hackman-Carty, Executive Director on or before March 1, 2013 at 4:30 PM.

Please ensure the following items are addressed in your Letter of Interest:

• Name
  
• Organization and Title
  
• Phone
  
• Email
  
• How long you have been a member of EDA
  
• Relevant community experience and/or employment (attach a resume if you wish)
  
• Area(s) of expertise/contributions you feel you can make to EDA as a Board Director (ideally candidates would possess strong skills in education, marketing, membership development or fundraising).
  

All nominations submitted before the deadline will be vetted by the EDA Nominating Committee to ensure they are eligible for nomination. All nominees must be Regular members in good standing for at least one year.

A list of eligible nominees will then be presented at the AGM, at which time nominees will be allowed to say a few words in support of their nomination if they wish. A vote by the membership will then take place. The top nominees will be elected to the board. As usual, nominations will be taken from the floor, but to ensure we have an efficient AGM we would prefer any interested candidates let us know in advance.

There are monthly board phone calls (approximately 1.5 hours long) and some committee work required. The three active committees include: Education, Annual Conference and Membership & Marketing. If you have the time, and specific expertise required for the board, please email your letter of interest to Leann Hackman-Carty on or before March 1, 2013 at 4:30 PM to leann@edaalberta.ca.

There is new information on the "Our Member's Success Stories" page about a workshop you might want to attend. 

Who do you think deserves to be recognized for their excellent work in the economic development profession in Alberta?
EDA recognizes it is a difficult choice, that is why we are giving you more time to submit your nomination for our Awards of Excellence.

The deadline has been extended by one week; you now have until Friday, March 8 to send in your nomination package.

You can download the nomination package here.

Each year Economic Developers Alberta is proud to present a number of awards that recognize excellence in economic development in Alberta.

The following awards will be presented at our Annual General Meeting and Professional Conference held April 10-12
at the Delta Kananaskis Lodge:

1. Economic Developer of the Year Award
   
2. Outstanding Young Professional Award
   
3. Alex Metcalf Awards
   
4. Marketing Alberta Awards of Excellence
   
5. President's Award
   

Some funds remain available for 2013 projects of the Invest Canada-Community Initiatives (ICCI) component of the Global Commerce Support Program.

Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) is pleased to offer its next Marketing Masters Webinar, titled "Preparing the Workforce for Tomorrow's Opportunities".

Many of today's occupations did not exist 20 years ago and over the next 20 years it is likely that a majority of these occupations will again be different.

Globalization, technology and innovation along with the need for networked production and service provision are all placing new demands on the workforce. As technology, culture and the economy rapidly change, new strategies and programs are being created to prepare these workers and industries to be competitive now and in the future.

Join us on Thursday, February 21st for an exciting webinar that explores this shift in employment and occupation trends, as well as discusses strategies to grow a workforce that is ready for tomorrow's opportunities.

Topics to be covered include:
•· Where Economic Development & Workforce Development Collide
•· What This Means for the Economic Development Professional
•· Adaptive Planning, Linguistics and Green Shoots
•· Looking Ahead at the Impact of These Trends
Speakers:

Jim Damicis
Senior Vice President, Camoin Associates, Scarborough, ME

Norma Owen
President, The Avadon Group, The Colony, TX

Moderator:
LaDene H. Bowen, CEcD, FM, Associate Director, University of Northern Iowa Institute for Decision Making, Cedar Falls, IA

 

source: Alberta Government News Release, February 14, 2013

If you are interested in attending Session D, "Let's Make A Pitch", sponsored by Talisman Energy, you will need to register for this session separately. Although there is no additional charge for this session, due to the interactive nature of this session, we have had to limit attendance to 60 participants.

This fun, interactive session, based on the Dragon's Den concept, will teach you how to "pitch" your project to corporate partners. You will learn what they look for in a partner, and how to raise your profile. Participants should be prepared to come with their creativity, innovation and best "pitching skills".

Registration is available online. If you are interested in participating, please register now. We anticipate this session will fill up fast.