Conference planning: Your guide to the spring's major industry events

(April 5, 2005) With the heavy-lifting of RRSP and tax season drawing to a close, it’s time to look ahead to the many industry conferences on the spring calendar.

First out of the gate this year is the third annual world critical illness conference, coming to Toronto April 7-9. The theme of the conference is “Critical Illness Insurance — Is It Too Good To Last?” Guest speakers include South African surgeon Marius Barnard, the creator of CI, and conference organizer Alphonso Franco. “There are numerous changes that have already taken place in Canada and there will be more to come in the immediate future,” Franco says.

Advocis stages its annual gathering in Halifax from May 11-15. The conference features six educational streams: advanced financial planning, human relations, insurance planning, practice management, sales and marketing, as well as taxation, estate planning and investment planning. Speakers include futurist Richard Worzel and Advisor’s Edge columnist Ellen Bessner.

The IFB’s series of spring summits begins April 11 in Calgary, with stops in Surrey, B.C. on April 14 and Toronto, May 31-June 1. The Toronto summit features tax expert Tim Cestnick and Million Dollar Round Table executive committee member Jim Rogers.

The Peel Institute’s Toronto spring symposium (May 17-18) includes a speech by forensic accountant Al Rosen. On June 6-7, the Investment Management Consultants’ Association gathers in Toronto.

Toronto will also be the location of the Social Investment Organization’s bi-annual conference, June 12-14. The keynote speaker is UN special envoy Stephen Lewis. “Mr. Lewis’ talk is very timely given growing interest in issues of poverty, starvation, refugees, AIDS and other diseases, and now, emergency relief because of the South Asian tsunami,” says SIO executive director Eugene Ellmen.

Also in June, the ADVISOR Group kicks off a new series of advisor-targeted conferences called Advisor Live. The first event will focus on managing general agents while the second features consultant John Bowen, who will host an intensive advisor coaching session. Advisor.ca will have details on these conferences later this month.

The Canadian Institute of Financial Planners holds its third national conference June 19-22 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Highlights include an evening with CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge and three educational streams: financial planning, estate planning and risk management.

The IDA goes to Banff, Alberta for its annual conference — “New Visions for a Changing World” — June 25-28. The keynote speaker is former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker.

Other spring events include IFIC’s annual compliance forum in Toronto on May 9, and the Canadian Institute’s mutual fund management conference on June 8-9, also in Toronto. Innovative Strategic Planning’s four-day CFP review course workshops begin April 26 in Vancouver, with additional workshops in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Winnipeg.

In late April and May, Ottawa-based advisor Marc Lamontagne hosts a series of half-day workshops in various locations on designing a fee financial advisory practice. Further afield, the Million Dollar Round Table stages its annual gathering in New Orleans, June 26-29.

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

April 7-9 — World Critical Illness Insurance, Toronto

April 11 — IFB Summit , Calgary

April 14 — IFB Summit , Surrey, B.C.

April 26 — CFP Review Workshop , Vancouver (other cities in May)

May 9 — IFIC Compliance Forum, Toronto

May 10 — Fee Financial Advisory Workshop , Ottawa (other cities in May)

May 11-14 — Advocis , Halifax

May 17-18 — Peel Institute Symposium , Toronto

May 31-June 1 — IFB Summit , Toronto

June 6-7 — IMCA, Toronto