Dear Members:

One of the Chamber’s most popular and informative programs, the Regional Economic Forecast, returns Thursday, Oct. 25 and you should block time in your schedule to attend this educational breakfast. Of all the hundreds of events the Chamber hosts every year, the Economic Forecast is the most practical and useful to you in planning ahead for the next several months.

In survey after survey, small business owners and corporate executives lament the uncertainty of the economic, regulatory and tax climate. We’ve focused this year’s discussion to provide you with a forecast into how the elections will affect the economy. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated 2 million jobs are at stake and the reemergence of a recession depending on how Congress resolves the mix of tax increases and spending reductions known as “the Fiscal Cliff.”

This event is designed specifically for Chamber Members and our panelists will discuss how these decisions will impact your business and your customers. While our panelists have different backgrounds and expertise, they share the ability to translate complex economic and political issues into what it means for your business.

This year’s panel includes Ben Taylor, executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Great Lakes Regional Office; John P. Calamos Sr., chairman, CEO and co-chief investment officer of Calamos Investments; and the most popular economist in the event’s history, Dr. Michael S. Miller, associate professor of economics with DePaul University.

Thanks to your feedback, we have updated the event format and the entire event will feature a moderated panel discussion involving all of our panelists. Dr. Stephen Maynard Caliendo, the head of North Central College’s political science department, will serve as event moderator and ensure there is a lively discussion between the panelists and our audience.

We’ve been battering terms like Fiscal Cliff, comprehensive tax reform and regulatory policy into you all year. But with the election following just days after this presentation, these terms are no longer abstract. You need to know what Washington’s decisions mean for your business, no matter how the election turns out. Take advantage of this resource to better prepare yourself and your businesses for the year ahead. We hope this year’s new format is an invaluable resource to you as you begin to formulate your business plan for next year.

We hope by providing you with the insight that will come from our panelists that you will be able to face 2013 head on and make it a successful year. Our sincere thanks are extended to Navistar for their sponsorship and to Calamos Investments for serving as co-host again this year! Without their support this first-rate program would not be possible.

Visit the Chamber’s homepage at www.naperville.net or call us at 630-355-4141 to register or for event information.