Half Day Tech Tour of Ann Arbor

Monday, September 15, 2025
11:30am - 5:15pm

Price: $90

Learn about the 20-year-old academic-private-public regional economic development partnership that has resulted in a robust technology-based economy around the University of Michigan, home to an annual $2B research budget one of the largest of any university in the U.S. Hear about U of M’s Innovation Partnership initiative and Ann Arbor SPARK harvesting University technology licensing and startup activity to grow companies to scale. Tour stops include the R&D facility of KLA, a global hardware company, American Center for Mobility which is the nation’s leading open-source facility for testing connected and autonomous vehicles and the famous Zingerman’s Deli for lunch.

*Lunch is included.

The Parade Company

Monday, September 15, 2025
12:30pm - 2:30pm

Price: $90

Experience a behind-the-scenes look at America’s Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Gardner-White. Learn about the Parade’s history, explore the 200,000 square-foot storyland of floats, and see how artisans bring them to life. You’ll get an inside look at the world’s largest collection of papier-mâché heads and over 3,000 costumes. Pictures are welcomed!

LIFT

Monday, September 15, 2025
1:00pm - 3:00pm

Price: $90

LIFT, the National Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is a nonprofit, public-private partnership with the Department of Defense connecting industry, academia and government in support of our nation’s economy and national security. 

LIFT’s 100,000-square-foot headquarters in Detroit, Michigan showcases the “art of the possible” in the future of manufacturing and serves as a sandbox where the U.S. industrial base can design, test, and prototype new materials, processes, systems, and curricula. Highlights of LIFT’s facility tour include LIFT’s Advanced Metallic Production and Processing Center, Advanced Characterization Lab, Learning Lab, Humvee Project Display, Siemens Digital Twin Smart Factory Showcase, and Kearney Digital Model Factory.

*Tour attendees must be a U.S., NATO, or Australian citizen.

The Surprising Taste of the American Dream

Monday, September 15, 2025
1:00pm - 4:00pm

Price: $90

While the world knows Dearborn as the home of Ford Motor Company, this city's true economic engine is driven by a different kind of innovation. As the first Arab-majority city in the U.S., Dearborn offers a living case study in small business success unlike any other. For over 150 years, this city has been a powerful incubator for new beginnings, driven by generations of immigrants who arrived with a dream and built it here.

Join Dearborn's leadership for an exclusive tour and seated lunch to hear how culture and community have nurtured this spirit of entrepreneurship. You'll get a firsthand look at how this rich heritage has guided success as we visit select businesses and food production facilities. We'll meet with the founders of our local food economy, from bakeries to supermarkets, to hear their strategies for growth and how the success of these businesses serves as a key driver for workforce development, attracting talent and creating new opportunities. Discover how Dearborn's enduring narrative of hope and hard work translates into tangible economic results.

*Meal included

Detroit's Neighborhood Reinvestment Strategy

Monday, September 15, 2025
1:30pm - 4:00pm

Price: $90

Launched in 2016, the Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF) reinvests in 10 long-disinvested neighborhoods across the city through a public-private-philanthropic partnership that brings a suite of tools and partners to each area: commercial corridor investment, catalytic parks, streetscape improvements, and housing stabilization, all shaped by a year-long planning study in partnership with residents and stakeholders. This initiative has invested over $300M to date.  Invest Detroit will showcase two SNF neighborhoods, highlighting development projects, small businesses, and public space investments in these commercial corridors.

Michigan Central Station

Monday, September 15, 2025
1:30pm - 4:30pm

Price: $90

Explore the newly restored Michigan Central Station and the surrounding 30-acre innovation district in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. Originally opened in 1913 and closed in 1988, the historic Beaux-Arts station has undergone a six-year, $740 million restoration led by Ford Motor Company. Learn how Michigan Central is advancing next-generation transportation, workforce development, and neighborhood revitalization, all while honoring the legacy of Detroit’s past.

Downtown Detroit Walking Tour: Bedrock's Vision of Renewal

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
1:30pm - 3:00pm

Price: $90

Enjoy a walking tour that takes you through the heart of Detroit’s central business district, highlighting three cornerstone developments led by Bedrock. Each stop showcasing a unique piece of Detroit’s past and future. Stops include: 1. Book Tower, 2. Hudson’s Project development site, that will feature office and retail space, a hotel, residences, and an observation space and 3. the Urban Tech Exchange (UTX) at the Julian C. Madison Building, a collaborative workspace for Detroit’s tech and innovation community.

Detroit RiverWalk Walking Tour

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
1:30pm - 4:00pm

Price: $90

Enjoy taking in the sights and sounds of the iconic, international Detroit RiverWalk with a walking tour from Cullen Plaza to Robert C. Valade Park. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy will showcase this transformative project improving public space and boosting tourism for the city.

Motown Museum Tour

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
1:30pm - 4:30pm

Price: $90

Get transported into an era of musical magic by walking in the footsteps of your favorite Motown artists where hit after hit was recorded in the original Studio A from 1959 to 1972. Exploring the gallery of rare historic photos and glittering stage uniforms. Seeing the apartment that was home to young Berry Gordy and his family, the early Motown offices, Control Room and Tape Library. You’ll also can shop the museum gift store for memorabilia, quintessential CDs, DVDs, and iconic graphic T-shirts.

Cultural Centers Walking Tour

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
2:00pm - 6:00pm

Price: $90

Discover how Detroit’s iconic Cultural Center is being reimagined through the innovative Cultural Center Planning Initiative, blending world-class arts, education, and public space in this dynamic walking tour.

AI/Tech Micro-Summit

Sunday, September 14, 2025
12:30pm - 3:30pm

Price: $120

Join us for an immersive experience where you'll surgically explore the latest AI and machine intelligence trends, developing plausible futures and personalized impact strategies. This highly interactive session, blending team and individual work, will equip you with cutting-edge tools, skills, and professional development opportunities. Don't miss this chance to shape your future in AI!

*This session is at capacity. Reach out to Cherrika Gordon cgordon@iedc.org to be added to the waitlist.

Mastering the Mega Trends Shaping The Next Generations of Talent

Sunday, September 14, 2025
1:00 - 4:00 PM

Price: Free (but registration is required)

Talent shortage is a looming crisis across the globe, as companies scramble to source workers with the technical and human skills to thrive in an AI-driven workplace. This session will cover groundbreaking innovations to attract, engage, and retain talent in today’s Smart Machine Age. Discover the mega trends shaping today’s young people, forge bilateral partnerships, and build stronger pipelines between education and employment and cross national and cultural lines. Walk away with actionable strategies to attract, engage, and empower the best talent today!