INDEvents

LEDA Unveils Lafayette's First EPI at State of the Economy Luncheon May 17

Billeaud Capital Management and Acadiana Economic Development Council combine forces as presenting sponsors of this inaugural event.

In just over two weeks, LEDA will unveil its first-ever Economic Performance Index, an ambitious project that pulls together more than 1,500 data points into 15 key statistics critical to local business decision-makers. CEO Gregg Gothreaux touts his staff's in-house ability and acumen in this endeavor, which he sees as a critical service to LEDA's constituents at a pivotal time in business. "Although Lafayette's economy remains robust by comparison to most in the U.S., local business decision-makers take nothing for granted and have never been more eager for quality information," he says. LEDA's EPI report will be presented for the first time at the inaugural LEDA State of the Economy Luncheon on May 17 at the Cajundome Convention Center at noon.

Billeaud Capital Management's Bo Billeaud and
LEDA's Gregg Gothreaux
Photo by Robin May

Billeaud Capital Management and Acadiana Economic Development Council combine forces as presenting sponsors of this inaugural event.

In just over two weeks, LEDA will unveil its first-ever Economic Performance Index, an ambitious project that pulls together more than 1,500 data points into 15 key statistics critical to local business decision-makers. CEO Gregg Gothreaux touts his staff's in-house ability and acumen in this endeavor, which he sees as a critical service to LEDA's constituents at a pivotal time in business. "Although Lafayette's economy remains robust by comparison to most in the U.S., local business decision-makers take nothing for granted and have never been more eager for quality information," he says. LEDA's EPI report will be presented for the first time at the inaugural LEDA State of the Economy Luncheon on May 17 at the Cajundome Convention Center at noon.

Billeaud Capital Management (www.billeaudcapital.com) is the presenting co-sponsor of this event. Since he founded the company in 1986, BCM president Bo Billeaud has developed his own market risk model and now manages a well-diversified portfolio of assets worth more than $200 million. "We know a little bit about what it takes to put together a report this concise, current and mission critical," says Billeaud. "We also recognize the value of such information and jumped at the chance to help LEDA present its EPI to a broader audience, especially since Gregg will be offering his unique insight as to what those numbers actually mean."

Joining Billeaud as a presenting sponsor is The Acadiana Economic Development Council, comprised of economic development professionals from the core Acadiana parishes: Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion (www.teamacadiana.org). The group's support is emblematic of the regional economic development collaboration that extends across parish lines, acknowledging assets in each parish that drive the growth of jobs and industry in South Louisiana. "Today, more than ever, businesses want to be able to make strategic decisions based on information that is obtained from measurable data such as key economic indicators," says Rebecca Shirley, director of AEDC. "Having this information prepared by LEDA, an organization that has hands-on knowledge of Acadiana's economy, will offer our Acadiana companies a new competitive edge."

The Independent's sister publication ABiz will publish the report with Gothreaux's analysis in its next issue on May 31, and a complete copy of LEDA's findings will be available in flip format online (www.abizlafayette.net and www.lafayette.org) following Gothreaux's presentation.

There is limited seating at the luncheon, and tickets are moving quickly. Tickets are $45 per person or $395 for a premium reserved table for eight. For more information regarding the event, contact Business Development Director Robin Hebert via email at [email protected] or by phone: (337) 769-8603. You can also order tickets online: www.theind.com/indevents.