The 2026 ICF Global Summit: Midwest Rising - A Testbed for a Changing Nation! is coming to Columbus Region (Ohio, USA) from October 13-15, 2026!
From the Wright Brothers to John Glenn, Henry Ford to John Deere, the middle states of America have nurtured innovators who repeatedly changed the world. That makes it the perfect location for the 21st annual Global Summit of the Intelligent Community Forum. Attracting attendees from multiple countries, the Summit will take them inside a rich innovation ecosystem drawing investment from multinationals, pioneering in sustainable growth and fostering startups developing the technologies of tomorrow. Through conference sessions and a VIP delegation, they will explore the government-business-education partnerships of the region’s Intelligent Communities responsible for this progress and learn lessons they can apply to their own economic and community development.
Features
- Use cases in broadband-based development, workforce upskilling and innovation partnerships that are transforming the region’s economy.
- Insights into policies, programs and practices that preserve and improve quality of life through major economic change.
- Examples of sustainable practices from industry to agriculture that address climate change while increasing resilience, saving money and generating revenue.
- Exposure to large and small communities participating in progress and growing the technology companies of tomorrow.
- Curated networking, multinational connections and information exchanges.
More information and a full program to be released soon. If you're interested in attending the Summit and the extended VIP Delegation program, contact ICF Co-Founder John Jung.
More about the ICF Global Summit
Each year, the leaders of Intelligent Communities gather with their partners in technology, education, business, economic development, healthcare and other sectors at the ICF Global Summit.
The ICF Summit is unlike any “smart city,” urban planning or economic development conference you will attend. It is an intimate setting, perfect for networking and has these takeaways that people have been coming for since 2004 to learn how to go from “smart city” to Intelligent Community and true, sustainable growth:
- A Proven Method for Growth. Meet officials from cities, counties and metro areas who have faced similar challenges and adopted ICF’s Community Accelerator Strategy as the centerpiece of their growth and sustainability policies. Today they are known around the world for their success and quality of life.
- Inspiration. Workshops, awards programs and inspiring examples teach, encourage and reinforce your community’s journey, and support your path forward.
- International Opportunities. McKinsey estimates that 80% of the world’s trade will cross international borders within 10 years. Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Solow proved that 80% of economic growth comes from technology innovation. The ICF Summit brings together cities and towns from Canada, Taiwan, Scandanavia, Europe and South America and has been the direct route to international opportunities in the innovation economy for nearly 180 of them.