Iowa Rural Summit 2024 - Our 8th Celebration of Rural Places!!

When

April 11-12, 2024

Where

Gateway Hotel, Ames

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.

Summit Sponsors