Release Date: Friday, December 2, 2005

Georgia Economic Outlook Luncheon at World Congress Center Set for Friday, December 9

ATHENS, Ga. — The annual forecast from the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business is anticipating continued, modest expansion of Georgia's economy in 2006, thanks to pent-up demand for hiring by service industries, corporate expansions and relocations and sunnier fiscal outlooks for state and local governments.

The expansion that was envisioned will be dampened, however, by the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina that have resulted in higher energy prices and supply uncertainties since September.

The Terry College's forecast for Georgia and the nation will be presented in detail Friday, December 9, at the 23rd annual Georgia Economic Outlook luncheon, the state's biggest economic forecasting event, held in the Murphy Ballroom of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Directed by the Terry College of Business, the noon program annually draws more than 1,000 of the state's top business and governmental leaders for a preview of next year's economic prospects.

The forecast luncheon will feature opening remarks by Gov. Sonny Perdue and UGA President Michael F. Adams, followed by overviews of the economic outlook for the nation and state.

Sara L. Johnson of Global Insight, one of the world's leading economic forecasting firms, will deliver the national economic outlook. Johnson is managing director of Global Insight's Global Macroeconomics Group, which provides economic forecasts and analyses of 200 countries, as well as research studies of critical economic issues.

P. George Benson will give the Georgia economic forecast. Named dean of the Terry College in 1998, Benson previously served five years as dean of the business school at Rutgers University. He also holds the Simon S. Selig Jr. Chair for Economic Growth at UGA.

The Terry College luncheon will include projections by the Selig Center for Economic Growth, as well as forecasts on interest rates, income growth and employment.

Statewide sponsors of the Economic Outlook series are RBC Centura, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Public Broadcasting Atlanta, Georgia Trend magazine, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Economic Developers Association.

Additional sponsors for the Atlanta program are the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

Following the program in Atlanta, the Economic Outlook tour travels around the state to luncheons in Savannah (December 15), Augusta (January 6), Swainsboro (January 11), Jekyll Island (January 13), Macon (January 17), Columbus (January 20), Albany (January 24) and Thomasville (January 25).

In Atlanta, registration fees are $80 per person or $640 for a table of eight. Fees include refreshments, lunch and Georgia Economic Outlook publications. Online registration is available at http://www.terry.uga.edu/eol. For more information, call 706-425-3051.

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