Western Australia
EDA WA Events
Visit by International Economic Development Council [IEDC] Director
Don Holbrook, a Director of the International Economic Development Council [IEDC], and an internationally renowned economic developer is visiting Australia and will discuss his ED experience internationally. Don is a pioneer when it comes to transformational ED strategies for world-class communities and is a sought-after keynote speaker on the impact of the global economy on local economies and what can be done to thrive and survive in these chaotic times. He can be met in Australia at functions in Sydney [May 10th], Perth [May13th] & Christmas Island [May 14th].
Don Holbrook’s Perth Visit
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Don Holbrook presents to Economic Development practitoners in Perth | [l to R] Ling Gaspar, Belmont City Council; Don Holbrook; Trevor Ayers, Bunbury City Council; Scott Mills, WA Dept of Premiers & Cabinet; Jason MacFarlane, Pracsys; Wendy Earl, City of Perth Council |
“World class communities are not determined by geographic location or population, rather it's a mindset.”
On Thursday May 13, international “economic developer”, author and technologist Don Holbrook volunteered his experience and time with 30 West Australian economic development professionals on the morning at a breakfast hosted by the City of Perth.
Over the past two decades, Holbrook has been a pioneer in economic development, working on over 100 projects which he estimates as representing over US$1 billion in public investment.
Throughout the largely informal presentation, Holbrook said Australia had managed to avoid the worst impacts of the GFC through regulation of the finance sector and commitment to investment in infrastructure; back in the US, he had been surprised to learn that he was ineligible for a personal loan, despite having strong holdings, equity and an excellent credit rating.
While ebbs in the flow of investment within the economy are an obvious, present-day concerns for business, Holbrook further emphasised the relationship between communities and self-determination with his projection of ‘the perfect storm’, based on the dynamic relationship between energy, food and water availability and climate change.
In true ED spirit, Holbrook explained that these potentially critical factors provided not only incentive for communities to become self-determining, but created opportunities for economies and businesses that deal with innovative solutions, which he calls ‘thrivival’, achieving the balance between thriving and surviving.
To remain competitive and prepared for the future, Holbrook believes that creative partnerships between the private and public sector will be the – one of the projects Holbrook is currently working on is the financing for an ecological resort/theme park (with potential entertainment industry tie-ins) for a private-public partnership that includes the City of Austin, one of the oil capitals of the world.
Holbrook emphasised the need for strong, strategic leadership and believes that good economic development practice gives communities the capacity to become self-determining – not only to weather economic downturns, but to decide what kind of place its people want to live in.
EDA WA would like to thank Don Holbrook for making his time available to us and EDA Director Simon Milcock for his efforts to bring Don ‘down under’.
Don Holbook is the author of The Little Black Book of Economic Development and Who… the next in the trilogy will be released in the fall. The books are available from Don’s website /content.php?id=479&url=http://www.economicdeveloper.com/
Don will return to Australia in October as a keynote speaker for the National Economic Development Conference being held on 25th to 28th October in Brighton le Sands, Sydney.
Don Holbrook on Xmas Island
The business community on Australia's Christmas Island situated in the Indian Ocean had the pleasure of key note speaker Don Holbrook, an IEDC Director, at the Christmas Island Phosphates Commerce Dinner on Friday 14 May. Don's presentation was titled Saving Humanity One Community at a Time.
He challenged our small and isolated business and community leaders to consider innovative thinking for economic development including the approach of Public Private Partnerships as a key…but noted that this requires vision along with shared risks and reward.
His insights included a need to think outside of the box and make investments that are over the horizon and to view our entire community as an asset.
He stressed that solutions are based on self-starting and not being required to wait for assistance from outside the community and that you must have a vision and remain focused on that vision as a winning attitudes attract inward investment. A key point was believing in your own local market and putting
your money where your mouth is or no one else will!
Controlling your own destiny I know rang true with the thoughts of the Christmas Island Economic Development Consultative Group who all attended.
Don certainly kept the attention of the 70+ people for over an hour and his presentation has helped in the capacity building approach Christmas Island is taking on economic development.
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