PRESS RELEASE
(Spanish)
(Khmer)

April 9, 2025
Contact: Chelsey Magallon, Public Affairs Officer, Economic Development Department, 562.570.3863,
Chelsey.Magallon@longbeach.gov

For Immediate Release

Long Beach Hosts Second Annual Site Selector Conference
Premier event convenes business leaders, policy makers and global specialists to boost economic development

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach Economic Development Department, in collaboration with the Long Beach Economic Partnership, is welcoming business leaders, policy makers and global specialists for the second annual Site Selector Conference in Long Beach. The event provides an unprecedented opportunity for industry professionals and City officials to come together, share insights and identify opportunities to bolster the economic growth of Long Beach.

“Long Beach is breaking the mold—designing a new era of innovation and opportunity, unleashing the potential of key growth sectors, promoting international trade and advancing the needs of the small business community to build a prosperous future for all,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We are honored to host leading site selectors and welcome business leaders and industry specialists from around the country to our beautiful city.”

The three-day event, held April 9-11, 2025, is the largest business attraction conference in the city and will feature five leading site selectors, also known as site selection consultants or location strategy experts, for key insights and knowledge sharing. The event will offer a series of plenary sessions, panel discussions and several networking events focused on fostering and leveraging prospects to drive sustainable economic growth in Long Beach. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a Harbor Tour with the Port of Long Beach, explore the iconic Queen Mary and award-winning Long Beach Airport, tour local Space Beach aerospace headquarters, experience the 50th Anniversary Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, visit local hotels, eateries, retail shops and more.

Site selectors work across various industries and sectors, evaluating key factors such as cost, market, talent and infrastructure to help organizations identify and secure optimal locations for business operations and investments. This year’s national site selectors include:

• Lauren Berry, Senior Manager, Maxis Advisors
• Sean Ferguson, Founder, Firetiger Technologies
• Ann Rybka, Director, Atlas Insight
• Jeffrey Garza Walker, EVP & Managing Principal, SRS Real Estate Partners
• C. Paige Webster, Owner/Site Selection Consultant, Webster Global Site Selectors

“Long Beach is looking to the future, drawing on our exceptional assets, miles of sand and beaches, a vibrant and emerging Downtown waterfront, authentic commercial corridors and regional hubs to build America’s Next Great International City,” said Economic Development Department Director Bo Martinez. “This conference presents a unique opportunity to showcase our city, targeted industry sectors, and spirit of collaboration to national site selectors with the goal of driving new and expanding businesses, investments and jobs to Long Beach.”

As Long Beach continues to compete not just against other U.S. markets but also internationally, site selectors—essentially “professional location scouts”—play a pivotal role in assessing the city’s and region’s ability to attract business expansion and relocation. By evaluating factors such as local talent, resource availability and regulatory environment, these experts provide crucial insights for maintaining and enhancing Long Beach’s competitive edge both domestically and globally.

“Attracting new companies, developers and investment to any city means standing out in a highly competitive landscape. Elevating the profile of Long Beach, bringing focus to Mayor Richardson’s Grow Long Beach Blueprint and showcasing the priority industry clusters that are thriving here are just some of what we plan to do at this year’s conference,” said Long Beach Economic Partnership President and CEO Leah Goold-Haws. “The Long Beach Site Selector Conference not only brings focus to what our city has to offer but also provides the opportunity to gain important insights about how Long Beach can compete when attracting new business and development into our city. And, of course, on the final day we are excited to hear from the site selectors directly regarding their assessment on how to best position Long Beach for site selection. For LBEP, this is an important opportunity to enhance our business attraction and economic development efforts.”

Event participants and sponsors include: Mayor Rex Richardson, Long Beach Airport, Long Beach Community Development Department, Long Beach Public Works Department, Long Beach Special Events and Filming, Visit Long Beach, The Queen Mary, Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, California State University, Long Beach Office of Economic Research, Long Beach City College, Fairmont Breakers Long Beach, Downtown Long Beach Alliance, Intertrend Communications, Sunstone Management, MKCircle Enterprises, County of Los Angeles Supervisor Janice Hahn, Ampaire, ASM Global, JetZero and Vast.

Additional information about the event is available at lbsiteselector.com. To learn more about economic development initiatives in Long Beach, those interested may visit longbeach.gov/ed.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. For more information about the Long Beach Economic Development Department, visit longbeach.gov/ed, and follow on Facebook, X and Instagram. Stay up to date on business news by signing up for the City’s Business Brief.

About Long Beach Economic Partnership
The Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP) is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to enhance the profile of the city of Long Beach, foster civic engagement and focus on economic and workforce development through business growth and retention. With a collaborative approach, LBEP brings together various organizations to provide essential access, support, resources and guidance. By addressing the evolving needs of the greater region, LBEP aims to enhance, uplift and drive economic prosperity for the community. To learn more, visit lbep.org.

# # #