Former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan will headline the 2027 Utah Economic Outlook and Public Policy Summit, delivering a keynote address on free enterprise, economic policy, and Utah's business climate at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on January 14, 2027. The Utah Chamber and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute jointly announced Ryan as the featured speaker for the annual gathering, which brings together business, policy, and academic leaders to discuss the state's economic outlook and priorities ahead of the upcoming legislative session.
Ryan represented Wisconsin in Congress and served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from October 2015 to January 2019, according to KSL News. He is perhaps best known nationally as the 2012 vice presidential running mate of former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a ticket that lost that year's election to incumbent President Barack Obama. Ryan was the Republican vice presidential candidate and Wisconsin representative during that presidential run.
A Fixture on Utah's Pre-Legislative Calendar
The summit is co-organized by the Salt Lake Chamber and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, an economic research institute housed within the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. Held annually in mid-January, the event serves as a major pre-legislative preview where business leaders and state officials unveil the annual Economic Report to the Governor and set policy priorities ahead of Utah's 45-day general legislative session, according to the Salt Lake Chamber.
The summit has featured keynote addresses touching on civil discourse, inflation, and workforce shifts. The event's venue, the Grand America Hotel, regularly hosts major economic and civic conventions, including the 50th annual Women & Business Conference in 2026.
Utah's Top-Ranked Economy Meets Growing Pains
Ryan's visit arrives as Utah continues to tout its standing atop national economic rankings. In April 2026, Utah earned the No. 1 spot in the nation for economic outlook for the 19th consecutive year in the American Legislative Exchange Council's Rich States, Poor States competitiveness report, which the Utah State Senate attributes to the state's flat income tax structure, light regulatory policies, and disciplined budget practices.
Yet the state's growth has brought its own pressures. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute examines Utah's demographic trends, per the institute's research. Utah continues to experience growth.
The institute's research released in September 2026 also notes that while Utah's housing market saw minor affordability improvements in 2025, access to single-family homeownership remains near historic lows for first-time buyers.
Ryan's Life After Congress
Since leaving Congress in January 2019, Ryan has built a portfolio of public and private sector roles. He launched the non-profit American Idea Foundation in 2019 to promote evidence-based public policies aimed at reducing poverty and expanding economic mobility, according to the foundation. That focus on economic mobility closely mirrors the themes he is expected to address at the Salt Lake City summit.
Ryan has also served on the board of directors of Fox Corporation and joined private equity firm Solamere Capital as a partner in 2021.
With the summit set for January 14, 2027, state officials and business leaders will use the gathering to discuss priorities ahead of Utah's legislative session.
