The Ohio Economic Development Association announced today that the Lake to River region will host the 2027 OEDA Annual Summit, bringing Ohio’s largest gathering of economic development professionals to the four-county Lake to River region for the first time. From Oct. 12-15, the Summit will bring together nearly 600 economic development leaders for four days of practical learning, peer exchange, and regional storytelling. It is the largest event of its kind in the country.
The 2027 Summit will be headquartered at the Eastwood Event Centre which is a part of the 3+ million square foot Eastwood Mall Complex in Niles, with programming and project tours extending across the region.
Lake to River, the JobsOhio Network Partner for Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties, led the host application on behalf of a regional committee. The region takes its name from the waterways that bookend it: Lake Erie to the north and the Ohio River to the south.
The selection continues the Summit’s statewide rotation, following the 2026 gathering in Dayton and earlier Summits in Akron and Toledo.
“The Lake to River region is creating a unified revitalization strategy, and economic developers should see it up close,” said David Zak, President & CEO, OEDA. “Former steel sites are being redeveloped for advanced manufacturing. More than $1 billion in new investment has been announced in just over two years. That’s a region converting legacy assets into new industry in real time, and that’s the kind of work our members come to the Summit to study. We’re thrilled to bring the Summit to the region in 2027.”
“When our Summit Committee visited the region, the case made itself,” said Jason Kester, chair of OEDA’s Summit Committee. “A single campus that handles general sessions, exhibitors, hotels, and dining is rare, and the regional partners were all at the table ready to make it work.”
A Region Building its Next Chapter
“Our region is quickly becoming a place where businesses and families want to locate, expand, and prosper. The excitement in our communities is palpable,” said Dani Robbins, CEO of Lake to River. “Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties are unified in the vision to build a region where businesses grow, talent thrives, and communities flourish.”
“Team Ohio succeeds because state, regional, and local partners align and compete together, and Lake to River is putting that into practice,” said J.P. Nauseef, President & CEO of JobsOhio. “From former industrial sites to new advanced manufacturing investment, this region shows what’s possible when partners work toward the same goals. We look forward to welcoming Ohio’s economic development community to the region in 2027.”
The Region’s Development Partners
“By working together as a region, Youngstown/Warren is the 23rd-leading metro for economic development and has one of the top five hottest real estate markets in America,” said Guy Coviello, President and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber. “The Summit is our chance to showcase this to the state. Attendees will leave understanding why companies are betting on the Valley again, why the workforce here is expanding, and why we’re experiencing new positive migration.”
“Economic development doesn’t stop at the county line,” said Anthony Trevena, Executive Director of the Western Reserve Port Authority. “This Summit is a chance to showcase the collaboration, infrastructure, and development opportunities that are creating momentum across our region. Attendees will see firsthand how communities and partners throughout the Valley are working together to support growth and investment.”
The Region Welcomes the Summit
“Our Lake to River region is proud to welcome Ohio’s economic development community to Niles for the 2027 OEDA Annual Summit,” said Majority Whip and State Representative Nick Santucci (R-Niles), chair of the bipartisan Lake to River Caucus in the Ohio House. “With available commercial and industrial properties, developable land, significant redevelopment opportunities, a skilled and experienced workforce, and an affordable cost of living, our region has all the ingredients for continued economic growth.
“From advanced manufacturing and energy to aerospace, defense, and emerging technologies, our region is ready for the next generation of investment. Hosting this summit gives us an opportunity to showcase these assets firsthand and demonstrate why the Lake to River region is a great place to invest, build a business, create jobs, and raise a family.”
What Attendees Will See
The host committee is developing a slate of Economic Development Project Tours built around the region’s active investment pipeline. Confirmed sites include the Kimberly-Clark project and its site redevelopment, the Ultium Cells battery plant, Vallourec Star, and the redevelopment of Penguin City Brewery in downtown Youngstown.
The committee is also developing tours of projects expected to come online before the Summit, including the Youngstown Innovation Hub, the YNG Aviation, Education and Training Center, the former General Motors plant now operated as a SoftBank facility, and a new museum in downtown Warren.
Hospitality and Logistics
The Eastwood Mall Complex offers general session space, room for dozens of exhibitors, and more than six breakout rooms on a single campus. Four hotels sit on the property: Residence Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, and Fairfield Inn, with approximately 500 rooms combined. The nearby Grand Resort, which sits on a picturesque world-class golf course, adds roughly 132 rooms, with transportation arranged for attendees staying off-site. More than 35 restaurants are located on the complex or within walking distance, with additional options in Warren, Youngstown, and surrounding communities.
“The Eastwood complex was built to bring people together, and we are proud to host Ohio’s economic development community,” said Anthony Cafaro, Jr., Co-President of the Cafaro Company. “Everything attendees need sits on one campus, from meeting space to hotels to restaurants and shopping, and our team looks forward to showing them the best of the region.”
Registration for the 2027 OEDA Annual Summit will open in mid-2027. Additional details, including the full program, will be announced at ohioeda.com.