About 700 people are expected to attend the 41st Annual Antelope Valley Board of Trade Business Outlook Conference Feb. 22 at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Lancaster. The event, called “Freedom to Succeed,” will feature speeches from local and national business executives and an overview of the area and state economy by Bill Watkins, executive director of the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting at California Lutheran University. The keynote speaker is J.R. Martinez, a former U.S. Army soldier wounded in Iraq who gives motivational talks about his injuries and recovery. “Martinez will have the right message at the right time for an audience eager to overcome challenges in life and business,” said conference Chairman Scott Cummings in a prepared statement. “His personal comeback against the odds is a message anyone would benefit from hearing.” Other speakers include David D. McBride, director of NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base; Joseph Avila, vice president of lighting component manufacturer Vision Engineering in Palmdale; Walter Woltosz, chief executive of pharmaceutical software company Simulations Plus Inc. in Lancaster; Pauline East, director of the Antelope Valley Film Office; and Dean Gehring, vice president and general manager of Rio Tinto Minerals – Boron Operations. The conference will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 2551 West Avenue H, Lancaster. Tickets are $135 for members and $150 for non-members and can be purchased by calling 661-942-9581.