Annual Business Forecast set for Jan. 28 at Rogers Convention Center

by Jeff Della Rosa ([email protected]) 474 views 

Guests attend the Economic Forecast Luncheon presented by the University of Arkansas Center for Business and Economic Research on Feb. 1, 2019, at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. FILE PHOTO

The 28th annual Business Forecast luncheon will take place in January in Rogers and feature three economists who will provide regional, national and international outlooks for 2022, according to a Wednesday (Dec. 8) news release.

The event will be hosted from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Rogers Convention Center. It is coordinated by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. Link here to register. Pre-registration is required by Jan. 21.

The luncheon will be moderated by Brett Biggs, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Walmart. The international speaker will be Juhi Dhawan, senior vice president, partner and macro strategist for Wellington Management. The national speaker will be David Altig, executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The regional speaker will be CBER Director Mervin Jebaraj.

“Learning about global, national and regional economic forecasts helps us make informed financial decisions that impact our community, businesses and personal lives,” said Matt Waller, dean of the Walton College. “The Business Forecast is unusually important this year given the uncertainty of inflation and the supply chain challenges.”

“The region’s business and community leaders get the opportunity to hear from economists about the path of the economy in the face of so much uncertainty,” Jebaraj said. “The state and the region can use that information to make their organizations stronger. I am gratified each year at the interest and level of participation in the Business Forecast luncheon.”

The event typically has attracted more than 1,200 business and community leaders. In 2021, it was hosted virtually via Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information on the luncheon is available by emailing [email protected]alton.uark.edu or calling 479-575-4151.