Grand County’s ninth annual Economic Summit took place June 4 at Sun Outdoors Rocky Mountains in Granby. The summit was led by DiAnn Butler, Grand County’s economic development coordinator.

The theme this year was “Pivoting Economies for a Resilient Future,” focused on demographic and environmental concerns. The event featured two presentations and a panel discussion. 

The summit has been held since 2018, shifting between spring and fall. Costs have been shared with the Grand County Colorado Tourism Board for the last three years.

Although the event has been popular in the past, attendance was down this year to fewer than 10 people, possibly because it conflicted with other events such as school graduations or because business leaders had day-to-day obligations.

“We had a spring once before around this time and it worked,” Butler said. “We knew that other events were happening that date, but only after we had already promoted it.”

State demographer presentation

The first presentation began at 9:15 a.m. as State Demographer Neal Marquez said U.S. population trends reflect global trends. The strongest growth is among people age 65 and older, while the school-age population is declining and the working-age population is expected to rise in the near term.

Focusing on Colorado, he said population growth has slowed statewide. While Colorado has historically outpaced the U.S. in growth, it has slowed significantly since 2020.

Two factors drive these changes: natural change, defined as births minus deaths, and net migration. In the past, Colorado’s migration was closely tied to economic cycles, Marquez said, citing the natural resource boom of the 1980s and the tech boom of the early 2000s.

However, the lingering economic impacts of COVID have contributed to the state’s decline in net migration. Colorado’s current overall growth has slowed to 0.4%.

Looking ahead, Marquez said Colorado deaths are projected to exceed births by around 2047. The Congressional Budget Office projects the U.S. to reach this milestone near 2031.

Marquez noted that Oregon has already reached this milestone after experiencing trends similar to Colorado’s pre-2020 migration. He said a demographic shift is coming and preparation is necessary.

Meanwhile, Marquez said his office anticipates slow job growth, but not a recession, over the next five to 10 years, which will further reduce domestic migration to the state.

In Grand County, growth has continued but is beginning to slow. The county is forecast to grow about 0.4%, similar to Colorado’s overall outlook.

Marquez noted that younger working-age adults move to Grand County but often leave before having children. At the same time, the county attracts more adults age 50 to 64 than most others, while people age 70 and older tend to move to lower elevations for medical reasons.

Grand County Colorado Tourism Board presentation 

Representatives from the Grand County Colorado Tourism Board, including Lesley Rowbal, Gaylen Ore and Erica Bean presented next. Rowbal talked about the recent history of the Colorado Tourism Office, including the 2025 merger of Madden Media with Denver agency Karsh Hagan.

The merger enabled additional hiring in Grand County and gave the local tourism board access to new marketing tools. One such layer allows visitor interests and geographic origin to target audiences and determine where they engage most. This enables tailored marketing efforts that highlights outdoor activities which match visitors with appropriate destinations. Another curates information from multiple sites to better meet user goals.

Zooming in on Grand County, Rowbal said 60% of visitors come from Denver, and many stay only one night. The tourism board aims to expand interest among out-of-state visitors, who tend to stay longer and spend more on local services.

Rowbal described a new publicity campaign called “Source of the Wild” and highlighted a new tourism board website launched in January at VisitGrandCounty.com/about/tourism-board. The site uses artificial intelligence tools to create more customized planning experiences than general search engines, she said.

Business and resources panel

Around 11 a.m., Butler introduced the business and resources panel led by Grand Enterprise Initiative founder Patrick Brower.

Panelists included Skylar Marshall, broker/owner at Real Estate of Winter Park; Scott Mahoney, partner/owner of Colorado Adventure Guides; Maire Sullivan, finance, development and special projects coordinator for Headwaters Trails Alliance; Alexis Kimbrough, director of emergency management for Grand County; Dave Huber, general manager of development and construction at Granby Ranch; and Jessica Rahn, executive director of Grand County Wildfire Council.

Brower opened the panel by emphasizing the need to adapt to change, noting that much has been shifting in Grand County. He outlined issues the county has recently faced, beginning with COVID-19 and extending to the current drought affecting much of the state.

He stressed the need for businesses to pivot in response. This prompted a range of responses from the panel, including examples of both challenges ahead and unexpected positive outcomes. For example, the lack of snow last winter posed challenges for Granby Ranch, but offered Colorado Adventure Guides extra operating time as the company was able to serve more than 900 students during the extended season.

Brower also warned of drought-related conditions affecting the region. He noted that Fraser River and lake levels are so low that fishing has been limited — an expected consequence of a dry winter occurring faster than anticipated. Overall, most panel members said they are prepared to adjust to potential challenges, many of which they have already anticipated.

Rahn said the tourism board accepts grant requests, and noted the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade also offers grants. Butler said her office can connect businesses with small business loans through Anita Cameron of the Northwest Loan Fund.