Agenda - Day one - Monday 1 October

Dr Neil Blake, Managing Director – Global Economics, Experian
Neil was a founder director of Business Strategies Ltd, which became part of Experian in 2002. At Experian Business Strategies he has developed a wide range of economic models including macroeconomic and consumer market models, work on small area consumer spending estimates and forecasts, the implications for retail property needs, and for the extension of economic analysis to look at the implications for credit markets and for credit risk.

Dr. Blake has published on a wide range of subjects including economic growth, regional economic modelling, economic history and the use of survey data in economic analysis and forecasting. He was also part of a joint Treasury/DTI/ODPM working group on how to deliver the Government’s Regional Economic Performance Public Service Agreement and has worked on both the Lyons Review on the location of government employment and the Barker Review of the economic effects of restrictions on housing supply. He is currently a member of the CLG’s Neighborhoods, Cities and Regions and the Housing Market and Planning panels of experts.

The Economic outlook
The global economic upswing that started in 2003 may now be passed its peak, with the ‘credit squeeze’ creating turmoil for both investors and lenders, leaving the outlook for the rest of 2007 and 2008 uncertain.

With the engine for world growth, the US economy, faltering, how will Europe drive its economy forward? The new EU economies are integrating, but are they leading to greater economic opportunities? The UK has had a record period of growth but what are the prospects to continue its strong performance, especially given the financial constraints on consumers and public spending and wage constraint? How will globalisation drive economic change?

This session will use the latest analysis to examine both the current position and outlook over the next couple of years, focussing on the key themes that are shaping our economies as well as the risks and uncertainties. The presentation will also include some recent dynamic analysis showing the most ‘at risk’ consumer types who are, and will be, affected by interest rate movements and which, against a background of at best lacklustre credit growth, will best prospects for future growth opportunities.