GrowSmart Maine changes up annual summit format, with six locations
Photo / Maureen Milliken
Rob Biggs, executive director of Saco Main Street, (in vest, facing camera) talks to a group at GrowSmart Maine's 2019 Summit while touring Mill 4 in Saco, developed by Chinburg Properties. This year's conference, primarily in Biddeford-Saco, will also have satellite locations across the state and a virtual element.
GrowSmart Maine's annual summit will have in-person options at six locations across the state, as well as a virtual element, a COVID-19 adjustment that will also complement this year's "regional solutions" topic.
The new format will give the summit something it hasn't had before — a multi-region focus where those who live in the region can discuss issues relevant to them with others from their area at the conference.
The summit is normally a day-long affair at one location that draws hundreds and includes walking tours, workshops and group lunches at area restaurants. This highlight of year's event, focusing on the topic "Flexing the Power of Home Rule: A Path Toward Regional Solutions," will be regional breakout sessions at its six sites.
A webinar a week later will discuss the regional solutions and next steps, said Nancy Smith, GrowSmart executive director. Discussion will include how regions are determined, and when a regional approach is the best way to go, or when a more localized approach is.
"We want this to be more than a one-day meeting with people talking about ideas," Smith told Mainebiz Monday morning. The live/virtual hybrid gives the summit a chance to do something it hasn't done before. "Discussion has a lot of value," she said, but taking a week to process, then following up, will enhance the experience.
Smith said that, while registration just began last week, the new format is getting a positive response, both from attendees who may not have traveled to Biddeford-Saco for an in-person event, and from sponsors.
"The format has really opened it up," she said.
Familiar, new summit elements
The summit is from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, with its primary location in Biddeford-Saco, the site of last year's event. There will be a 50-participant maximum at that site. Other locations are:
- Northern Maine Development Corporation, Northern Maine Community College, Presque Isle (50 people);
- Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Jeff's Catering, Bangor (50 people);
- Sunrise County Economic Council, at SCEC office, Machias (15 people);
- Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, Stevens Commons, Hallowell (25 people);
- Snow Pond Center for the Arts, Sidney (25 people).
Featured speakers are journalist Colin Woodward and Anthony Flint, a senior fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Similar to previous years, the two speakers each talk for half an hour, then engage in discussion with each other and the audience.
The regional breakout sessions will follow, and those attending virtually can choose with breakout to attend.
The event will also include "city experiences," another traditional summit element, with walking tours that highlight specific development themes. The hosts of the regional locations will determine what this year's will include.
GrowSmart also announces its Smart Growth Award winners at the annual summit. This year's awards focus on COVID-19 response and regional collaboration, the theme of this year's summit. The awards recognize diverse activities that contribute to smart growth and also serve as real-life illustrations of the benefits it can bring. Winning projects showcase practical solutions to such challenges as the need for affordable housing, rebuilding downtowns and conserving land for public use.
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