Calendar of Events - Economic Developers Alberta

The RMA hosts two conventions per year, one in spring and one in fall, at the Edmonton Convention Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. Each convention sees a variety of plenary addresses and workshops, as well as the ministerial forum and resolutions session. In addition to these events, the fall convention hosts the opposition party leader panel, as well as our RMA Board elections and partners program. The RMA and Canoe Tradeshow is held during the fall convention to better serve our members as they go through the budget process within their municipalities.

The RMA 2025 Fall Convention and Tradeshow is scheduled to take place November 17-20, at the Edmonton Convention Centre. 

• Understand the significance of rural economic development, its distinctions in rural versus urban settings, and common challenges faced by rural communities.
• Acquire  skills to assess rural community needs and assets using tools like Community Needs Assessment (CNA), Asset Mapping, and Gap Analysis, facilitating the identification of strengths, challenges, and opportunities for capacity building.
• Gain insight into strategic planning and implementation, distinguishing between project and strategic planning, developing Rural Economic Development Plans based on CNAs, and integrating the Logic Model to illustrate connections between resources, activities, and outcomes.
• Understand  rural economic development strategies, receive guidance on selecting the most suitable strategy, and learn creative approaches to connecting strategies with resources
• Create inclusive community engagement, fostering participation and community ownership, leveraging partnerships, and addressing conflict within rural communities.
• Empower local leadership, establish collaborative governance structures, identify rural economic development models, and define the roles of economic development officers, organizations, or committees in fostering economic growth.

Performance measurement is crucial for economic development as it provides a systematic way to assess, manage, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of economic policies and initiatives. Quantifying progress and outcomes helps economic developers ensure that their strategies are on track and delivering the intended benefits to communities, businesses, and stakeholders.

This course aims to provide participants with a robust understanding of performance measurement in the context of economic development, preparing them to effectively evaluate and enhance the impact of economic development initiatives.

This is an optional Community Economic Development Training Program (CEDTP) course.  
 

Specifically designed for elected officials and local leadership.

Provides theory, fundamental economic development applications, and examples of best practices.

This "30,000-foot view of economic development helps you align your mandate and projects with the current economic development situation. 

This is a core course in our Community Economic Development Training Program (CEDTP).  
 

All EDA members are invited to attend however, only Full members in good standing are eligible to vote at  the AGM.

At the AGM we will be electing our 2026-27 Board of Directors. 

All documents required in advance are available on our website, under the members-only section. 

NWER's 2026 Annual Summit will be held July 19 - 23, 2026 in Edmonton, Alberta at the JW Marriott Edmonton Ice District

Legislators, business leaders, academics, and policymakers from the U.S. and Canada will gather in Edmonton, Alberta for PNWER's 35th Annual Summit from July 19 - 23 to discuss regional economic best practices and trade concerns.  It will be an opportunity to engage with our region's key decision makers on both sides of the border. â€‹
PNWER is recognized as the model for regional and bi-national cooperation, providing a platform for collaboration among public, private, academic, and non-profit stakeholders to work together as a region in pursuit of common goals. â€‹ 

The PNWER Annual Summit is the leading forum where people in the policy world and the business world come together to figure out solutions to regional challenges.

• Non-Member – $165.00
  $165 + GST