WHAT IS THE STATE OF THE VALLEY CONFERENCE?

State of the Valley is Silicon Valley’s annual "town meeting” – a tradition at least as old as our nation’s founding, when concerned citizens met on the village green to mobilize for the challenges ahead. In that same spirit, Joint Venture’s town meeting convenes the entire region – concerned citizens and stakeholders, thought leaders and opinion makers, journalists, our elected representatives, educators and academics, business executives, labor and workforce leaders – for dialogue and discussion about the Valley’s challenges and opportunities.

But more than merely commentary, State of the Valley also features music and dance from the regions arts groups, high school bands, and elementary school choirs. There are also booths and exhibits on the concourses showing off entrepreneurs, established corporations, and non-profits who are working in Joint Venture's project areas. The event is a celebration of our region–who we are and who we're becoming.

WHO ATTENDS STATE OF THE VALLEY? 

Everybody! In years past, over 1,500 people have participated. They are senior business executives; federal, state and locally elected officials and their senior staff; heads of organizations, labor leaders, venture capitalists, journalists (print, television and electronic media), academics, and a host of other community members. In 2010 we are once again expecting a capacity crowd, and portions of the conference will be broadcast to a large television and radio audience through a partnership with our media sponsors (KQED-FM, KTEH-TV, and NBC Bay Area).

WHAT IS THE SILICON VALLEY INDEX?

To inform the discussion, our principal analytical tool is the Silicon Valley Index, a nationally recogized publication that has been telling the Silicon Valley story since 1995. The indicators measure the strength of our economy and the health of our community, highlighting challenges and providing a data-rich foundation for decision making.