Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce - eCapeChamber
Economic Summit

Economic Summit - October 26, 2007

The Cape Cod Chamber's Economic Summit in October 2007 was very thought provoking and extremely well received. An interactive dialogue was held among civic and business leaders on the Cape's economic realities. Click here to view streaming video of the 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.

With over 300 "forward thinkers" in the audience, we received overwhelming feedback that essentially said they agreed with the need to rebalance and that "we need to take action now." To that end, the Chamber will immediately begin the next steps. Many in the business community volunteered to get involved. We will broadcast the event on public access TV to further educate all Cape Codders. We will immediately convene, with the Cape Cod Commission, a meeting of municipal managers, selectmen and councilors and town planners with Peter Francese to hear the message delivered today. And we will convene with other collaborators to further define and launch a regional action plan for the Cape's economy.

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

Click here for charts from the Economic Summit.

Video of the Economic Summit premiered November 14th and 15th on Comcast Channel 17 in Mid-Cape households. The program, edited to half- hour segments, will run Wednesdays at noon and Thursday evenings at 6:30. Footage was filmed by Steve Baty of All Media Productions.

A special thank you to Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank, which sponsored the event, and our many collaborators, including IFAW, Cape Cod Times Media Company, Coastal Community Capital, Cape Cod Commission, Cape & Islands Association of Realtors, Cape Cod Community College, Business Roundtable, Home Builders & Remodelers of Cape Cod, and Cape & Islands WIB.