Sept. 28, 2006

EDITORS: A schedule of the Business Outlook Panel's appearances is below. Media with questions about any of the presentations are asked to contact George Vlahakis, IU Media Relations, at 812-855-0846 or gvlahaki@indiana.edu. Arrangements have been made for electronic media covering the Indianapolis presentation.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University's Kelley School of Business again will present its national, state and local economic forecasts for 2007, beginning with a presentation Nov. 2 in Indianapolis, followed by similar events in nine other cities across the state.

The Business Outlook Panel will make its initial presentation at 7:30 a.m. at the Westin Indianapolis Hotel, 50 S. Capitol Ave., in the Capitol Ballroom. The panel also will appear that day at the Bloomington Convention Center, 302 S. College Ave., at 11:30 a.m.

For nearly 35 years, the panel has traveled the state offering insights and useful guidance to citizens, policy-makers and business people. As in the past, this year's panel will feature faculty members from the Kelley School and local panelists from other IU campuses and other universities, offering perspectives on the national and state economies and financial markets.

The starting point for the forecast is the Econometric Model of the United States, developed by IU's Center for Econometric Model Research, which analyzes a variety of statistics to develop a national forecast for the coming year. The center's Econometric Model of Indiana provides similar insights into where the state's economy is headed. Regular panel presenters will be joined in most cities by an economist from that area who has prepared a forecast for the local region.

Appearing at the Indianapolis presentation will be Jerry Conover, director of the Indiana Business Research Center; Robert Neal, associate professor of finance; Philip T. Powell, clinical associate professor of business economics and public policy, and chair of the Evening MBA Program; and Willard Witte, associate professor of economics and co-director of the Center for Econometric Model Research. Roger Schmenner, the Kelley School's associate dean for Indianapolis programs, will moderate the discussion and public Q&A session to follow.

Other IU faculty panelists involved with the tour include John Boquist, the Edward E. Edwards professor of finance; Andreas Hauskrecht, clinical assistant professor of business economics and public policy; Morton Marcus, director emeritus of IBRC; William Sartoris, professor of finance and director of the Investment Banking Academy; and James Smith, co-director of the Center for Econometric Model Research and senior lecturer in finance.

This year's tour is sponsored by IU's Kelley School of Business, the IU Alumni Association, IU campuses and various community organizations.

To register for the Indianapolis presentation, contact the Kelley School of Business Alumni Programs Office at 812-855-6340 or go to its Web site at http://kelley.iu.edu/alumni/events/event.cfm'key=IN061102. The cost is $30 for IU Alumni Association members and $35 for everyone else. A table for 10 people can be reserved for $300. Registrations should be received by Oct. 25.

For questions about other panel presentations, contact the sponsoring local organization or the Indiana Business Research Center at 812-855-5507.

Business Outlook Panel tour schedule

(Host organizations and contact information are listed in parentheses)

Nov. 2 -- Indianapolis: 7:30 a.m., Westin Indianapolis Hotel (Kelley Alumni Club of Indianapolis and IU Alumni Club of Indianapolis, 812-855-6340, http://kelley.iu.edu/alumni/events/event.cfm'key=IN061102)

Nov. 2 -- Bloomington: 11:30 a.m., Bloomington Convention Center, 302 S. College Ave. The cost for Bloomington Chamber members and active Rotarians is $16. Others can register for $20. (Bloomington Rotary Club, Bloomington North Rotary Club, Bloomington Sunshine Rotary Club and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, 812-336-6381)

Nov. 3 -- Columbus: 7:30 a.m., Holiday Inn Conference Center, 2480 Jonathan Moore Pike, $15 for chamber members and $25 for non-members (Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, 812-379-4457, klatham@columbusareachamber.com)

Nov. 6 -- Richmond: 11:30 a.m., Forest Hills Country Club, $12 (IU East Alumni Association and the Eastern Indiana Chapter of the IU Alumni Association, 765-973-8221)

Nov. 7 -- Anderson: 11:30 a.m., Anderson Country Club, $15 (Anderson Chamber of Commerce, 765-642-0264, andersonchamber@ameritech.net)

Nov. 8 -- Kokomo: 7:30 a.m., Kelley Center, IU Kokomo, $12 (IU Kokomo School of Business, 765-455-9275)

Nov. 9 -- South Bend: 7:30 a.m., College Football Hall of Fame, 111 S. St. Joseph St., $15, $10 for students. Corporate tables of eight are $105. Register online at http://www.gotoworkone.com (Northern Indiana Workforce Board Inc., 574-239-2380, ext. 234)

Nov. 14 -- New Albany: 7 a.m., Hoosier Room, IU Southeast, $25 or $175 for a table of eight (IU Southeast School of Business and First Harrison Bank, 812-941-2325, defuchs@ius.edu, http://www.ius.edu/Business/Events.cfm?#70)

Nov. 14 -- Evansville, noon, The Centre-Evansville, 715 Locust St., $30 or $1,000 for corporate sponsor table reservations, (Evansville Downtown Rotary Club, Regency Properties and Old National Bank, Sherry Spindler or Jim Wittman, 812-424-9200; sspindler@regency-prop.com or jwittman@regency-prop.com. Registration form available online at http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/BOP_evansville_reservation.pdf). Profits from the event will benefit the scholarship funds of the Evansville Downtown Rotary Club and the IU Alumni Club of Greater Evansville.

Nov. 17 -- Schererville: 7:30 a.m. and noon, Teibles Restaurant, $14 breakfast, $16 lunch (Lake County Community Development Committee, 219-755-3240, hkowalsk@purdue.edu)