The need to think entrepreneurially will be the topic of a presentation Dec. 6 by Larry Cox, the new director of the Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center at Ball State University, during the 10th annual Indiana Economic Outlook luncheon.

Cox, the luncheon's keynote speaker, will discuss how Indiana firms and residents must think from an entrepreneurial perspective in order to thrive in an ever-changing economy.

His presentation is part of the annual event, which is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Horizon Convention Center, 401 S. High St.

Patrick Barkey, director of the Miller College of Business' Economic and Policy Studies, and Gary Santoni, who retired as the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Economics, will provide projections for Indiana's economy in 2006. Their forecast will be based on an analysis of various factors, including hurricane-related issues, federal deficit, energy costs, inflation and consumer spending as the American economy enters its fifth year of post-recession growth.

For the last 10 years, Barkey and Santoni have been on the mark with their estimates of economic performance on national, state and local levels.

Serving as the moderator will be John Littler, president of Littler Diecast Corporation, an aluminum injection mold supply company. A founding member of the Ball State Business Forecasting Roundtable in 1998, he became chairman in 2004. The roundtable brings together Muncie-area business leaders to share information about the local economy and make their own predictions about the national economy.

For more information, contact Ball State's Bureau of Business Research at (765) 285-5926 or go online to www.bsu.edu/cob/outlookreg.

The event is sponsored by Ball State, the university's Bureau of Business Research and the Business Forecasting Roundtable, with support from Indiana Michigan Power Co., Merchants Trust Co. and Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce.