| Date & Time | Registration Fees (EDAC members in good standing) | Registration Fees (Non-EDAC members) | Application Deadline | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sunday, May 3 to Friday, May 8, 2026 |
Early Bird: $1250 + HST After April 5: $1395 + HST |
Early Bird: $1550 + HST After April 5: $1695 + HST |
April 19, 11:59 PM |
Waterloo | 10 |
| Accommodations/Meal Packages | Amount | HST | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Package #1 (five night's accommodations, five breakfasts, five lunches, three dinners) | $800 | $104 | $904 |
| Package #2 (five breakfasts, five lunches, three dinners) | $375 | $48.75 | $423.75 |
| Package #3 (five lunches, three dinners) | $320 | $41.60 | $361.60 |
Accommodations on-campus are in St. Jerome's University dormitories. The rooms are single-occupancy with a shared single-gender washroom. We recommend reviewing the information about the rooms on the St. Jerome's website before booking.
Why take Year 1?
Year 1 is about two things: building a strong foundation of knowledge in economic development, and building connections with your peers.
This course helps economic development professionals learn the basics of the field, from what an EDO really does, to measuring success. Generalists will learn strategies for handling the many and diverse tasks they're expected to do. Specialists will learn about the spectrum of economic development activities and become more insightful team members.
Professionals of all types and experience levels will appreciate the peer-learning and networking opportunities. Participants come from across Canada and are eager to share their successes, challenges, and lessons. On a personal level, spending a week learning, eating, and relaxing together builds a bond that leaves each cohort looking forward to reuniting at conferences and other industry events.
For those considering a profession in economic development, I highly recommend participating in the EDAC Year 1 program. It is a great way to expand your professional toolkit, build community and establish a network of colleagues that you can turn to for experiences and knowledge.
2026 Schedule
Having worked in this field for 20 years, it was an excellent base in my field. Well designed. Well executed.
2026 Speakers
Cory Bluhm
Cory began his career as a professional planner at the City of Kitchener working on urban infill projects, brownfield projects, and, worked on the city’s downtown implementation plan. In 2009 Cory became the City’s Manager of Downtown Development and was responsible for introducing a broad range of cultural activities, streetscape redesign, and new economic development strategy focused on attracting talent to the core. In 2016, Cory became the Executive Director of Economic Development where he leads a diverse team focused on active city-building by supporting business and industry growth while injecting grassroots vitality into the community.
Paul Knafelc
Paul Knafelc is an economic researcher as well as founder and President of Community Benchmarks Inc. He has established a reputation for innovative data products and for rigorous research approaches which have been used by private and public sector organizations to direct strategic initiatives and make evidence-based decisions. A distinct advantage of Paul’s practice is his deep knowledge of, and expertise with, Statistics Canada data sources, methodologies and custom data tabulations procedures. Paul also teaches a graduate course, ERS 619 Regional Economic Analysis, with the Economic Development program at the University of Waterloo