More than 700 people have registered to attend the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) 2023 Annual Meeting, which will feature keynote remarks by Gov. Josh Shapiro.

LVEDC has closed registration to the event because of the extraordinary response and the expected large audience, but anyone who did not register can watch a live stream of the event on WFMZ.com, starting at 3:30 p.m. March 21. Those who did register are asked to arrive early. The doors open at 2:30 p.m.

The 90-minute program celebrates the economic highlights and successes of the Lehigh Valley during the past year and addresses key issues facing the regional economy. LVEDC President and CEO Don Cunningham will host the event and deliver an economic update.

Talent, a key driver in company location decisions, will be explored in a discussion led by ArtsQuest President and CEO and outgoing LVEDC Board member Kassie Hilgert. She will speak with four talented individuals who realized their career aspirations in the Lehigh Valley: Trey Cornish, a recent Lehigh University graduate and currently a senior project mechanical engineer with Lutron Electronics; Giana Jarrah, a Lehigh Valley native and entrepreneur who won the 2022 StartUp Lehigh Valley pitch competition; Nathan Snyder, a Lehigh Career and Technical Institute graduate and injection mold designer for B. Braun Medical; and Steph Wilbow, who recently moved to the Lehigh Valley from Australia to start up the first U.S. facility for Easy Signs.

Cunningham will moderate a panel discussion with  mayors Sal Panto Jr. of Easton, J. William Reynolds of Bethlehem, and Matt Tuerk of Allentown. Those mayors lead growing cities that are driving a downtown renaissance with new residential construction, community attractions, office space and community investments. It’s the quality of life in the regions that attract the talent companies need to be successful.

Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue Pat Browne, a former state Senator, will be honored with LVEDC’s Leadership Award for Commitment to the Lehigh Valley. Browne has long been a champion for economic development in the Lehigh Valley and a dedicated partner with LVEDC in initiatives to grow the regional economy.

LVEDC will also discuss the Lehigh Valley’s record-breaking gross domestic product of $47 billion, its ranking as one of the top regions in the nation for economic development in 2022, and major business expansion and retention projects from the past year. Those successes will be celebrated with a pair of videos highlighting the economic development projects and the data that explains the region’s economic strength.

Additional details about these projects and other economic success stories from the Lehigh Valley will be detailed in the 40-page LVEDC 2022 Annual Report, which will be released at the Annual Meeting.