How long will the recession last in the United States? Will this country lose its position as the driving force behind world growth? Can any of the emerging countries be considered as candidates for this position? Are we moving into an economic world that is different from today's? Answering these and many more questions was the purpose of the IE Annual Conference that was held on 21 November 2008 in the North Auditorium of IFEMA in Madrid. The conference was attended by more than one thousand IE alumni from over 50 countries.