The Symposium will be hosted by Regional Development Australia, and will serve as an open discussion on how Northern Tasmania can attract people that will benefit the region's economy.

About 120 people representing various organisations including Launceston Chamber of Commerce and Northern Tasmania Development Corporation will be in attendance.

Launceston Chamber of Commerce chief executive Neil Grose said the symposium would serve as an opportunity for a discussion on the challenges facing the region in terms of population growth.

"Fundamentally, Northern Tasmania has a short to medium term challenge attracting skilled people to Launceston and the greater North so to call it a population challenge probably doesn't emphasise enough the the issues around skill shortage," Mr Grose said.

"The population's growing but it's not growing in the way in which we want it to, the way in which a proper, balanced Northern Tasmania should look.

"Basically, the work that NTDC have done has highlighted that we have a deficit of people between 18 and 55."

Mr Grose added that a younger demographic's tendency to be in the market to buy a house, start a family or start a business make them crucial to a growing economy.

"We need to find ways of attracting people and more importantly getting them to stay," he said.

"We need some lofty aims and some big hairy bodacious goals and we need some innovative ways to achieve those big hairy bodacious goals.

"From where the chamber's coming from we see it as a real economic imperative to get more skilled people here, particularly in the construction and health areas."

Demographer Lisa Denny will be making a presentation on regional population trends.

"It will be really interesting to get that academic viewpoint," Mr Grose said.