Will Emerging Issues Forum sell out again?

When former Gov. Jim Hunt recently paid a call on the Wells Fargo CEO in California, he was surprised to learn that Well Fargo executives didn't realize North Carolina was the fourth-fastest growing state in the nation. Or that within the foreseeable future it would become the seventh largest state. Hunt quickly concluded that was because Wells Fargo hadn't really been on the hunt to purchase Wachovia. That deal "just fell into their lap" because of the crisis in the financial industry, he told reporters in his law firm's office Monday afternoon.
Had Wells initiated that purchase, Hunt went on, it would have done its research and known that North Carolina's growth was so robust, he said. Wells Fargo would also have known that North Carolina's growth could present similar problems to the gridlock Hunt experienced on California freeways, he said -- and that puts special focus on the upcoming Emerging Issues Forum Feb. 9 and 10 in Raleigh. Its topic will be infrastructure generally -- including but not limited to transportation. Its topic: "Changing Landscapes: Building the Good Growth State."
Hunt created the forum more than two decades to exploring upcoming issues; several years ago it developed into the Emerging Issues Institute, a think tank (or think-and-do tank, as the institute likes to say) that that not only amasses a world of information on issues, but also seeks to build a consensus for action and produce results. Last year's forum on energy issues was a sellout, and chances are good that this year's -- to be held at the new Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh -- will be as well.
The good new for those who cannot attend is that the institute will not only stream audio, but also video of the keynote speakers. They include U.S. Sen.Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who will speak on the national infrastructure initiative, Ken Livingstone, former mayor of London, and David Brooks, New York Times columnist. You can find more about the program and how to register at the institute's Web site, http://www.ncsu.edu/iei/