Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce - eCapeChamber
Economic Summit

For a wrap-up of the 2008 Economic Summit, and for copies of the presentations from the November 14th event, visit the newly launched www.CapeCodFocus.org!

The second annual Economic Summit - "What’s Next: A Focus on Cape Cod’s Economic Future" - was held November 14, 2008 at Cape Cod Community College. Over 300 people attended, and the event centered around an interactive dialogue among civic & business leaders coming together to form solutions. Click here for streaming video of the event, produced by All Media Productions.

Below was the agenda for the event:

8:00–8:05:  Welcome by Richard Neitz, Chairman, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce

8:05–8:15 a.m.:  One Year Later: A Brief Recap of the Cape’s Future Demographic Trends Reported in 2007.  Presented by Stephen Abbott, co-chair Cape Cod Focus

8:15–9 a.m.:  Great Expectations – Findings from Mass. Inc. Survey of Young Adults in Massachusetts and Cape Cod Young Professionals’ Survey of Young Adults on Cape Cod, with Q & A. Presenters -  Dana Ansel, Research Director, MassInc. and Gary Sheehan, co-founder CCYP & co-chair Cape Cod Focus

9:05-9:10 a.m.:  Suzanne M. Bump, Secretary, Massachusetts Department of Labor and Workforce Development, introduced by David Augustinho, Executive Director, C&I WIB

9:10–10:15 a.m.:  Cape Labor Force and the Future Economy, with Q&A.  Presenter - Dr. Neeta Fogg, Senior Economist, Northeastern University

10:15–11:15 a.m.:  Franklin County – An Example of Regionalization & Resource Sharing, with Q&A. Presenters: Linda Dunlavy, Executive Director, Franklin Regional Council of Governments, with Sheila Vanderhof, Town Manager, Eastham, joined by other lower Cape town representatives on local efforts to share resources

11:20 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Observations and Comments: Panel and Audience Discussion. Moderated by Peter Meyer, President and Publisher, Cape Cod Times.  Broad panel of business people, appointed and elected officials (TBA) looking at the future

12:30 p.m.: Wrap Up and Moving Forward.  Presented by Stephen Abbott

Sponsored in part by the Cape Cod Media Group. Supported by the Mass. Department of Business & Technology, Cape and Islands Workforce Investment Board, Cape Cod Young Professionals, Cape Cod Focus, Cape Cod Community College, Coastal Community Capital, Commonwealth Corporation and the Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development.

Economic Summit 2007
The Cape Cod Chamber's Economic Summit in October 2007 was very thought provoking and extremely well received.  Click here to view streaming video of the 2007 summit, made available online by All Media Productions. Our featured speaker, demographer Peter Francese, dispensed some very sobering yet stimulating information.  Click here to view an overview of his presentation on "Challenges & Opportunities in Cape Demographics."  His overall assessment is that Cape needs to "rebalance our human ecology" by attracting and retaining younger families. This is not a choice but an imperative for our economic survival. Some of the ways to do this include engaging the principles of smart growth, creating more rental housing, building Cape-wide high speed internet access, build a performing arts center (but be sure to host some rock concerts!) and reject a casino. He indicated that only through regionalized service delivery will we have sustainable funding (taxes) to address infrastructure for wastewater and transportation and other services.

Click here for an analysis of target visitor markets compiled by the Cape Cod Chamber and distributed at the 2007 Economic Summit.

Click here for charts from the 2007 Economic Summit.