Thank you for attending this year’s seminar.
Economic Outlook Seminar 2022
This half-day seminar, with lunch provided, highlights the latest economic trends for local economies and the state of Montana.
Where Housing Is Headed: How Will Today’s Imbalances Be Resolved?
Things that can’t go on forever usually don’t. But if you are millennial waiting for housing prices to crash so you can buy a home, you might have a long wait. The notion that today’s housing price situation is a bubble waiting to break is belied by the fact that housing prices have increased faster than median income almost anywhere for more than 20 years – that includes most places in Montana.
So where is housing going? It’s a critical question being faced by communities everywhere as sky-high housing costs have affected everything from labor markets to public services. That’s why we’ve returned to a focus on housing as a theme for the 2022 Economic Outlook Seminar – to try to understand where we are going and what action steps we can take to get to a better place.
Why Attend EOS 2022?
BBER economists will present national, state and local economic forecasts for Montana’s largest communities and industry experts will give their outlook for the state’s important sectors, including tourism, health care, real estate and housing, agriculture, manufacturing, high-tech and forest products.
Keynote Speaker
An information packed half-day seminar with local advocate and water rights attorney.
BBER’s long-running economic outlook seminar series returns to in-person events across the state. Attendees will have the opportunity to network and take advantage of the insightful economic forecasts that have benefited the Montanans for 47 consecutive years.
Abigail St. Lawrence
Abigail St. Lawrence is an attorney practicing in water rights, natural resource, environmental and administrative law. A native of Great Falls, she holds a Juris Doctorate from Lewis and Clark College. She is a frequent lecturer for continuing legal education courses, presenting on topics of easements, land use and water law. She has significant experience in government relations work, representing both business organizations and nonprofit interests.
This year our schedule will include three local panelists in a roundtable discussion about affordable housing. The 2022 Economic Outlook Seminar will be a robust, half-day event that will include economic outlooks for Montana’s major sectors.
Schedule
EOS 2022 runs from 8am – 1pm and will visit nine cities across the state of Montana.
January 25, 2022
Great Falls
Hilton Garden Inn
2520 14th St. SW
Great Falls, MT 59404
January 26, 2022
Helena
Delta Hotels Helena Colonial
2301 Colonial Dr.
Helena, MT 59601
January 28, 2022
Missoula
Hilton Garden Inn
3720 N. Reserve St.
Missoula, MT 59808
February 1, 2022
Billings
Big Horn Resort
1801 Majestic Ln.
Billings, MT 59102
February 2, 2022
Bozeman
The Commons
1794 E. Baxter Ln.
Bozeman, MT 59718
February 3, 2022
Butte (*New venue)
Copper King Convention Center
4655 Harrison Ave.
Butte, MT 59701
February 8, 2022
Kalispell
Hilton Garden Inn
1840 Highway 93 South
Kalispell, MT 59901
March 15, 2022
Lewistown
Central Montana Head Start
25 Meadowlark Ln.
Lewistown, MT 59457
March 16, 2022
Havre
MSU Northern Hensler Auditorium
300 13th St. W.
Havre, MT 59501
Seminar Sponsors
The Speakers
Our lineup of speakers include industry and economic experts focused on Montana.
Patrick Barkey
Director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research
Christina Henderson
Director of the Montana High Tech Business Alliance
Todd Morgan
Director of the Forest Industry Research Program
Kate Fuller
Agricultural policy specialist at Montana State University
News
Get the latest information on EOS 2021, plus articles from our speakers.
Tackling Housing Affordability in Montana
With few affordable homes available for households earning a low income, many are being priced out of housing markets.
Montana’s Unaffordable Housing Crisis
The lack of affordable housing has been an increasingly difficult problem for many Montana communities. A shortage of homes and stagnant incomes have widened the divide.