C2C Greater Springfield is traveling to Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on November 28-30, 2012. Participants will get a close look at two economic drivers for the region—health care and education—and engage with organizations such as the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority and the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Council. Participants will also visit the relatively new Bethlehem casino, as Western Massachusetts girds for a future casino in our region.

In Allentown, participants will meet on Wednesday, November 28 at the Lehigh County Government Center to discuss urban core redevelopment and the use of alternative financing models. Panelists will include Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, along with other representatives of the city of Allentown and the Allentown Economic Development Corporation. Alan Jennings, Executive Director of the Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley, will be the dinner speaker at Hotel Bethlehem.

On Thursday, November 29, Mayor of Bethlehem, John Callahan, will join participants for breakfast at Hotel Bethlehem followed by a panel discussion at the Bethlehem Sands Casino: “The Impact of Casino-Style Gaming in Smaller Industrial Cities.” Panelists include representatives of the city of Bethlehem, the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority and Sands Casino.

On Thursday afternoon, a third panel discussion will take place, “Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation,” at Ben Franklin Technology Partners. Those on the panel include Charlie Marcon of Lehigh Valley Partnership, Mike Gausling of Originate Ventures, R. Chadwick Paul, Jr. of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Pennsylvania and Matt Tuerk of the Allentown Economic Development Corporation.

The trip will conclude on Friday, November 30, with a breakfast and a presentation by Phyllis Alexander, City of Allentown Neighborhood Coordinator and former Weed & Seed Site Director. A panel discussion, “University and College Partnerships,” will also be offered.