The forecast will take place at the Sheraton Universal Hotel at 333 Universal Hollywood Dr. in Universal City. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with the program beginning at 8:30 a.m.

"The Recovery: Is This as Good as It Gets?" will be the theme of the event, featuring economic research center director Daniel Blake's forecast of the Valley economy, its job growth, retail trade activity, population levels, immigration and housing prices.

Also presenting will be Paul Kasriel, senior vice president and chief economic strategist for the Northern Trust financial services company. He will focus on the national economy, forecasting interest rates, national growth, unemployment levels and exchange rates, among other indicators.

Panels will be led by Rick Caruso, president and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, a retail development and entertainment center firm; Steve MacDonald, president of the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC); and Rohit Shukla, founder and CEO of Larta Institute, a technology and capital management company.

Panelists will discuss upcoming trends in the retail trade, the entertainment industry and in manufacturing, covering issues from production, distribution and financing to regional and Valley jobs and payroll.