The North Carolina CEO Forum is an invitation-only event for business, government and civic leaders to discuss issues that affect the state and opportunities to make North Carolina a recognized leader on the national and international scene.

The 2009 NC CEO Forum was held on May 15, 2009 at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, NC. The event keynote address was given by Steve Forbes, Chairman and CEO of Forbes and editorin- chief of Forbes magazine. The purpose of the event was to give speakers and guests a forum in which they could "gain insight, develop relationships, and participate in discussions."

Speakers and panelists shared insights about the impact of the economic crisis on specific industry sectors including manufacturing, technology, retail, media, education, pharma, health care, energy as well as state government and the nonprofit sector. There were four moderated panels focused on strategic and tactical solutions to the challenges of the downturn in which panelists shared accounts of successes and failures and other lessons learned.

The Forum was preceded the night before by a cocktail reception for speakers and sponsors at The Umstead Hotel and Spa. This smaller gathering provided attendees a unique opportunity to interact informally with leaders in other industries that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to meet. Each attendee had their picture taken with Steve Forbes and received a complimentary framed 8x10 print the following day.