April 8, 2008

2008 Economic Outlook for Santa Barbara County Topic of April 17 UCSB Presentation at Lobero Theatre

Jane Donnellan

The prospects for Santa Barbara County's economy in the coming year will be the topic of a special seminar to be presented next week by the Economic Forecast Project of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The half-day program on Thursday, April 17, will feature speakers who will review the performance of the local and regional economies in 2007 and offer the outlook for the Santa Barbara County economy in 2008. The UCSB Economic Forecast Project is a research unit that provides regional economic data, analysis, and forecasts to the community.

The Santa Barbara County Economic Outlook 2008 seminar will be held at the Lobero Theatre, 33 East Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. Registration and breakfast begin at 7 a.m.; the program will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude by 11 a.m.

Featured speakers for the program and their topics include:

·Dan Walters, syndicated newspaper columnist: "Another Year and Three More Elections"

·Joel Kotkin, author and global economist: "California: After the Bubble

·Kirk Lesh, real estate economist, UCSB Economic Forecast Project: "Real Estate Outlook for 2008"

·William Watkins, Ph.D., executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project and a former research economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.: "The Santa Barbara County Economic Review and Forecast"

Admission to the seminar is $200 per person and includes a copy of "The 2008 Santa Barbara County Economic Outlook" publication. To register, or for information, visit the UCSB Economic Forecast Project on the Web at www.ucsb-efp.com

or call (805) 893-5159.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.