Private client business the focus of IDA pre-conference forum

(March 14, 2003) The Investment Dealers Association of Canada has announced details of its first private client forum on June 21, one day before the official opening of the brokerage industry association’s national conference in St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea, New Brunswick.

The one-day event, called “Navigating Your Business Through Uncertain Waters,” aims to help private client divisions better serve their high net worth client base in uncertain times and features seminars on marketing, productivity, financing, market trends and money laundering. Guest speakers include Michael Lipkin of Environics, Chris Mathers of KPMG Corporate Intelligence and Ralph Acampora of Prudential Securities.

The IDA’s 87th annual national conference runs June 22-24 and boasts such industry speakers as Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, Oppenheimer founder Leon Levy, Ralph Acampora of Prudential Securities and Anthony Boeckh of Boeckh Capital.

This year’s keynote speaker is former U.S. secretary of the navy and author James Webb, who will discuss leadership and ethics in the post-Enron era. Duke University’s Bruce Kuniholm will speak on the threat of terrorism.

Workshop topics include hedge funds (with Tom Schneeweis of the Isenberg School of Management), income trusts (Steven Larke of TD Securities), global investment banks (James Kiernan of Cornerstone Capital) and global debt market trends (Brokertec CEO Hal Hinkle).

As in past years, the conference will feature a CEO’s panel, a panel of securities commission chairs and IDA senior vice-president Ian Russell’s annual report on the state of the brokerage industry, this year entitled “Through the Crucible of Fire: An Industry Facing Unprecedented Change.”

The 87th annual conference will be held at the historic Fairmont Algonquin hotel, built in the 1880s. Social events include a seafood buffet at Katy’s Cove, entertainment by Cape Breton singer Raylene Rankin and the IDA’s annual golf tournament. For more information, check the IDA’s Web site.

Filed by Doug Watt, Advisor.ca, dwatt@advisor.ca