The 2012 Alabama Economic Outlook Conference will be held today in Montgomery, Ala. Businessmen and industry leaders from across the state will meet to hear predictions for the national, state and local economies.

The Center for Economic and Business Research, part of the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce, has presented the annual conference since 1989 to cover the intricacies of the economy for a prosperous state and country.

The conference was originally commissioned by the governor to assist the state government in making key decisions about the economy. However, the University soon became involved because of the time and expertise that the Center has committed to the analysis of economics.

“We at the Center spend a lot of time researching the specifics of the Alabama economy,” Deborah Hamilton, associate director and project manager, said. “We eventually found that holding a conference was a good way to disseminate the information we had put together.”

Although UA now holds the conference, Annette Watters, project manager for the Center, insists that it is still focused on a larger audience.

“The Outlook Conference is not actually aimed at students and faculty of the University of Alabama,” Watters said. “It is really aimed at the decision-makers of our state – government officers and leaders of the private sectors – so that they are well-informed.”

The conference has traditionally been held every January in the government center of the state to review the past year and foreshadow the next year of Alabama’s economy. It covers a broad range of topics, including employment and gross domestic product, which concentrate on the nation and Alabama, looking closely at metropolitan areas within the state.

This year’s keynote speaker will be David Altig, the senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Altig will look at the economy from the national perspective in his speech, “The Economy: A View from the Fed.”

“Mr. Altig was chosen for his reputation as a well-respected national economist. We have hosted him before and have found that the audience responds well to him,” Samuel Addy, director and research economist at the Center, said.

“Not only does he convert economics to English, but he also gives us a view from the Federal Reserve, which is important during this time.”

The Economic Outlook Conference will continue to be a paramount effort to address and correct the state, national and local economies through the University of Alabama.

“This conference is a very good showcase for the College of Commerce, and it is highly valued all over the state,” Watters said. “We are able to show off the data that we collect and highlight its usefulness in the real world of business and industry in Alabama.”