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ATHENS, Ga. — Magazine publisher and two-time presidential candidate Steve Forbes is the featured speaker at the 24th annual Georgia Economic Outlook luncheon set for Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

The noon luncheon, hosted by the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, is the state's biggest economic forecasting event. Organizers expect a record-sized audience of more than 1,400 of the state's top business and governmental leaders to hear Forbes and Terry College Dean P. George Benson discuss next year's economic prospects.

Forbes is editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine and president and CEO of Forbes Inc., a privately held publishing and new media company. Under his leadership, the parent company has launched several successful ventures, including Forbes Asia and Forbes.com.

Forbes campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination in both 1996 and 2000 on a platform that called for a flat tax to replace the current federal income tax system, medical savings accounts, a new Social Security system utilizing personal retirement accounts, parental choice of schools for their children, free trade and a strong national defense. He continues to write editorials for his "Fact and Comment" section, which appears in each issue of Forbes.

As in the previous eight years, Benson will deliver the Georgia economic forecast. Benson has been dean of the Terry College since 1998. In October, Benson was announced as the next president of the College of Charleston. He will assume the presidency of the South Carolina university in February.

The Georgia Economic Outlook 2007 will also feature opening remarks by Gov. Sonny Perdue and UGA President Michael F. Adams. The program will include projections by the Terry College's Selig Center for Economic Growth, as well as forecasts on interest rates, incomes and employment.

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

Additional community and media sponsors for the Atlanta program are the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Public Broadcasting Atlanta, and Viva 105.7 FM.

Corporate sponsors include RBC Centura, The Peachtree Bank, Peachtree Planning Corp., Jackson EMC, Porter Keadle Moore LLP, Bank of North Georgia, The Espy Co., Reynolds Plantation, Turner Enterprises Inc., AgGeorgia Farm Credit ACA, Crawford & Co., and Frazier & Deeter LLC.

Following the opening program at the Georgia World Congress Center, the Economic Outlook goes on tour around the state, stopping in Savannah (Dec. 15), Augusta (Jan. 5), Columbus (Jan. 12), Swainsboro (Jan. 17), Jekyll Island (Jan. 19), Macon (Jan. 23), Thomasville (Jan. 30), Albany (Jan. 31) and Athens (March 7).

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 www.terry.uga.edu/exec_ed/economic_outlook. For more information, call (706) 425-3051.