10 Reasons You Should Apply for RoleCall's 2024 Talent Attraction Summit

So, you may have heard about RoleCall’s Talent Attraction Summit. It’s taking place this June 9th through 12th in Fargo, North Dakota. We had the BEST time in Flint last year, and we are over-the-top excited to gather again and dig in even deeper.

Our theme this year is “Redefining Success,” and we’ll use that to guide our content and conversations around talent attraction innovation, trackability, collaboration, and communication.

Wondering if you should apply? We might be biased, but we think you definitely should. In fact, we’re thrilled to present to you the Top 10 Reasons You Should Definitely Apply for RoleCall’s Talent Attraction Summit.

Drumroll, please...

1. You want to help shape the future of economic development. 

Our industry is changing. We have a chance to redefine what success looks like and guide the vision and purpose of economic development for future generations. Looking around the room at last year’s attendees, there were many times it felt clear: THIS is the future of our industry. These are the people who are going to write the next chapter. We get all tingly just thinking about it. You too? Let’s DO this. 

2. You’re proud of the steps you’ve taken on talent, but are wondering, “What now?”

Maybe you’ve created a talent-specific brand and website for your community (YES!). Maybe you’ve invested in some targeted marketing (GO YOU!). Maybe you’ve started using your YP group as a welcoming crew (LOVE THAT!). Wondering where to go from here, how to track success, and convert these efforts into a tangible talent pipeline? That’s exactly what we’ll be covering. 

3. You want to build a talent attraction ecosystem.

Talent attraction is complicated. It’s not just marketing. It’s not just strong relationships with employers. It’s not just grad and veteran retention. It’s not just housing. It’s not just newcomer welcoming programs. It’s all of these things working together meaningfully and productively. It’s an entire ECOSYSTEM. We’ll talk about this ecosystem as a whole, commonly overlooked pieces of the puzzle, and what real engagement looks like.

4. You want to meet smart, awesome people who really GET what you do.

The tricky thing about economic development is that our colleagues are spread out around the nation. There’s usually not more than one Director of Talent Attraction or Economic Development Manager in a city, so we don’t have anyone local to commiserate with and bounce ideas off of. You’re not alone. This conference will give you the network you need to thrive. And we’re not exaggerating when we say the people who attend this conference are some of the best people you’ll ever meet: warm, smart, welcoming, creative, open-minded. If you’re yearning for camaraderie and support, you belong here.

5. You have big ideas but are struggling to get buy-in from your board or CEO.

We get it. And we’ll be talking about proven ways to set important context and create buy-in. You’ll leave with a renewed sense of purpose for your talent attraction goals and a plan to define, achieve, and communicate success.

6. You want to be reminded of your WHY.

We held last year’s Talent Attraction Summit in Flint, Michigan. This year it’s in Fargo, North Dakota. We choose places you’ve probably never been before for a reason: we want all the talent attraction pros in attendance to experience the WHY of our work firsthand. We want to invite you to a new place and help you fall in love with it in real time. We want to make space for delight and wonder. We want you to feel the impact of thoughtful and meaningful connections. We want you to have an “Oh I could live here” moment so you can bottle that feeling and bring it back to your community and apply it to the work you do every day.

[Pssst! Ready to apply now? Here's the link!]

 7. You’re ready for a new kind of conference.

Are we proud of the content we’re curating for the Summit? Absolutely. But our mantra is “connection over content.” This isn’t just a “sit in a room and listen” type of experience. You will leave with real friendships, national connections, actionable ideas, and a network you can call on for anything you need.

8. You are looking for a balance of big-picture inspiration and practical action steps. 

We talk a lot about how our favorite clients, projects, conversations, and people live in the space between big, lofty goals and on-the-ground, get-it-done pragmatism. We’re creating our programming with this balance in mind. Do we want to inspire you to break out of the box and dream bigger than you thought you could? Absolutely. But we also want you to leave knowing exactly what steps to take to bring these ideas back to your community, in ways that make sense, with the resources you have.

9. You really love where you live. 

Want to know the real secret to talent attraction? Loving your place and wanting to share it with others. We’re bringing together awesome people from all over the country who have one thing in common: they are passionate about their communities. Let’s share the love and empower each other.

10. Joy. Heart. Humor. Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Effusive Honesty. Karaoke.

Those are RoleCall’s core values. We live by them every day. And we promise to infuse them into every second of the Talent Summit. Let’s approach this work with joy and heart. Let’s laugh together. Let’s get curious. Let’s share our enthusiasm and dig deep with honesty and authenticity. Y’all, this is gonna be fun.

Get more information and fill out the application right here. We’re doing early bird pricing through the end of February, so don’t delay!