The Bakersfield business big shots were out in force this morning for the annual Kern County Economic Summit, held at the Doubletree Hotel near Rosedale Highway and Highway 99.

Recession was much-talked about, which I cover in a piece for tomorrow's paper.

Some other tidbits from the event:

-New Aera Energy LLC CEO Gaurdie Banister Jr. talked about the billions of dollars the energy industry pours into California's economy each year. He also really, really wants you to stop talking on your cell phone while you drive.

-Castle & Cooke President Bruce Freeman delivered good-humored and detailed remarks on Bakersfield's residential and commercial real estate markets.

One interesting Freeman point: C & C  regularly commissions a report on the demand for new homes in the Bakersfield metropolitan area. The report has never shown a need for more than about 3,600 homes, he said. During one year of the boom, 6,000 permits were pulled. The explanation? Demand was fueld by non-legit buyers given purchasing power by subprime lending products. Pretty astounding numbers.

-Kent Foster, director of Opus Corp., a national real estate developer, called quality of life Kern County's "soft spot." Businesses may hesitate to move here if they don't think employees will want to relocate.

-Michael Gottlieb, Editor for the California Real Estate Journal, urged Bakersfield to do some planning for growth now, before it repeats the "errors and mistakes" of Orange County and the Inland Empire.

A few of his ideas: consider green development and building, keep an eye on water supplies (high desert communities are already wrestling with this and a growing Los Angeles will only get thirstier) and remember one of our biggest resources: "The thing that's going to propel this region and this economy is (that) you've got dirt."

Were any of you all at the event? What speaker or comment got your attention? If you missed it, what do you think of some of these thoughts and ideas?

-Vanessa Gregory, staff writer