54 counties, one plan for prosperity in eastern Kentucky.

That's the overarching goal of the Saw initiative, which stands for Shaping Our Appalachian Region.

Fifth District Congressman Hal Rogers and former Governor Steve Beshear founded SOAR in 2013 to revitalize southern and Eastern Kentucky and the region's coal producing counties.

1200 folks have already registered for the two day conference that begins tomorrow in Corbin and Wednesday.

To learn more about how to improve broadband access, revitalize downtowns and improve workforce and economic development, I spoke with SAWS executive Director Colby Hall earlier today.

One of our ARE sessions or multiple sessions are one of our programing aspects this year, something called Tin Talk.

And it's an opportunity.

We put an application out for community leaders to come and take the plenary stage, this big, beautiful stage that we have here in Corbin and 10 minutes and two slides.

And these these talks are going to be so interesting and range from broadband to tier point to workforce development to tourism to downtown revitalization to mental health.

And so even this year, more than in past years, Renee, between the ten talk sessions, between our panel discussions, we have a panel around E-sports and its potential economic impact and harnessing its economic engines for the betterment of Eastern Kentucky and specifically our downtowns.

I mean, there's just so many interesting topics that are going to be covered at the summit this year.

Like I said, more this year than even in past summits.

So how have you seen the impact in the region and not just where the conference is located, but there is I mean, it's a multi region perspective, an impact you're trying to make.

What kind of growth has come from this collaborative effort beyond just a conference?

Well, you know, Renee, I think sometimes it's hard to measure, but I still does.

I don't think it takes quite, you know, sort of a catalytic organization right now to use a you know, we exist to serve communities and lift other communities up and really be a reminder that we get more working together than trying to do everything by ourselves.

And in Kentucky, in eastern Kentucky especially.

That's a really important lesson to remember, Renee, because we have a lot of counties, we have a lot of cities, and it's really easy for us to operate naturally in our silos, not because we're trying to it's just everybody's kind of got their head down focused on improving their community.

And so I still think that Saw's biggest asset or biggest advantage or biggest benefit to the region is going back to when Congressman Rogers and Governor Steve Beshear at the time put us together, which is to be this engine for collaboration, this engine for innovation.

And that comes just by getting everybody in the same room together and as excited to do this, proud as I am of the programing and some of the experts that we have a symbol for this year.

Summit surveys show year after year and a attendees favorite part is the exhibit hall and the exhibit hall that first some of those organic conversations that happen when you get a bunch of excited, passionate people in the same room together and we don't plan any of that.

Renee.

It just comes naturally when people get in the same room together and start talking to one another.

And like that sauce superpower, it always has been, always will be for as long as we're around.

And we can't measure it, right, Because we don't know exactly what happens when everybody leaves our doors from the conference.

We will be continue those conversations throughout the year as a as a small, you know, nonprofit that punches above its weight class.

But we know that because of these initial conversations and because of this energy and this buzz that we keep in the spotlight that we keep on eastern Kentucky, we know that that that pushes people and compels people to get out in their communities and to do more and to reach across county lines.