APPLETON (NBC 26) — Thrivent Financial hosted the annual InDevelopment real estate conference on its Appleton campus, bringing together more than 200 development professionals to showcase the region's growth and future plans.
The conference gathered city officials, developers, and business leaders from across 18 counties in northeast Wisconsin to discuss economic development opportunities and share project updates.
"It's a gathering of over 200 development professionals in our area," said Eric Merriman, director of real estate and workplace services for Thrivent Financial.
Thrivent highlights master plan vision
Thrivent chose to host this year's conference to showcase its ambitious development plans for the surrounding community.
"This year, Thrivent offered to be the host because we have a great space to do it, but also because we wanted to have the opportunity to share our vision for the master plan of this community," Merriman said.
The centerpiece of Thrivent's presentation was the Wilden Portfolio Park, a comprehensive development project that includes:
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2,200 to 2,300 housing units, including single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments
- Commercial space for grocery stores, restaurants, retailers, hotels, and office buildings
- Green space with over 150 acres of parkland and six miles of walking trails
The InDevelopment conference serves as a platform for regional economic leaders to collaborate on projects that span multiple communities across northeast Wisconsin.
By hosting the event, Thrivent positioned Appleton as a hub for regional development discussions while highlighting the company's role in shaping the area's future growth.
The conference format allows participants to share best practices, discuss challenges, and explore partnership opportunities across the 18-county region.
The InDevelopment conference will return next year, with Oshkosh selected as the host city for the annual gathering of regional development professionals.
The rotating host model allows different communities across northeast Wisconsin to showcase their development projects and economic initiatives to the broader regional network.
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