The panel will be visiting 10 cities, beginning Thursday (Nov. 6) at 7:30 a.m. at the Columbia Club, 121 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, followed by a similar presentation at noon in Bloomington. For more than 30 years, the panel has traveled the state offering insights and useful guidance to citizens, policy makers and business people.

R. Jeffery Green, co-director of the Indiana Center for Econometric Model Research and a professor of business economics and public policy, said he thinks most Hoosiers want to know how long the current economic recovery will last and how fast it will add jobs in the state. “Uncertainties always exist in any forecast. I don’t think those uncertainties are currently larger than average,” he said.

“Manufacturing jobs are an issue, not manufacturing output. We will talk about consumer confidence,” Green said. “International issues are always a source of uncertainty, but uncertainty about China, for example, is more important than uncertainty about Iraq or North Korea.”

The starting point for the forecast is the Indiana Econometric Model, which combines state statistics and a national forecast to develop projections for the coming year. Regular panel presenters will be joined in most cities by an economist from that area who has prepared a forecast for the local economy.

In addition to Green, also appearing on the panel will be John Boquist, the Edward E. Edwards Professor of finance; Jerry Conover, director of the Indiana Business Research Center; Larry Davidson, professor of business economics and public policy; Andreas Hauskrecht, assistant professor of business economics and public policy; Morton Marcus, former director of the IBRC; William Sartoris, professor of finance and director of the Investment Banking Academy; James Smith, senior lecturer in finance; Gilbert Viets, clinical associate professor of accounting and information systems; and Willard Witte, associate professor of economics.

Moderating many of the panel presentations will be Dan Dalton, dean of the Kelley School of Business, and Roger Schmenner, associate dean of the Kelley School-Indianapolis.

Joining the panel for local presentations will be Gale Blalock, University of Evansville; Don Coffin, IU Northwest; Dagney Faulk, IU Southeast; Thomas L. Guthrie, IPFW; Kathy Parkinson, IU Kokomo; Barry Ritchey, Anderson University; and Ashton Veramallay, IU East.

This year’s tour is sponsored by the IU School of Business, the IU Alumni Association, IU campuses and local chambers of commerce.

To register for the Indianapolis presentation, contact the Kelley School of Business Alumni Programs Office at 812-855-6340 or go to this Web site:

http://www.kelley.iu.edu/alumni/events/event.cfm?key=IN031106

http://www.kelley.iu.edu/alumni/events/event.cfm?key=CI031023

The cost is $25 for IU Alumni Association members and $30 for non-members. A table for 10 people can be reserved for $275. The registration deadline is Monday (Nov. 3).

For questions about other panel presentations, contact the sponsoring organization or the IBRC at 812-855-5507.

Business Outlook Panel tour schedule
(Local sponsors and their phone numbers are listed in parentheses)

Nov. 6 - Indianapolis: 7:30 a.m., Columbia Club (Kelley Alumni Club, 812-855-6340); Bloomington: noon, Alumni Hall, Indiana Memorial Union (Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, 812-336-6381)

Nov. 7 - Columbus: 7:30 a.m., Donner Center (Columbus Chamber of Commerce, 812-379-4457)

Nov. 11 - Richmond: 7:30 a.m., Forest Hills Country Club (IU East, 765-973-8221); Anderson: 11:30 a.m., Anderson Country Club (Anderson Chamber of Commerce, 765-642-0264)

Nov. 12 - Kokomo: 7:30 a.m., Kelley Center, IU Kokomo (IU Kokomo, 765-455-9231); Fort Wayne: noon, Memorial Coliseum (Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, 219-424-1435)

Nov. 14 - Schererville: 7:30 a.m. and noon, Teibles Restaurant (Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, 219-755-3240)

Nov. 18 - New Albany: 7:30 a.m., Hoosier Room, IU Southeast (812-941-2362); Evansville: 11:30 a.m., Executive Inn-Downtown (Evansville Chamber of Commerce, 812-858-3872)