Ideas, Entrepreneurs and Neighbors: Why I’m Excited About CEC 2026

 

There are conferences where you sit in a hotel ballroom, listen to presentations, take a few notes and head home.

Then there are conferences where the community itself becomes the classroom.

That is one reason I’m excited about MU Extension’s 2026 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference, coming to Maryville, Missouri, Sept. 15–17.

This year’s theme is “Show-Me Momentum: From Main Street to Farm Gate,” and the conference is designed for people who care about creating communities where businesses, entrepreneurs and residents can thrive.

CEC brings together economic development professionals, local government officials, chamber and nonprofit leaders, educators, workforce partners, small-business supporters, community planners and others who want to strengthen their communities.

But what makes CEC different is how we learn.

Rather than talking about community development from the confines of a traditional conference setting, CEC takes participants into the host community. You get to experience Maryville, interact with local businesses and community leaders, exchange ideas with people from across Missouri, and see examples of entrepreneurship and community development in action.

From Ideas to Action

This year's conference will explore several areas that are especially important to rural communities, including innovation and agriculture, downtown revitalization, creative placemaking, workforce and education, belonging, funding and sustainability, and marketing and tourism.

And the emphasis is practical.

The goal isn't simply to send you home inspired. It is to send you home with ideas, relationships and tools you can actually use.

The conference also includes the inaugural CEC Future Founders Market, showcasing young entrepreneurs and their businesses at Maryville's new downtown pavilion. It is a great example of what this conference is about: creating environments where ideas, people and opportunities can connect.

Neighboring Is Part of the Conversation, Too

I’m especially excited about this year's conference because I'll have an opportunity to connect my work around neighboring and belonging with the larger conversation about thriving communities.

I'll be part of a conference session exploring ideas from my new book, The Neighboring Playbook, and how communities and businesses can intentionally create what I call “belonging infrastructure” — the relationships, gathering places and opportunities for connection that help turn a collection of people into a community.

I'm also proud to announce that I will be reading excerpts from The Neighboring Playbook at The Perk in Maryville as part of the conference.

More details about the book reading will be coming soon.

For me, it is a natural fit. Entrepreneurship and community development are ultimately about more than businesses, buildings or economic statistics. They are about people. Places thrive when people feel connected, when relationships grow, when residents believe they belong and when they see opportunities to contribute.

Save $50 With My Special Registration Code

If you've been considering attending CEC this year, I have an additional reason to make the trip to Maryville.

I have a special registration discount for the first 20 people who use my code.

Regular conference registration is $225, but you can save $50 by entering this code at checkout:

CECNeighbor26

That brings your conference registration down to $175.

Only the first 20 people to use the code receive the discount, so don't wait too long if you know you want to attend.

The conference runs Sept. 15–17, 2026, in Maryville, Missouri.

Whether your interests are entrepreneurship, rural development, downtown revitalization, agriculture, workforce development, tourism, neighboring or simply figuring out how to make your community stronger, I think you'll find something valuable at CEC.

Better yet, you may find someone valuable — a new connection, colleague or friend whose ideas help create momentum when you return home.

That's another reason I like this conference.

Strong communities are built through good ideas, but they move forward through relationships.

I hope you'll join me in Maryville.

Learn more and register for the 2026 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference

Remember: Use discount code CECNeighbor26 at checkout to save $50. The offer is limited to the first 20 registrations using the code.


WRITTEN BY

David L. Burton

For more information, visit the Engaged Neighbor website. Take our pledge and become part of a movement! Or subscribe to our newsletter. Access some of the research documents written by David Burton, the author of this blog. Or better yet, purchase one of his books off Amazon. Contact David L. Burton via email at dburton541@yahoo.

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