The Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) was founded by the City of Edmonton in 1993, as an independent, not-for-profit corporate entity. Its main objective was to provide leadership for the
economic development strategy for the region. On January 1, 2018, the EEDC took ownership of the
Edmonton Expo Centre from
Northlands, as part of an agreement with the city to forgive the latter's debt. In August 2018, when Derek Hudson took over as CEO of EEDC, he said that his main goal in the position was to develop a more resilient, diverse economy, including focusing on the tourism and technology sectors. In support of EEDC's goals,
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson said at the EEDC's 2019 luncheon that the city needs expansion and innovation across its industries instead of waiting for and relying on the oil market to rebound. The city approved $5 million in annual funding for the new organization in May 2020, which would be known as Innovate Edmonton. In April 2020, multiple senior leaders of the EEDC departed as part of layoffs by the corporation, primarily citing the economic impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta. In September 2020, the EEDC announced that it had rebranded as Explore Edmonton. == Funding ==