The Maryland Economic Development Association plans to examine the state's business climate at its annual conference next month.

The topic is a long-debated one that was recently highlighted again when Maryland lost the competition to lure Northrop Grumman's headquarters to neighboring Virginia.

The conference — titled Maryland's Competitiveness: Leading the Park or Following the Leader — is scheduled June 6 to 8 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge.

Ken Moreland, chief financial officer at T. Rowe Price, will deliver the keynote address, which will focus on why his company chose to make Maryland its corporate home.