(Radio Iowa) – Some 500 executives and managers from a wide range of Iowa companies will be in Council Bluffs for this week’s annual conference of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. ABI President Nicole Crain calls this the flagship event which will convene business and civic leaders from all over Iowa for three days of bold ideas, expert insights, and dynamic networking.

“There’s a lot going on in the Iowa economy and what’s great about these workshops, it covers AI, tax policy and also beyond jobs, how housing and placemaking drive workforce retention,” Crain says, “so really looking at how we can make sure that our communities are thriving along with our businesses and how we all work together.”

The lineup of keynote speakers includes Michael Happe, the president and CEO of Winnebago Industries. “He’s going to be talking about leading a global company through change and acquisitions and what that looks like,” Crain says. “As you know, there’s been a lot that’s happened since the pandemic and since he took over at Winnebago Industries. He’s going to be talking about the breadth of the companies that they have and how they’ve changed the company culture.”

What’s dubbed the “Taking Care of Business Conference” offers a chance for the state’s leaders, from manufacturing to financial services, to learn about each others’ challenges and triumphs.

“It’s not just surface level networking. People dive into the real issues and they get business done,” Crain says. “They know, like, and trust the people that are at this conference, and as they are engaging with each other at different venues, they are able to take things back to their business to help their business, to help their employees, and to help them professionally develop as well.”

The conference runs Tuesday through Thursday at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs. At the conference on Wednesday, the winner will be announced in the “2025 Coolest Thing Made in Iowa” competition, which has generated thousands of votes from across the state.