Williamsburg Lodge Conference Center

310 S England St. Williamsburg, VA

8:30AM – 12PM: Virginia Competitiveness Forum
12PM – 1:30PM: WiM Virginia Recognition Luncheon

Join Virginia’s top manufacturing executives, industry leaders and service providers to the manufacturing industry, to learn about best-practices, technologies and solutions that drive Virginia’s manufacturing competitiveness in five major areas: Business Climate, Workforce, Innovation, Infrastructure and Economic Strength.  The program will examine the Commonwealth’s competitiveness standing against other US states and explore how to move Virginia forward.  The VMA will also showcase the annual update to the Virginia Manufacturing Competitiveness Index.

Program Highlights:

8AM-8:30AM – VMA Annual Business Meeting (Members Only)
The VMA Annual Business Meeting is for members only.  We will discuss the VMA 2020 Competitiveness Plan, 2020 Legislative Agenda and VMA board elections.

8:30AM -9:30AM – 2020 Competitiveness Index Results – Keynote Speaker
Ted Abernathy, Economic Leadership LLC, will unveil the 2020 Competitiveness Index results and compare Virginia’s results to other southern states.

Ted Abernathy, Managing Partner, Economic Leadership LLC

Ted is the Managing Partner of Economic Leadership LLC, a consultancy that is currently working in more than a dozen states to develop economic and workforce strategies. Ted has 35 years of experience in directing economic development and workforce development programs. From 2008-2013, Ted was the Executive Director of the Southern Growth Policies Board, a 42-year old public policy think tank that provided economic development research, strategy and marketing advice, to states and communities across the South. He also served as economic development policy advisor to the Southern Governors Association.

12PM – 1:40PM – 3nd Annual Women in Manufacturing Recognition Luncheon
The VMA will recognize all women from Virginia who are nominated for the 2020 National STEP Ahead, Emerging Leader Awards and WiM Hall of Fame.  Help us celebrate women in manufacturing and support our goal of building the next generation of leaders that will assure the competitiveness of Virginia’s 6,000 manufacturers.

Room Block Information:
A block of rooms have been secured at the Williamsburg Lodge for a rate of $169 per night.  Guests can contact the reservation line at 1-800-261-9530 to make reservations by phone.   Please mention that you are with the Competitiveness Forum and Women in MFG when making your reservation to receive the discounted rate. The conference reservations office is open Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00. The cut-off date for room reservations is October 18.