If a picture is worth a thousand words, a visit is priceless, especially when the visitor is looking for the best location for corporate expansion and relocation projects. More than 60 such visitors will experience firsthand the Madison region’s many business, talent and cultural benefits when they attend the LiveXchange conference in May 2018.

Organized by Business Facilities magazine, LiveXchange is an annual event attended by site selection consultants and corporate real estate decision-makers. Its venue is selected each year through a competitive process, with the Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) and Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau collaborating on the successful bid to host the three-day event in 2018.

Familiarization tours, or “fam tours,” are a critical component in the ongoing relationship building between economic developers and site selection consultants, and the strategy has been successfully deployed in Wisconsin by MadREP and other regional organizations in the past.

“The difference with LiveXchange is that instead of four to seven site selectors, which is typical for a fam tour, we’ll be hosting many times that number,” explains MadREP President Paul Jadin. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the Madison region and the state of Wisconsin to make a strong impression with this influential audience and to get on their short list for future projects.”

Paul Jadin, President, Madison Region Economic Partnership

Paul Jadin, President, Madison Region Economic Partnership

Jadin will be attending this year’s LiveXchange event in Park City, Utah, to gain a better understanding of the programming opportunities available at the conference. In addition to the one-to-one interaction he foresees with site selectors and company decision-makers, Jadin looks forward to showcasing the unique economic assets the Madison region offers to companies operating here, from the university and technical college system to the high-tech ecosystem and highly skilled talent pool that help support emerging and well-established businesses alike.

MadREP will work with private businesses and economic development partners in the region, including the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), to make the most of the LiveXchange opportunity, and Jadin envisions highlighting the state’s economic strengths beyond the Madison region.

“We look forward to working with MadREP to connect LiveXchange attendees with specific business development opportunities not only in and around Madison, but throughout the state of Wisconsin,” said WEDC Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer Tricia Braun.

For more information about LiveXchange, visit bflivexchange.com.