For discussion
March 2016
Inform, Improve, Inspire: North Dakota’s First Ever Demographics Conference
As North Dakota’s economy, population, and landscape continue to change, the need for informed citizens, organizations, policy makers, and communities increases. From legislators and local/state officials to non-profit and business leaders to researchers, educators, and students, community members from a vast variety of backgrounds need access and understanding of important socio-economic and demographic trends in North Dakota, to be able to act together to make North Dakota a better place today and into the future.
To help fill this statewide need, a collaborative made up of North Dakota Compass, the North Dakota Department of Commerce, and the University of North Dakota - Department of Economics came together with the purpose to inform, improve, and inspire data use among North Dakotans. With that shared purpose, the collaboration decided to move forward as one and create a statewide demographic and data users’ conference.
With the motto – Inform, Improve, Inspire, the First ever North Dakota Demographics Conference has the goal to connect the most forward-thinking data experts with leaders and citizens in North Dakota and to inspire them to use accurate and reliable data to improve their business, organization, and community.
This one-day conference will feature a panel presentation that will highlight important statewide demographics and their implication for the social and economic life in North Dakota. Keynote speakers include Andy Hait and Jennifer Kim of U.S. Census Bureau. They bring their expertise in Census innovative tools and techniques and exemplify the use of Census tools in business planning and loan applications for small businesses and entrepreneurs and discuss the future of the Census in the United States. In addition, keynote speaker Paul Mattessich, executive director of Wilder Research in St. Paul, Minnesota, will emphasize not simply the understanding of numbers, but why data is important, what gives it meaning, and how data can be made actionable. Along with the keynote speakers, there will be six breakout sessions ranging from population projections to community development and from population and business types to social gaps. For the full list of sessions, check out the conference agenda.
This conference focuses around learning how accurate and reliable data is critical to the informed decision making you do for your business, organization, and community. It takes place on April 6, 2016 at the National Energy Center for Excellence on the Bismarck State College campus. For more details about the conference, speakers, and breakout sessions be sure to explore our conference information page.
Join this gathering of professionals today and get inspired to act together
for a better future in North Dakota.
Center for Social Research
North Dakota State University
Compass created by:
Wilder Research
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