The Southern Tier Industry Summit Series was created in the Fall of 2018 to serve as a platform to represent the region through one unified voice promoting the growth and opportunity of our industry sectors. By presenting the Southern Tier Region as a whole and with one united voice, rather than as individual counties, we become a fierce competitor in the national arena for expansion, economic development, and business relocation, while expanding and strengthening our industry sectors.

The goal is to bring like-minded, industry-focused individuals from the both private and public sectors to learn about the potential growth and details of our industries, share best practices, and spearhead collaboration on upcoming projects throughout the Southern Tier Region. In a nutshell, this is what each summit is designed to accomplish.

This program was originally designed to cover 8 counties in the Southern Tier region (Broome, Tioga, Tompkins, Chenango, Otsego, Delaware, Cortland, and Schoharie). Within its first year, it has extended and collaborated with Southern Tier Central, with our Active Recovery Event, which covers Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben counties. It is evident that the impact and growth of this program is making a mark throughout the Upstate New York region and it is only bound for more growth and collaboration.

The summits were developed out of Southern Tier 8’s 2018 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) meetings, where hundreds of Southern Tier stakeholders from the private and public sectors contributed ideas to strengthen and promote the Southern Tier.

Since the first event launched in November 2018, the Industry Summit Series has included renowned speakers including: Richard Ball [Commissioner for the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets], Donna Lupardo [New York State Assembly], Betsey Hale [President for Three Rivers Corporation & Southern Tier REDC Council Member], Mark Broadhurst [Senior Director of Public Affairs @ Chobani], Joseph Paris [Chair of XONITEK], Ty Muse [CEO of Visions Federal Credit Union]

In less than one year of its launch, The Industry Summit Series has won the 2019 Innovation NADO (National Association Development Organizations) Award nationally recognizing the impressive efforts of regional development organizations. This award honors significant advances in community and economic development, including but not limited to small business finance, energy and infrastructure projects, housing and human services, sustainable development, workforce development, and more.