Institute for Emerging Issues' 25th Annual Emerging Issues Forum Opens For Registration
Posted: 12-01-2009 : RALEIGH, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) realizes that new ideas and bold thinking are key to North Carolina’s future economy. IEI’s newest program of work, Creativity, iNC., focuses on the strategies needed to unlock our creative mindset and drive our state into the next chapter of global competitiveness.

IEI has travelled the state engaging hundreds in its creativity leadership retreat, focus groups and working groups. Today, IEI announces its 25th annual Emerging Issues Forum, February 8-9 at the Raleigh Convention Center.

At the Forum, several nationally recognized creativity experts will share insights into developing and enhancing North Carolina’s climate of creativity. Confirmed speakers at this year’s Forum include the first ever Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Aneesh Chopra; leading education strategist and founder of Creativity Matters, Eric Liu; best-selling author and expert on innovation and competition, Daniel Pink; creative social visionary and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, Bill Strickland; president of the globally-focused Council on Competitiveness, Deborah Wince-Smith; Silicon Valley’s innovation guru and general manager of IDEO, Tom Kelley; leader of the Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress, Roger Martin; and Michael Linksvayer of Creative Commons, a nonprofit fostering creative collaboration through new copyright terms.

"We are thrilled to have these nationally renowned speakers join us in conversations that are vital to our economic competitiveness," says former Governor James B. Hunt Jr., Chair of IEI’s National Advisory Board. "We anticipate their ideas will help foster and enhance North Carolina’s creative economy, and will inspire our state’s leaders at the 25th Annual Emerging Issues Forum."

For the past seven months, IEI has engaged its model public policy process to bring together diverse stakeholders to discuss ways in which North Carolina can build an economy dependent on creative ideas. During the annual Emerging Issues Forum, speakers and attendees will address the public policies needed to make North Carolina the most creative place in the country to live, work and play.

"We believe creativity is more important than ever to keep pace with global markets. North Carolina must look to new ideas to spur our economy," says Anita R. Brown-Graham, Director of the Institute for Emering Issues. "Our goal for this new program of work is to create a state where creativity is championed in all areas of our economy and to foster an atmosphere of bold, creative thinking."

Scheduled in Raleigh, N.C. on February 8-9, 2010, the annual Institute for Emerging Issues Forum is IEI’s signature event at which leaders from around the state, the country and the world convene to discuss and debate novel solutions to this state’s most pressing challenges. For more information on IEI’s 25th annual Emerging Issues Forum, including speaker interview availability, please email Melinda Reta Walker at melinda_reta@ncsu.edu. Registration for the Forum opens December 1, visit www.emergingissues.org for more details.

The IEI Forum attracts more than 1,000 attendees, including corporate chiefs, investors, university

presidents, legislators, journalists, scientists, educators and students from across North Carolina, the South and the nation. Past Forum speakers include Tom Friedman, Former President Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Paul O’Neill, Jim Rogers, Madeleine Albright, Steve Forbes and former Vice President Al Gore.

About IEI
IEI is a think-and-do tank fo
cused on tackling big issues that affect North Carolina’s future growth and prosperity. From energy, to fiscal modernization, to improving our systems of higher education, IEI takes the lead in convening state leaders in business, higher education and government to address these issues early to prepare for future challenges and opportunities. To learn more about IEI, please visit www.emergingissues.org.