The Rocky road to recovery: as we look forward to the 2010 Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference in March, the famous phrase coined by Clinton campaign strategist James Carville,--"It's the economy, stupid"--seems more apropos than ever.

• Author: Ruesch, Grant
• Position: Conference news

Over the past two years, the global economy has experienced the most vexing confluence of economic problems at any time since the end of World War II. The U.S. economy - both Main Street and the financial system - remain under severe stress, as does most of the world. The long-term impact on U.S. households and the business environment is predicted by most economists, government officials and business leaders to be profound. We chose the conference theme, Managing Beyond the Recovery--New Realities, New Rules, New Values, carefully to reflect the coming change.

New Realities, New Rules and New Values will shape the new normal. Beyond the recovery, economists and business leaders alike envision a lower-growth U.S. economy, higher structural unemployment, labor shortages, a weaker dollar, rising public spending, higher taxes, a more skeptical and less trusting investor community, and a higher rate of inflation than what existed during the several decades leading up to the Great Recession.

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A COMPELLING DIALOGUE FOR ACG MEMBERS

Just as the conference theme was carefully chosen, so were the six panel-session topics that will be featured in the two-day conference:

The Changing Landscape of Middle Market Investment will assess the climate for deal making in the middle market. It will address the question of how soon we will see a resurgence of deal making as the economy improves and the middle market mergers-and-acquisitions cycle pulls out of the current slump.

How Expectations Have Changed in a Buyer's Market for Professional Services will explore how the role of the professional services provider and the perception of professional services is changing in the face of a steady stream of pressures including the demand for greater virtual access by clients, a belt-tightening mentality, more sophisticated clients, the adoption of social networking and the commoditization of services.

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Crossing to Safety: Prepping for Success will delve into how certain companies have continued to grow, with loyal customers and engaged and productive employees, despite some tough challenges in managing the bottom line. Panelists will explore what these companies are doing that can be adopted as best practices for achieving high levels of employee satisfaction and empowerment. It will address the importance of instilling a strong sense of vision, mission and values into their work force.

C-Suite: Evolution to a More...