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Summit delayed for lack of speaker

The Surrey Regional Economic Summit will be held in February, rather than this fall
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The Surrey Regional Economic Summit has been delay until spring.

The Surrey Regional Economic Summit (SRES) has been delayed for a few months because the city couldn't find the speaker it wanted for the event.

The city had been wooing Former U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, but at the last minute, that plan didn't work out.

The SRES has now been pushed forward to February, and Coun. Linda Hepner says another speaker has nearly been secured for the event.

Previous speakers have included the likes of former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, billionaire Richard Branson and Former N.Y. Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

"We were looking for a speaker as significant as we have had before," Hepner said Thursday.

She said she couldn't confirm who the city was courting for the February event, but noted Surrey had been criticized before for being  too close to the U.S., so the speaker will be coming from elsewhere.

"There will be a more international flavour to it," Hepner said.

She said the city should be able to announce who the speaker is in about three to four weeks.

@diakiw