Last week, at the organization’s Annual Meeting, the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) announced it will be taking 100 of the region’s top civic and business leaders on a trip to Raleigh, North Carolina later this year. Commonly known as a Leadership Exchange, the experience is designed for local leaders to learn from thriving communities around the country.
The program is a revival of what was previously known as the “BIG (Birmingham Innovation Group)” Trip, which took place in the early aughts prior to the merger that formed BBA. From 2003-2009, Birmingham officials traveled to cities such as Nashville, Pittsburgh, Charlotte and Austin to make connections with government, nonprofit and business leaders in these then-emerging markets. The collaboration and fellowship forged from these trips have long been regarded as the reason many impactful developments exist in Birmingham today.
A steering committee made up of members of BBA’s Board of Directors, past program participants and key stakeholders came together to revive the experience and decide on a location. With momentum in the Greater Birmingham Region’s bioscience and technology ecosystem, the committee unanimously decided that Raleigh’s Research Triangle would be an ideal community to learn from. The committee will continue to meet in the coming months to finalize planning and itineraries.
“Our team hopes this experience will serve as an inspiring learning opportunity for key influencers across our region’s business sector to bring great ideas back home.”
“This intercity trip for civic leaders is a familiar model across the country, and it’s about time Birmingham got back in the game,” said Steve Ammons, BBA President & CEO. “Fostering stronger, collaborative relationships is fundamental to our region’s continued growth. Our team hopes this experience will serve as an inspiring learning opportunity for key influencers across our region’s business sector to bring great ideas back home.”
The Leadership Exchange trip to Raleigh is set for September 29-October 1, 2024. BBA will release more information on the delegation’s plans closer to date.