A concert in Phoenix Park, downtown Eau Claire

Economic development leaders, both local and from across the state, are turning their ears to the impact music has had on the economy of the Chippewa Valley. The success of the region’s musicians, its numerous multimillion-dollar music festivals, and the overall impact of the music scene on the Valley’s culture and economy are among the themes of two upcoming conferences aimed at economic development professionals, civic leaders, and others.

“There really is a deep history of music in Eau Claire, and I think in the last five years for sure – especially in the last two with the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival – it really has gone to a new level of awareness,” explained Linda John, executive director of Visit Eau Claire.

On Oct. 7, Visit Eau Claire is convening a “music summit” at the Oxbow Hotel, 516 Galloway St. Titled “Rebirth in Eau Claire: A Music Economy,” the event will feature an afternoon of presentations and panel discussions about the economic impact of a thriving arts scene.

“There really is a deep history of music in Eau Claire, and I think in the last five years for sure – especially in the last two with the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival – it really has gone to a new level of awareness.” – Linda John, Visit Eau Claire

The music summit will come on the heels of the Wisconsin Economic Development Association’s fall conference, which will be Oct. 4-6 at The Lismore Hotel, 333 Gibson St. That conference will focus on a variety of topics, many of them relevant to the Chippewa Valley, including music-scene economics and the use of the placemaking process to create public spaces.

Both conferences will feature Michael Seman, a senior research associate at the University of North Texas, who has written and researched extensively about the creative economy and the economic impact of music on numerous cities. John says Seman will focus on the economic opportunities available for cities with strong music scenes, and the importance of collaboration among musicians, business owners, and fans.

During the music summit, Seman will both offer a presentation on “The Economics of Creating a Music Scene” as well as moderate a panel discussion titled “Our Music Economy: Where Next?” Panelists will include Zach Halmstad, co-founder of JAMF Software; Randy Linton, CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire; Kerry Kincaid, Eau Claire City Council president; musician Kyle Culver; and Ben Richgruber, executive director of the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council.

Among other things, the summit will also include a panel about the importance of music in the classroom moderated by Eau Claire Leader-Telegram reporter Julian Emerson and featuring panelists such as Bruce Hering, former band director at North and Memorial high schools and Kyle Frenette, founder of Middle West, an artist management firm whose clients include Bon Iver.

While the summit will be of particular interest to those with a stake in the music business, John says elected officials, students, businesspeople, and members of the public are also invited. “It’s open to anyone who has an interest in the growth of our city or music specifically,” she said.

To learn more about the music summit, go to visiteauclaire.com. The gathering is free, but attendees are asked to RSVP at info@visiteauclaire.com.

Meanwhile, the WEDA conference will draw economic development officials, elected leaders, developers, and others from communities across the state to Eau Claire. WEDA is led by Brian Doudna, who previously served as executive director of the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corp., and therefore knows all about the Chippewa Valley’s economic successes in recent years.

WEDA’s fall conference typically highlights topics relevant to the region where it is held, Doudna said, and in this case that means conversations about music, culture, and placemaking. For those unfamiliar with the latter term, it’s used to describe a collaborative method of planning to create public spaces that can become the heart of communities. Locally, placemaking has been used both to create the River Prairie Development in Altoona and to plan for the public plaza that will be next to the forthcoming Confluence performing arts center in downtown Eau Claire.

Overall, the conference will discuss the benefit of the collaborations that have taken place in the Eau Claire area in recent years, Doudna said. In fact, his organization recently gave a Public Private Partnership Award to the City of Eau Claire and Haymarket Concepts LLC to recognize their collaborative effort to improve downtown Eau Claire through the Confluence Project, which includes both the recently opened mixed-use Haymarket Landing and the soon-to-be-built performing arts center.

To learn more about the WEDA conference in Eau Claire, visit weda.org.