Author Richard Florida to Headline Greenlight Greater Portland's Economic Summit

PORTLAND, Ore.--(Business Wire)--
Richard Florida, international best-selling author of Who's Your
City and The Rise of the Creative Class will address 500 business and
community leaders on Wednesday, June 4, at the Portland Art Museum.

Greenlight Greater Portland's economic summit, "Pursuing the
Future: The Outlook for Greater Portland," will also feature the
release of The 2008 Portland Prosperity Index, a publication that
compares the region to nine other competitive metropolitan areas on an
array of business, demographic and quality of life metrics.

Recently named one the "Best and Brightest" in America by Esquire
magazine, Florida is the director of the Martin Prosperity Institute
and professor of business and creativity at the University of
Toronto's Rotman School of Management.

Florida is best known for his work in developing the concept of
the "Creative Class" and the significance of a region's ability to
attract young, educated talent to its workforce. In his new book,
Who's Your City, Florida outlines the importance of place in the
global economy.

"With Professor Florida's expertise on cities and the global
economy, his perspective on greater Portland should be very
instructive," said Tim Priest, Greenlight Greater Portland CEO. "His
innovative emphasis on quality of place as it relates to economic
development is timely and highly relevant in the face of Portland's
projected growth."

Greenlight's economic summit will also feature Priest's
presentation of a five-year forecast for greater Portland's
population, job, and gross regional product, as well as other findings
from the Prosperity Index.

Greenlight is partnering with the Portland Business Alliance and
Regional Partners to produce the economic summit, whose morning
session includes an update of the Regional Business Plan.

Greenlight Greater Portland is a private consortium of business
leaders dedicated to growing a sustainable and vibrant economic future
for greater Portland.

Greenlight Greater Portland
Gillian Floren, 503-310-0304
gillian.floren@greenlightgreaterportland.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008