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Governor Baldacci Announces Speakers for Blaine House Conference on Maine's Creative Economy Conference
Keynote Dr. Richard Florida joins more than fifty local, regional and national experts at the Governor's conference

AUGUSTA - Governor John Elias Baldacci announces that Dr. Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life, will be the keynote speaker at the Blaine House Conference on Maine's Creative Economy.

Florida, who places creative work, quality of life and entrepreneurs as leading causes of economic growth, gives parts of Maine high rankings on the creativity index, a measurement he developed at Carnegie Mellon University where he also heads the Software Industry Center. Florida's talk will focus on how Maine communities can "get it" and thrive by linking art, culture, commerce and community.

The first of its kind, the Blaine House Conference will be held at the Bates Mill Complex in Lewiston on May 7, 2004. The conference is designed to bring together business leaders, economic developers and planners, creative entrepreneurs, artistic individuals, state and local leaders to begin the development of collaborative strategies and policies for pursuing Maine's Creative Economy initiatives. The event is being planned and facilitated by the Maine Arts Commission, the Governor's office and a 24-member steering committee of business and cultural leaders.

Governor John E. Baldacci will open the conference with introductory remarks on the current climate of Maine's Creative Economy. Dr. Richard Barringer and Dr. Charles Colgan will present landmark primary research and provide insights into how deeply the Creative Economy extends throughout Maine and the significance of its impact on local jobs, wages, business recruitment and retention.

The conference will feature over fifty local, regional and national speakers including leading expert in cluster-based economies, Dr. Stuart Rosenfeld, President of Regional Technology Strategies, Inc., Felicia Knight, Director of Communications, National Endowment for the Arts and Mayor John Barrett of North Adams, Massachusetts who was instrumental in revitalizing his city with the transformation of a factory into a contemporary arts museum, Mass MoCA.

Conference organizers confirm that twenty breakout sessions have been planned to cover three key elements of Creative Economy: creative workforce, creative clusters and creative communities.

Teams from statewide communities are encouraged to attend and will receive a discounted fee of $65 per person. Individual registration is $85 per person. Registration is limited. To guarantee participation, interested persons are encouraged to register as soon as possible. For more information or to register online, go to or contact Abbe Levin, Maine Arts Commission, 25 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, 207/287-2710 or e-mail abbe.levin@maine.gov