The Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) held its 120th annual Taking Care of Business conference last week.
The 2023 ABI conference brought together over 500 business leaders in Cedar Rapids and featured programming, networking, and leadership development opportunities each day.
“A great crowd, local hospitality, exciting venues, and terrific events made the 2023 ABI Taking Care of Business Conference something very special,” said ABI president Mike Ralston. “One of the highlights of the conference was the lineup of renowned speakers who shared their insights, experiences, and strategies for achieving excellence in business.”
Iowa native Cy Wakeman, owner and founder of Reality-Based Leadership and New York Times best-selling author, was the ABI conference’s keynote speaker. Other mainstage speakers included Brandon Williams, founder and owner of Lead Tac and former US Navy fighter pilot, as well as Ryan Anderson, vice president of global research and insights at MillerKnoll.
The ABI conference also featured a range of interactive workshops tailored to address the challenges faced by today’s business professionals.
In addition, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds continued a decades-long tradition of Iowa governors attending the ABI conference by addressing attendees June 14.
The conference welcomed more than 150 first-time attendees and 120 alumni members of Leadership Iowa, ABI’s flagship leadership and community development program. Iowa’s business leaders also raised more than $20,000 to support scholarships for high school and college students to participate in leadership development programs.
Plans are already underway for the 2024 and 2025 Taking Care of Business conferences. The 2024 conference will take place in the Quad Cities, while the 2025 event will be held in Council Bluffs.
The Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) has been the voice of Iowa business since 1903. Its mission is to provide a strong, unified voice to business and industry on issues affecting Iowa employers. ABI is comprised of member companies representing all industries and sizes in Iowa’s 99 counties. ABI members employ more than 330,000 Iowans.
