8:00 - 8:30
Registration, / View Exhibits

8:30 - 8:45
Welcome to Appleton
Jan Alf, WEDA President
Tim Hanna, Mayor of Appleton
Tom Lebak, Fox Cities Economic Development Partnership

8:45 - 9:45
Regulatory Reform, Technology, Organizational Change
Howard Smethills, Jr., President/CEO, Menasha Corporation

Today, the United States is in the midst of the worst manufacturing recession since the Great Depression. One of the Wisconsin companies facing these challenging times is Menasha Corporation, a 152-year-old company with 68 facilities in 17 states and nine countries. The company realizes that its marketplace is being transformed, and that it must compete on a global basis with smart competitors who build their products abroad where labor costs, taxes and environmental and regulatory costs are much lower.

Mr. Smethills will describe how winning in the new economy takes more than just squeezing costs out of business. He believes it takes a smart strategy, flawless execution and rapid transformation into a nimble organization. Mr. Smethills will discuss how businesses can win on innovation and the ability to add value and the important role government can play by helping companies to speed the transformation process.

9:45 - 10:15
View Exhibits

10:15 - 11:30
Regulatory Reform Panel
Pat Schillinger, Wisconsin Paper Council
Elizabeth Kluesner, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Pam Christenson, Wisconsin Department of Commerce
Moderator: Nick George, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce

Wisconsin business has identified regulatory reform as an important issue for business development. This panel, comprised of industry, small business and regulatory agencies, will discuss the need for regulatory reform in the State of Wisconsin and initiatives under way to address this concern.

11:30 - 12:00
WEDA Legislative Updates
Jim Hough, WEDA Legislative Director
Rob Kleman, WEDA Legislative Committee Co-Chair
Peter Thillman, WEDA Legislative Committee Co-Chair

Jim Hough, Rob Kleman and Peter Thillman will provide us with an overview of the challenging Fall legislative session - complete with details on key pieces of legislation WEDA is championing.

12:00 - 1:00
Buffet Lunch / View Exhibits

1:00 - 1:30
A Renewed Commitment to Serving the Business Community
Charles Hoslet, Office of Corporate Relations, UW Madison

Mr. Hoslet will introduce the new UW Office of Corporate Relations and talk about its mission to better serve the complex needs of the business community, help build a stronger Wisconsin economy and provide information on how businesses can access the University's many resources.

1:30 - 2:45
From Innovation to the Marketplace
Matt Wagner, CATI Center - (Center for Advanced Technology & Innovation)
Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council
Gordie Kacala, Racine County Economic Development Corporation

Some of the most creative minds are right here in the State of Wisconsin. If your clients have questions about how to take their ideas to product development, Matt Wagner, Gordie Kacala and Tom Still will give you tips on how to assist in this intellectual property transfer.

2:45 - 3:15
View Exhibits

3:15 - 4:30
Applying Innovative Energy Sources
Terry Carroll, Minergy Corporation,
Bob Sather, Ace Ethanol
Tony Hartmann, Virent Energy

Economic Development professionals know the critical importance of energy and the strong infrastructure needed to deliver this valued resource. This session will focus on innovative energy sources and its commercial development by-products.

4:30 - 5:30
View Exhibits

5:30 - 7:00
Reception - Riverview Country Club
1101 S. Oneida Street, Appleton, WI 54915

Riverview Country Club was founded in 1898, just ten years after the game of golf came to America from Scotland. The development of Riverview has been consistent with the original intent that it be a "family" club thereby retaining much of its early charm. The Club is the oldest in the state and is dedicated to preserving the unique character that has developed for the past three-quarters of a century.