AUGUSTA – Gov. John E. Baldacci announced recently that Dr. Richard Florida will be the keynote speaker at the first Blaine House Conference on Maine’s creative economy.

The conference, designed to pursue Maine’s creative economy initiatives, will be held at the Bates Mill Complex in Lewiston on May 7. There also will be a showcase open to the public on May 6 from noon to 4 p.m.

Florida, head of the Software Industry Center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, will focus on how Maine communities can thrive by linking art, culture, commerce and community.

The conference is being planned by the Maine Arts Commission, the Governor’s Office and a 24-member committee of business and cultural leaders.

Registration is limited. The event costs $85 per person or a discounted fee of $65 for each member of a team that registers. For more information or to register online, visit www.mainecreativeeconomy.org.