Conference cluster: Your guide to the spring’s major industry events

(April 12, 2004) With RSP season over and tax time winding down, the investment industry is gearing up for a number of major spring conferences, including Advocis and the IDA.

Advocis — the country’s largest advisor association — stages its annual gathering in Calgary this year, from May 26 to May 29. The conference — called “Drilling Down: Shifting Investor Confidence” — features six educational streams: human relations, insurance planning, practice management, sales and marketing, taxation and estate planning, and advanced financial planning.

The IDA’s annual conference will be in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, June 12-15. Keynote speakers include Forbes magazine editor Steve Forbes, former Fidelity chairman Bob Pozen, Earl Bederman of Investor Economics and Donald Coxe of Harris Investment Management.

For the insurance-minded, the Independent Financial Brokers of Canada stages its annual spring summit in three locations: Surrey, B.C. on April 15, Calgary April 19, and Toronto June 1 & 2. Rick Forchuk of Empire Financial and Doug Yam of TD Asset Management will appear in both Surrey and Calgary. Program details for the Toronto summit are not yet finalized but the dinner speaker will be CBC sports anchor Brian Williams.

The Peel Institute’s western symposium stops in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver from April 20-23. The keynote speaker is British advisor Bhupinder Anand.

The CFP-exclusive Canadian Institute of Financial Planners holds its second national conference June 13-16 in Ottawa. Entitled “A Capital Plan,” the conference features three educational streams: financial planning, estate planning and risk management.

The U.S.-based National Association of Personal Financial Advisors is bringing its annual conference to Toronto for the first time, April 21-24. Featured speakers include finance professors Dr. Burton Malkiel and Jeremy Siegel.

Also in April, the Schulich School of Business at Toronto’s York University stages a three day financial services research conference. Bank of Canada governor David Dodge and Ontario Securities Commission chair David Brown are among the keynote speakers.

There are also a few one-day events on tap this spring. Morningstar Canada hosts “Lessons in Effective Portfolio Construction” on May 5 in Toronto. IFIC’s third annual compliance forum will be held on May 10 in Toronto.

The Strategy Institute’s second annual Elite Advisor summit is set for June 22 and 23 in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario. Speakers include Thane Stenner and John Bowen.

Further afield, the Million Dollar Round Table stages its annual gathering in Anaheim, California on June 12-16.

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Here’s a list of the spring’s major investment industry conferences, with Web site links for more information:

April 15 — IFB Spring Summit, Surrey, BC

April 19 — IFB Spring Summit, Calgary

April 20 — Peel Institute, Winnipeg

April 21 — Peel Institute, Calgary

April 21-24 — NAPFA, Toronto

April 22 — Peel Institute, Edmonton

Apr 22-25 — Financial services and public policy, Schulich School of Business, Toronto

Apr 22-23 — Canadian Institute , anti money laundering, Toronto

April 23 — Peel Institute, Vancouver

April 27-28 — Canadian Institute , due diligence, Toronto

May 5 — Morningstar, Toronto

May 10 — IFIC Compliance Forum, Toronto

May 26-29 — Advocis, Calgary

June 1-2 — IFB Spring Summit, Toronto

June 12-15 — IDA, Mont Tremblant, Quebec

June 14-15 — CIFPs, Ottawa

June 15-16 — MDRT, Anaheim, California

June 22-23 — Elite Advisor Summit, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

(04/12/04)