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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Patrick Ross
August 4, 2003
(202) 289-8928
   
The IT Recovery: How Big & When?
Economists Assess Sector's Prospects at Aspen Summit

WASHINGTON D.C. - Is the Information Technology sector - a key element of today's economy - already in full recovery mode or still preparing for a comeback? Will it ever again reach its recent heights? How will it achieve renewed success, and who has to do what to make it happen? A panel of noted economists with unique insight into the sector will answer such questions and provide predictions at The Progress & Freedom Foundation's upcoming Aspen Summit in Aspen, Colorado.

An annual gathering of the digital world's most prominent business leaders, influential policymakers and probing thinkers, the 2003 Summit takes place August 17-19. The IT panel begins at 9:15 a.m. (Mountain), on Tuesday, August 19. Moderated by Foundation Senior Fellow and VP for Research Thomas M. Lenard, panel members include: Timothy Bresnahan, professor of economics, Stanford University; Robert Crandall, senior fellow, the Brookings Institution; Jeffrey A. Eisenach, executive vice chairman, CapAnalysis, LLC; and John Rutledge, chairman, Rutledge Capital, LLC.

"The IT sector has the potential to drive the next wave of economic growth," says Lenard. "When, how far and where it will end up are very compelling questions right now. With its immense impact on the economy, competitiveness and jobs - including one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in DC - this is a key sector to watch."

Other Summit speakers include Mel Karmazin, president and COO of Viacom, John Chen, chairman and CEO of Sybase, FCC Chairman Michael Powell and FTC Chairman Timothy Muris, and executives of AOL Time Warner, Allegiance Telecom, Autodesk, BellSouth, Comcast, Covad, EMI Group, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Movielink, Qwest, Red Hat, Salesforce.com, SBC, Universal Pictures, and Verizon Wireless. FCC Commissioners Kathleen Abernathy and Kevin Martin, and FTC Commissioner Orson Swindle will also speak.

Following its 1995 debut, the Aspen Summit earned a reputation as one of the most interesting events of its kind. (Wired compared it to the Davos summit in Switzerland and the famed Renaissance Weekend.) Recent speakers include Jeff Bezos, Carly Fiorina, Peter Chernin, Ivan Seidenberg and Les Vadasz. Members of the audience - who often include the likes of Michael Eisner and John Doerr - also contribute to discussions.

The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that studies the digital revolution and its implications for public policy. It is a 501(c)(3) research & educational organization.

 

 

The Progress & Freedom Foundation