2008 Economic Outlook For San Luis Obispo County Topic of UC Santa Barbara Seminar

The outlook for San Luis Obispo County's economy in the year ahead will be the topic of a special seminar in San Luis Obispo being presented by the Economic Forecast Project of the University of California, Santa Barbara in association with the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

The seminar will be held the morning of Friday, Nov. 16, at the Performing Arts Center on the Cal Poly campus. Registration and breakfast begin at 7 a.m.; the speaking program starts at 8 a.m. and will conclude before noon.

The UCSB Economic Forecast Project is a research unit that provides economic data, analysis, and forecasts to the community, the region, and the state.

Dr. Bill Watkins, executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project and a former research economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., will review the performance of the local, state, and national economies in 2007 and offer his outlook for the county's economy in 2008.

Other speakers for the half-day seminar:

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  John Myers, Sacramento Bureau Chief, KQED Public Radio: "From San Luis Obispo to Sacramento: A Reporter's Perspective on Capitol Goings-On"

   

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  Philip Martin, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis: "Immigration Reform: The Outlook for 2008"

   

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  Wendell Cox, Senior Fellow, Heartland Institute, and R. Thomas Jones, Dean, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Cal Poly SLO: "Smart Growth"

   

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  Kirk Lesh, Real Estate Economist, UCSB Economic Forecast Project: "Real Estate Outlook for 2008"

   

Admission to the seminar is $135 per person and includes one copy of "The 2008 San Luis Obispo County Economic Outlook," featuring data, analysis, graphs, and tables.

Register for the seminar at www.slochamber.org or by calling the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce at (805) 781-2670, ext 220. Information about the UCSB Economic Forecast Project's other programs, publications, and research activities can be found on its Web site:

www.ucsb-efp.com