The NEI Business Development team has been very successful in making waves in business development by working with our MarCom team to develop creative strategies to engage site consultants on top of our normal reach out and travel schedule.

Site consultants guide businesses in selecting the best locations for growth and success.

By collaborating with the MarCom team to involve site consultants with our podcast, familiarization (FAM) tours, and next year’s Indiana Power Partners (IPP) Destination Summit, NEI is redefining how it showcases the region’s assets.

Earlier this year, the BD team hosted Devin Hillsdon-Smith, Director of Integrated Site Selection for Cushman & Wakefield. Along with a tour of the new downtown developments in Fort Wayne, he was kind enough to be a guest on the NEI Pioneer Podcast. Then, he reciprocated by having NEI on his show, Site Selectors Are People Too.

Sabrina Champagne, Director of Employment Tax Credits at Sikich, was a recent guest on the podcast and discussed working with site consultants and seeing the mistakes made by economic development organizations.

She was also involved in the Indiana On Top Tour, a four-day excursion across Northern Indiana. We partnered with our regional partners at the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership and the Northwest Indiana Forum to facilitate meetings with LEDOs, investors, and partners and showcased unique events and experiences across Northern Indiana. We are appreciative of our utility sponsors AEP, Duke Energy, NIPSCO and Wabash Valley for their sponsorship and support of this event.

Fam tours have long been a staple in engaging site consultants, but NEI’s team has taken this strategy to new heights. These curated visits provide consultants with an authentic experience of Northeast Indiana’s communities, infrastructure, and quality of life.

NEI is excited to host the 2025 Indiana Power Partners Destination Summit on July 30-31. Formed in 2019, the Indiana Power Partnership (IPP) groups economic development teams from the state’s electric utilities to serve as partners to drive future business expansion and growth.

Participation in the IPP conference solidifies NEI’s commitment to being at the forefront of site selection conversations. The event is a key gathering for the NEI team to network with decision-makers, share insights about the region and build relationships.

Additionally, we’re giving site consultants the opportunity to determine their preferred communications with the Pioneer Your Preferences initiative. This innovative tool will allow site consultants to determine their preferred content, how often they want to hear from us, and how they want to receive that information.

Through these initiatives, NEI is proving its commitment to innovative and relationship-driven approaches. By combining digital outreach, immersive experiences, and strategic conference engagement, NEI is not just marketing a region—it’s creating a compelling narrative that positions Northeast Indiana as the center for business growth and success.