Economic Experts Mohamed A. El-Erian and Emile Haddad to Speak to OC Business Community, Today

The nationally renowned Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), known for offering innovative and unparalleled opportunities to its students in both the arts and academics, breaks new ground with the launch of the "Creators & Innovators Speaker Series." The first event, "OC Meets the Global Economy," presented by Farmers & Merchants Bank, offers an insightful economic discussion by two industry giants: Allianz Chief Economic Advisor and former PIMCO CEO Mohamed A. El-Erian, Ph.D. and FivePoint Holdings, LLC CEO and Chairman Emile Haddad. Respected Orange County Business Journal Publisher and CEO Richard Reisman moderates the conversation. Designed to inspire, enlighten, inform and entertain, this new initiative provides a vehicle to engage and connect students and the surrounding business community with influential and accomplished thought leaders of today. The proceeds from table sponsorships and individual ticket sales support OCSA's technology initiatives and scholarships for students in need.

El-Erian, who serves on the OCSA Foundation Board of Directors, was inspired to help launch the Speaker Series because, as he describes: "OCSA has a well-deserved reputation for excellence, curiosity, talent and multi-disciplinary approaches. One of the outcomes of this wonderful mix is a diversity that fuels fascinating conversations and new insights."

The event will be a broad-based conversation about the mutual influences of the global economy on the U.S. and local economies. Through both brief presentations by El-Erian and Haddad and a moderated Q&A by Reisman, the speakers will discuss what to expect in the coming year, given the current landscape's unusual economic and political influences. The discussion will also touch on how to consider possible economic implications for various markets, including real estate, stocks and bonds.

"OC Meets the Global Economy" takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, at OCSA's Center for the Arts | Margaret A. Webb Theatre at 801 N. Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92701. Table sponsors are invited to a private networking breakfast with the presenters from 7 a.m. - 7:45 a.m. Individual ticket holders attend a separate continental breakfast from 7:15 a.m. - 7:45 a.m. The speaker presentation for all guests takes place from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. Individual tickets are available for $175 and table sponsorship prices range from $2,500-$10,000. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.ocsarts.net/speakerseries.