Do you ever think “I wonder why a company moved their headquarter there [insert location]?” Or “Why would anyone want to open a business there [insert location]?” Sometimes the company leaders are from that area, have a personal tie of some kind, or simply got the best deal for their bottom line. There is also a good chance they worked with a site selector who helped them narrow down the most fitting and strategic location for their business to succeed.

Surprising, we know, but Salt Lake City may not be at the top of the list for many CEOs thinking of expanding their company. Salt Lake City and Utah continues to be marred by long-standing misperceptions, which are almost always easily corrected when someone gets a first-hand experience. “This is not what I expected” is what we hear – a lot – and in the best possible context. So why not bring more people to Salt Lake City so they can see for themselves what this beautiful place is all about? That’s exactly what we’re doing (you didn’t see that coming, did ya?).

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Our great partners, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) recently announced that the 2019 Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference will be held in Salt Lake City. This is HUGE! Each year, EDCUtah brings in five to six site selectors in conjunction with the Sundance Film Festival, known as their “Site Selection & Cinema” event. For the 2019 Site Selectors Guild Convention, 50-60 of the world’s top site selectors will converge in SLC!

EDCUtah CEO Theresa Foxley says, “We’re very excited to bring the Guild to Utah. We know from past experience that exposure to the state, and all it has to offer, leads directly to an increase in corporate recruiting project opportunities.” She adds, “Getting 50 of the top site consultants in the world to Salt Lake for a few days will pay huge dividends.”

You want more reasons as to why this is a big deal? Fine. Here’s two big reasons:

  1. The Site Selectors Gild is the only association of the world’s foremost professional site selection consultants. Site selectors, as the name implies, work with corporations and companies in every sector around the world to select sites for expansion or relocation. Their job is to tell the decision-makers of companies where to build and do business.
  2. There is no doubt the importance to Salt Lake City for site selectors to have a good impression of our city and state. EDCUtah has found that site selectors are more likely to recommend SLC and Utah after visiting.

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A bit more about the Site Selectors Gild. According to their website (http://siteselectorsguild.com/), The Site Selectors Gild was founded in 2010. Their members are peer-nominated and demonstrate a significant amount of experience.  Furthermore, The Site Selectors Guild is dedicated to advancing the profession by promoting integrity, objectivity, and professional development.

We here in SLC’s Department of Economic Development echo EDCUtah’s excitement to host the upcoming 2019 Site Selectors Guild Convention and want to salute EDCUtah and all of the great work they have done to make this happen.