Sir Reg Empey, the North's Enterprise Minister, told the conference that the days were long gone when anti-Home Rule posters could depict "a prosperous Ulster scornfully rejecting the offer of a place in the poverty-stricken and backward-looking quagmire that eventually became the Republic".
"We need, as a party, to be aware that with economic strength comes political strength. I want a strong economy here in Northern Ireland, as I believe that that ultimately is one of the best ways of preserving the Union," he said.
Several speakers stressed the importance of devolution for economic stability. The South Belfast MLA, Mr Esmond Birnie, claimed that under direct rule NIO ministers had not given the economy a high priority.
An East Londonderry delegate, Ms Anne Lyttle, said inward investment was not dependent on the agreement but on the right incentives. Northern business had much to learn from the Republic.
The Industrial Development Authority "could knock spots off" the North's Industrial Development Board in attracting investment, she said. "The Republic of Ireland is a role model for us, but I do not advocate a united Ireland."
The conference passed a motion calling for a fully-integrated public transport system, including an enhanced railway network.
The North Down MLA, Mr Alan McFarland, who proposed the motion, said substantial investment was required to tempt people out of their cars and into trains.
Mr Ian Sinclair, a delegate from North Down, put the cost of this investment in rail at £200 million. He said it was necessary to have an up-to-date system so the people "who make Northern Ireland tick and who made it tick through 30 years of violence" could continue to do so.
Mr Roy Beggs, an MLA for East Antrim, predicted that Belfast's traffic would be gridlocked within 10 years if action was not taken soon.
A North Down delegate, Mr James McCarroll, said fuel taxes must be reduced to ease the pressures on farmers, fishermen and hauliers and to end fuel-smuggling.