ADVISORY/Report Cites New Solutions to Ills of America's Cities; Brookings Institution's Bruce Katz Hosts Roundtable Discussion of Findings.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...for Thursday (June 3)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

What:
One-hour audio conference, "Not Your Father's Chamber of Commerce:
Regionalism and the New Business-Civic Organizations," sponsored by
the Ford Foundation.

When:
Thursday, June 3, 2004 at 12:00-1:00 PM EDT/9:00-10:00 AM PDT

Why:
Bruce Katz, Director of the Brookings Institution Center on Urban and
Metropolitan Policy, will moderate a panel audio-conference discussion
featuring the release of the research report, Imagine A Region, by
MetroBusinessNet. The conference will showcase the national
applicability of regional solutions to business problems.

Speakers:
Bruce Katz, Director, Brookings Institution Center on Urban and
Metropolitan Policy
John Colborn, Deputy Director of the Economic Development Unit,
Ford Foundation
Brian Bosworth, Founder and President, FutureWorks
Erin Flynn, Director, MetroBusinessNet
Frank Beal, Executive Director, Chicago Metropolis 2020
Dick Fleming, President and CEO, St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth
Association
Elizabeth Ferguson, Executive Vice President, Bay Area Council

Background:
The days of three martini networking lunches are over. A new breed of
business-civic organizations are tackling economic development issues
such as affordable housing, revitalization of the urban core, and the
creation of investment funds that promote social and economic "double
bottom line" returns.

On the audio conference, leaders from business-civic organizations in
Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco will address new strategies that
regions, not just cities, find key to maintaining competitive
advantage in today's economy; and that partnerships between business,
government, and the community are essential. They will demonstrate how
regional solutions can benefit both the business bottom line and the
surrounding community and reveal how successful implementation in
their region has significance for every city and region across
America.

Please R.S.V.P. to Missy at 310-575-9200 by Friday, May 28th as space is limited. Dial-in information will be provided at that time.