Can resort economies cope?

BEAVER CREEK, Colorado — Perhaps the people in Eagle County are psychic. The county will host a symposium on resort economics on Oct. 16 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Beaver Creek. It was planned before the recent stock market crisis.

Titled “Resort Communities Surviving the Economic Storm,” the daylong discussion will focus on whether resort communities, which are considered highly desirable places to live, could fall victim to their own success.

“There is no model to follow for what the communities face,” says Kostick. “People are here because of the environment. If we do not protect our product, people will stop coming.”

Featured speakers include Nariman Behravesh, the NPR commentator and economist; researcher Jonathan Schechter; and James Chung, president of Research Advisors, a renowned marketing strategy and research firm serving resort industries.

Morning sessions, held at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, will feature the three keynote speakers. In the afternoon, the forum moves to the Hyatt in Beaver Creek, where workforce housing, rising real estate values, growth, economic diversification, environmental protection, mass transit and other issues will be discussed.

There is a $20 registration fee. To register, or for additional information, go to www.eaglecounty.us.