Grand Rapids: 2012 Conference Location

As home to nationally acclaimed BALLE network and conference cohost, Local First West Michigan, Grand Rapids has proven that even the forces of recession and industrial decline are no match for the economic power of a thriving community of innovative locally owned businesses. Grand Rapids has put apathy, malaise and economic decline on the ropes, and you don’t want to miss the final round.

Join us in celebrating BALLE's 10 year anniverary with Local First in Grand Rapids - register now!

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Grand Rapids, Michigan

When Alexander Calder’s “La Grande Vitesse” was unveiled in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1969, the abstract steel sculpture did more than attract the attention of the international arts community; it reactivated the imagination of an entire region. Like “La Grande Vitesse,” Michigan’s second-largest city is constantly in motion.

• Despite the recession’s disproportionate impact on Michigan, Grand Rapids saw more than $1.4 billion invested in new downtown construction in the past seven years.
• The world’s largest open art competition — Artprize — and the world’s first newly built LEED-certified art museum call Grand Rapids home.
• The country’s second-most agriculturally diverse economy and the beaches, dunes and wildlife of Lake Michigan remain as protected and pure as they are.
• The academic arm of the United Nations designated Grand Rapids its first “Center for Expertise and Education for Sustainable Development,” and Fast Company called Grand Rapids “America’s Greenest City.”
• The city government and Local First are working together to incentivize recycling and support local business ownership.

Welcome to the economy re-imagined. Welcome to Grand Rapids. Real Prosperity Starts Here.
 

About our Local Network Host: Local First

Local First is a nonprofit supporting local business ownership and sustainable economic development in West Michigan. Founded in 2003, Local First is one of the largest BALLE networks in the United States, representing approximately 600 member businesses.

Local First believes strongly in the power of local business to transform West Michigan’s economy and communities, and the organization is focused on supporting entrepreneurship, incentivizing sustainable business, and educating consumers. This organizational strength underscores and there is a growing body of evidence that Local First is achieving positive results in West Michigan, including:

• 83% of West Michigan’s local businesses surveyed reported an increase in annual sales in 2010, with an average increase of 19.1% - compared to just 5.2% nationally (Institute for Local Self-Reliance).
• 85% of locally owned businesses surveyed reported that awareness of locally owned businesses increased in 2010.
• Local First’s 2008 “Local Works!” study determined that shifting just 10% of current spending toward local businesses could create approximately 1,600 new jobs, $140 million in new economic activity, and $50 million in new wages.
• mygrcitypoints – an innovative recycling incentive program from the City of Grand Rapids and Local First – reduced city waste by 14% in its first month.
• Public support for local food systems is growing; a 65.4% increase in small farms was reported in 2007.

A new economic model is emerging in West Michigan. In Grand Rapids, a culture of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and industry is reimagining the Midwest of the 21st century. Through a combination of grassroots organization, business collaboration and government partnerships, Local First is leading the way. For more on Local First and its programs, please visit www.LocalFirst.com.