AMES, IOWA – Registration is open for the 8th annual Iowa Rural Summit, to be held April 11-12 at the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center, Ames IA. Past years’ gatherings of leaders from rural communities from across the state have drawn crowds of almost 400.
Rural communities are once again being asked to bring a three-person team to the Summit, an approach that has helped generate post-Summit momentum in previous years for those places that were represented. Three-person community teams will be able to go online and register at a special, discounted rate. Interested individuals can also register online.
The Summit is sponsored by the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC), a public-private statewide non-profit that works to support small towns addressing issues such as housing, broadband access, business development and leadership.
2024 Iowa Rural Summit
Wednesday April 10
Pre-Conference Opportunities
10:00-3:00 2023 Annual Rural Housing Readiness Assessment Conference. Lunch provided. Garden Room, Gateway Center, Ames, Iowa Register at https://go.iastate.edu/KSSSMB
1:00-5:00 Empower Rural Iowa
5pm- 7pm: Welcome Reception at Reiman Gardens
Gateway Hotel and Conference Center Garden Room
Sponsored by DMACC and The Bill Menner Group
Thursday April 11
7:30-9am Registration and Continental breakfast
Sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
9am Conference Welcome, Gateway Hotel Prairie Ballroom
IRDC Board President Mark Reinig
ISU VP for Extension & Outreach Jason Henderson
9:10am Creating a Culture of Excellence and Civility, Prairie Ballroom
Scott Raecker, Executive Director, Robert D. and Billie Ray Center
Sponsored by CultureALL
10:00AM “30 Questions in 30 Minutes: What Do We Need from this Summit?”
Sponsored by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
10:30am Celebration of Sponsors and Exhibitors, Prairie Ballroom
11:00am Break-out Sessions, Round 1
Critical Issues: Rural Pharmacies: Keeping Doors Open/New Ideas
Facilities/Projects: Culture and Community: Three Stories, Prairie Central
Facing the Future: Elite Leadership in Small Towns, Prairie North
Sponsored by Alliant Energy
12:15pm Lunch, Garden Room with Overflow Rooms Available
Sponsored by D.A. Davidson
Empowering Rural Iowa with Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg
1:30pm Break-out Sessions, Round 2
Critical Issues: Main Street, Hometown Pride and Heart & Soul: Three Ideas
Facilities/Projects: Ag and Ag Tech: Driving Rural Innovation, Prairie Central
Sponsored by Iowa Farm Bureau
Facing the Future: Complex Strategies: A Deep Dive for Summit Vets
2:30pm Short Break with Light Snack/Transition to Break-out Rooms
2:45pm Break-out Sessions/Population Cohorts
Under 2,500 Caucus Prairie South
2,501-5,000 Caucus Prairie Central
5,001-10,000 Caucus: Prairie North
Over 10,000 Caucus Garden Room
3:45pm Hotel Check-in and Meet the Vendors!
5:00pm Rural Recognition Reception, Garden Room
Sponsored by Iowa Farm Bureau/Renew Rural Iowa
5:30pm The Rand Fisher Rural Leadership Awards Ceremony, Garden Room
Sponsored by IADG Community Foundation
6:30pm Dinner on your Own
Friday April 12
7:30am Buffet Breakfast/Community Networking Time, Garden Room
Sponsored by ITC Midwest
8:30am Welcome Back, Day 2 |
8:50am Roundtable #1: Rural Vitality Coalition Update, Prairie Ballroom
Sponsored by Wellmark
9:45am Break/Check Out
10:15am 45 Ideas in 45 Minutes, Prairie Ballroom
Sponsored by America’s SBDC – Iowa and ISU Economic Development & Industry Relations
11:00am Closing Roundtable:
“We’ll Do it Ourselves”: Making Things Happen on Your Own!
11:50pm Parting Messages and Adjournment
Summit Highlights from Iowa Rural Summit 2023
- FINDing Rural Dentists
- Child Care Success Stories in Rural Iowa
- Public Libraries Driving Rural Innovation
- Celebrating 5 Years of Rural Businesses in GS 10,000 Small Business Program
- Rural Hospitals as Economic Engines
LOCATION | Gateway Hotel and Conference Center
A memorable experience awaits you at Gateway Hotel and Conference Center at Iowa State University! You’ll find us in the heart of Ames, Iowa – an easy walk from the campus of ISU and just 30 miles from downtown Des Moines. As one of the few full-service hotels in the city (and home to the largest conference center), we provide a modern, welcoming destination for work or play.
To register for the Gateway Hotel's Iowa Rural Summit room block and the nightly rate of $146, call 800-FOR-AMES (800-367-2637) by Wednesday, March 20 and say you are affiliated with the Iowa Rural Development Council.