ACG Chicago Explores ''Business Without Borders''; Noted local economists, business leaders gather to discuss international expansion.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG Chicago) is proud to announce its first annual international business conference on Feb. 15. This year's topic, "Business Without Borders," is designed to take the mystery out of doing business across the world and enable middle market companies and their advisors to hit the ground running in the world of international growth. The event will be held on Tuesday, February 15 from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.

The event kicks off with a panel discussion entitled "The Current Climate," moderated by Joseph Cahill, managing editor of Crain's Chicago Business, and focused on economic and political conditions affecting cross-border deals and trades. This will be followed by panel discussions including "Getting the Deal Done" and "War Stories of the Initiated", the latter of which will be moderated by the business editor of the Chicago Sun-Times, Dan Miller.

In the Consular Trade Fair Room, participants will be able to talk one-on-one with consular and trade representatives from major U.S. trading partner countries.

Attendees will also get "food for thought" during a much-anticipated luncheon featuring noted speaker, expert and economist, David Hale. He will share his expertise as a Chicago-based economist and founding chairman of Hale Advisors and China Online. Hale works with investment management companies and multinational companies in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa.

"With this forward-looking event, ACG continues its mission of serving as America's leading authority on corporate growth for middle market enterprises," commented Michael Sklar, ACG Chicago executive vice president and chair of the conference. "We are equipping our participants with the knowledge that they need to find, finance and complete good cross-border deals. Our experts, who have lived and breathed this experience, will offer invaluable perspective to attendees."

For any media interested in conducting interviews with panelists or receiving further information on the conference, please contact Terry Cobb at [phone]. For more background on the event or ACG Chicago, please visit www.acg.org/chicago.

About The Association for Corporate Growth

Founded in 1954, the ACG (www.acg.org) is the premier association for and about professionals involved in middle-market corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions. ACG promotes the professional interests of its members, who have assumed leadership roles in strategic corporate growth, by offering a forum for quality programs, education and networking. ACG has more than 8,200 members throughout the world who have access to a wide variety of tools to enhance professional development, knowledge base and networking.