Hundreds of people gathered at the Halifax Central Library to discuss the future of Nova Scotia at a one-day, province-wide conference.

About 700 participants from 11 locations participated in Stepping Up: Let's Take Charge of Our Future.

Some of the speakers included Danny Graham, CEO of Engage Nova Scotia, as well as Ray Ivany, author of the Now Or Never report, which addressed economic prosperity in Nova Scotia's future.

The agenda included a section on the status of the province today. As attendees tweeted about how they felt inspired by the speakers, some felt the the event was more like a pep rally than a formal conference.

When pressed to name one thing Nova Scotia could do to keep young workers from leaving the province, Ivany was clear.

"One thing that I think is happening now that I'd like to see more of is the option of entrepreneurship as a viable path for an 18, 25 or 30-year-old."

It's been a year and a half since the release of the Ivany Report. Many conference goers were eager to learn how its many recommendations can be implemented.

In addition, the crowd learned about an annual conference in Windsor that has grown by about a thousand people over the last four years, at which members of the wine-making and food industries can network.

By the end of the day, many in attendance concluded they had to take personal responsibility for positive change in some way.

Other speakers included Halifax Mayor Mike Savage, Celtic Colours Co-Founder Joella Foulds and Membertou First Nations Senior Advisor Dan Christmas.

Read CBC's Shaina Luck live blog of the event.