Attendees at the 34th Annual Wichita Area Economic Outlook Conference will have a new tool to help navigate the event this year.

Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR), which presents the conference, has developed a new mobile application to provide easy access to the agenda, speaker bios and directions. The app also comes equipped with quick access to social media channels. The conference will take place from 7:30-11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at Century II Convention Hall.

According to Jeremy Hill, director for the CEDBR, the idea for the app came when conference-goers were noticed tweeting during events last year, prompting organizers to make the hashtag, #CEDBR, official.

“We always try to do something different to add to the event each year,” Hill said. “The app will allow all of our participants better access to the agenda and to social media.”

The easiest way to access the app on a mobile device is by visiting www.ConferenceAPP.CEDBR.org and bookmarking the page, or by downloading it as a shortcut to a smartphone. While at the conference, attendees can interact with each other by using the conference Facebook page or the Twitter hashtag.

The conference is an annual event presented by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research in the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State. The goal of the conference is to provide insight into the current local and national economies by addressing topics of interest to the community, region and state.

The conference will present special sessions on the area agricultural outlook and the health care industry. Industry experts will present an analysis of the economy as a whole as well as the local forecast for the coming year to help local business leaders plan strategies and avoid pitfalls.

The cost to attend the Economic Outlook Conference is $95, which includes breakfast. Breakfast and registration begin at 7:30 a.m. and the program begins at 8 a.m.

Register online for the event.

For more information about the mobile app or conference, contact Jeremy Hill at jeremy.hill@wichita.edu.