REGIONAL TOUR CANCELLED FOR 2021
PRESENTED BY:
PRESENTED BY:
PLATINUM SPONSOR:
2021 Kentucky Regional Tour to Visit Mt. Sterling, Morehead and Ashland/Huntington Region
Since 2009, Commerce Lexington Inc. has led a regional delegation to explore other areas of the Commonwealth with the purpose of engaging with key public and private sector leaders and learning about the unique aspects of each community related to economic development. The 2021 Kentucky Regional Tour presented by Community Trust Bank is scheduled for August 26-27, and features stops in the northeastern part of Kentucky along the I-64 corridor. Central Kentucky leaders will see first-hand how industries and leaders are being innovative in a new global economy. The agenda will highlight innovations in economic development, tourism, creative arts, ag-tech and space technology.
The tentative schedule includes a tour of Ruth Hunt Candies in Mt. Sterling, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year; a visit to AppHarvest in Morehead and its massive indoor farming facility gaining international attention; a closer look at a unique joint partnership between Morehead State University and NASA to monitor satellite systems; a special experience at the Paramount Theater in Ashland showcasing the creative arts; and adventure activities such as Heritage Farm in Huntington, W.V., a truly one-of-a-kind agri-tourism business featured on American Pickers. [NOTE: Schedule is subject to changes.]
REGISTRATION:
The cost to participate in this two-day bus tour to portions of the northeastern part of the Commonwealth is $699 per person, which includes accommodations and meals as outlined on the agenda.
ABOUT THE KENTUCKY REGIONAL TOUR:
In 2009, Commerce Lexington Inc. revived a long-ago tradition of visiting other areas of Kentucky with the intention of listening and learning from the leaders in each of the cities and locations visited. That inaugural Regional Tour took two busloads of political and business leaders from the Bluegrass Region to eight cities throughout Eastern Kentucky, including stops in Irvine, Jackson, Hazard, Whitesburg, Pikeville, Prestonsburg, Paintsville, and a visit to a mining operation in Martin County before heading back to Lexington.
Then, in 2010, the trip highlighted portions of South Central Kentucky, with visits to Mt. Vernon, London, Somerset, Monticello, Dale Hollow State Park, Wolf Creek Dam in Russell County, Dunnville, and Liberty. In 2011, the group travelled to the Northeastern part of the state and made stops in Winchester, Mount Sterling, Morehead, Ashland, Maysville and Paris.
The 2012 trip highlighted some of the key features in agri-economics throughout the Bluegrass Region and collaborative possibilities between Lexington and Louisville. In 2013, the group visited Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, and Paducah in Western Kentucky.
The 2014 trip included stops throughout northern Kentucky, with visits to Georgetown, Covington, Florence, Northern Kentucky University, the Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, and Elk Creek Winery in Owenton, while the 2015 tour highlighted some of the key features of Elizabethtown, Owensboro, and Henderson. The 2016 trip featured a return trip to Eastern Kentucky to study areas impacted by the Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) initiative.
In 2017, the Regional Tour group visited Louisville, where participants learned about the innovations driving the city’s national attention during stops that highlighted education, healthcare, quality of life amenities, arts and culture, “bourbonism,” talent attraction, neighborhood revitalization, public policy and business engagement in the community.
The focus in 2018 was again on the Bowling Green area, where Central Kentucky leaders connected with students at the Gatton Academy on the campus of Western Kentucky University, visited a local elementary school (pictured below), and explored downtown Bowling Green’s tax increment financing district. The delegation also learned about regional talent attraction efforts and visited the Kentucky Transpark, a state-of the art business park. The tour concluded with a stop at the National Corvette Museum’s Motorsports Park that included a Corvette and Camaro driving experience.
In 2019, the delegation explored the northern Kentucky region.
Since 2009, Commerce Lexington Inc. has led a regional delegation to explore other areas of the Commonwealth with the purpose of engaging with key public and private sector leaders and learning about the unique aspects of each community related to economic development. The 2021 Kentucky Regional Tour presented by Community Trust Bank is scheduled for August 26-27, and features stops in the northeastern part of Kentucky along the I-64 corridor. Central Kentucky leaders will see first-hand how industries and leaders are being innovative in a new global economy. The agenda will highlight innovations in economic development, tourism, creative arts, ag-tech and space technology.
The tentative schedule includes a tour of Ruth Hunt Candies in Mt. Sterling, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year; a visit to AppHarvest in Morehead and its massive indoor farming facility gaining international attention; a closer look at a unique joint partnership between Morehead State University and NASA to monitor satellite systems; a special experience at the Paramount Theater in Ashland showcasing the creative arts; and adventure activities such as Heritage Farm in Huntington, W.V., a truly one-of-a-kind agri-tourism business featured on American Pickers. [NOTE: Schedule is subject to changes.]
REGISTRATION:
The cost to participate in this two-day bus tour to portions of the northeastern part of the Commonwealth is $699 per person, which includes accommodations and meals as outlined on the agenda.
ABOUT THE KENTUCKY REGIONAL TOUR:
In 2009, Commerce Lexington Inc. revived a long-ago tradition of visiting other areas of Kentucky with the intention of listening and learning from the leaders in each of the cities and locations visited. That inaugural Regional Tour took two busloads of political and business leaders from the Bluegrass Region to eight cities throughout Eastern Kentucky, including stops in Irvine, Jackson, Hazard, Whitesburg, Pikeville, Prestonsburg, Paintsville, and a visit to a mining operation in Martin County before heading back to Lexington.
Then, in 2010, the trip highlighted portions of South Central Kentucky, with visits to Mt. Vernon, London, Somerset, Monticello, Dale Hollow State Park, Wolf Creek Dam in Russell County, Dunnville, and Liberty. In 2011, the group travelled to the Northeastern part of the state and made stops in Winchester, Mount Sterling, Morehead, Ashland, Maysville and Paris.
The 2012 trip highlighted some of the key features in agri-economics throughout the Bluegrass Region and collaborative possibilities between Lexington and Louisville. In 2013, the group visited Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, and Paducah in Western Kentucky.
The 2014 trip included stops throughout northern Kentucky, with visits to Georgetown, Covington, Florence, Northern Kentucky University, the Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, and Elk Creek Winery in Owenton, while the 2015 tour highlighted some of the key features of Elizabethtown, Owensboro, and Henderson. The 2016 trip featured a return trip to Eastern Kentucky to study areas impacted by the Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) initiative.
In 2017, the Regional Tour group visited Louisville, where participants learned about the innovations driving the city’s national attention during stops that highlighted education, healthcare, quality of life amenities, arts and culture, “bourbonism,” talent attraction, neighborhood revitalization, public policy and business engagement in the community.
The focus in 2018 was again on the Bowling Green area, where Central Kentucky leaders connected with students at the Gatton Academy on the campus of Western Kentucky University, visited a local elementary school (pictured below), and explored downtown Bowling Green’s tax increment financing district. The delegation also learned about regional talent attraction efforts and visited the Kentucky Transpark, a state-of the art business park. The tour concluded with a stop at the National Corvette Museum’s Motorsports Park that included a Corvette and Camaro driving experience.
In 2019, the delegation explored the northern Kentucky region.