Announcing the Finalists for the 2025 CEC Conference Host Town!

We are thrilled to announce that Perryville, Maryville, and Excelsior Springs have been selected as the three finalist towns in the running to host the 2025 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference!

Why these communities?

Perryville: Known for its hands-on approach to helping aspiring entrepreneurs and its impressive downtown area, Perryville offers perfect session venues all within walking distance. It's an ideal setting for our conference!

Maryville: With innovative initiatives and strong local partnerships, Maryville shines in community engagement and economic prosperity. The unique venues and achievements of local entrepreneurs make it a standout choice.

Excelsior Springs: This town combines historical charm with modern amenities and a community-focused approach to economic development. Its walkable facilities and ample accommodations make it another perfect contender for our event.

What's next?

The final host town will be selected through public voting. You can support your favorite town by voting at the link below. Voting will close on September 16, and the winning town will be announced at the 2024 CEC Fulton Conference in September.

Thank you to all the communities that submitted their applications and showcased their unique strengths and dedication to fostering entrepreneurship. We look forward to an exciting selection process!

Complete the 2025 Host Community Selection Survey

Entrepreneurial communities are neighborhoods, cities, and counties that continuously work to facilitate economic development through entrepreneurship. They strategically build and grow networks, cultures, resources, and policies that enable invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship to succeed. University of Missouri Extension created the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) program to help communities build and grow these resources. CEC does this by acting as a platform for economic developers, local government officials, and other practitioners to come together to share best practices, learn from successes, and sometimes failures, and exchange ideas.

CEC’s flagship event is the CEC Conference, hosted annually in a rural community in Missouri. Hosting a conference offers rural communities throughout the state of Missouri the opportunity to showcase their downtown businesses, entrepreneurs, and other assets to a broad and diverse audience from across Missouri and our neighboring states. It is an opportunity for the rural community to show potential investors, funding agencies, entrepreneurs, newcomers, and state organizations that they are "open for business."

Another way that MU Extension helps rural communities build and grow resources that support invention, innovation and entrepreneurship through CEC is the twice monthly webinar that features speakers on a variety of topics relevant to facilitating rural economic development through entrepreneurship.

CEC is building momentum. We invite you to join a community that is shaping the future of rural Missouri.