HERSHEY, Pa., Sept. 23, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry welcomes the media to the "Election Year Edition" of the 18th Annual Pennsylvania Chamber Dinner, to be held today, Monday, September 23 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.
Sponsored by Highmark, Inc./Pennsylvania Blue Shield; Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC; PCI Insurance, Inc.; Duane Morris & its subsidiary Public Affairs Management, LLC HERCO and JPL Video Productions, this year's event will feature more than seven hours of inside political insight and perspective, including:
- Political Keynote Address (2:30 p.m.) - NBC Political Analyst Tim Russert will provide insight and commentary on both the Pennsylvania and federal scenes, including a complete mid-term review on the Bush administration and what to expect in 2004.
- Gubernatorial Candidates Forum (3:15 p.m.) - With most governors serving two terms, this is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to hear where the final two candidates stand on critical business issues just weeks away from Election Day. Moderated by NBC's Tim Russert.
- A Celebration of Excellence (6:30 p.m.) - WGAL-TV's Kim Lemon will preside over the evening's festivities, which will honor the PA Chamber's second-ever recipient of the Ben Franklin Award For Distinguished Leadership in the Commonwealth, former Pennsylvania Governor George M. Leader, as well as Central PA's Harrisburg Region as the Chamber's 2002 Outstanding Pennsylvania Community.
- Featured Evening Entertainment - Straight from the halls of Congress, America's leading political satirists, the Capitol Steps will take center stage to cap off the "Election Year Edition" of the Chamber Dinner with their own bipartisan brand of music and comedy.
"As the recognized political voice of business in the Commonwealth, it makes perfect sense for the Pennsylvania Chamber to bring together the state's business leaders and legislators to focus on the major election issues impacting us now and in the future," said PA Chamber President Floyd Warner. "This annual tradition gives our members an exclusive opportunity to meet lawmakers face-to-face and honor both business and community leaders who have taken extraordinary steps towards improving the Commonwealth's business climate."
News packets are available at the media table located inside the Convention Center's main entrance hall. Every year the Chamber Dinner draws close to 1,300 attendees, including Chamber members, members of the Governor's Cabinet, legislative leaders from the PA House and Senate and members of the General Assembly, making it the largest annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Commonwealth.
With more than 10,000 members from every county in the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state's largest broad-based business association and the fastest-growing state chamber in the United States.