The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) has now opened registration for the organization's 94th Annual Conference, to be held in Wichita, Kansas from September 11-13, 2011. This year's conference celebrates 100 years of state securities regulation, dating from the enactment of the nation's first blue sky law by the State of Kansas in 1911.
The conference will feature three panels examining the past, present and future of securities regulation. The first panel, "The First 100 Years: How We Got Here," will explore the evolution of the investor protection role of state securities regulation and how NASAA has adapted to the changing times. The second panel, "Dodd-Frank Dust Up," will debate the fate of the regulatory reform provisions contained in last year's Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protecton Act, with a spotlight on the regulation of investment advisers and the standard of care that investors can expect to see when receiving investment advice about securities. The formal conference presentations will conclude on Tuesday afternoon with "The Next 100 Years," a panel discussion examining the issues likely to face investors, regulators and industry as we enter the next century of investor protection, with a focus on the increasingly global nature of securities markets and regulation.
As in past years, the conference will also feature open forums sponsored by each of NASAA's five sections (Broker-Dealer, Corporation Finance, Enforcement, Investment Adviser, and Investor Education) as well as a Joint Web CRD/IARD forum. Additionally, the conference will include a luncheon with a keynote speaker to be announced and a luncheon with a presidential address by NASAA President-elect Jack Herstein of Nebraska. Other events scheduled in conjunction with the conference include a meeting of the American Bar Association’s State Regulation of Securities Committee and the annual Paralegal Roundtable Program.
Interested members of the public may view the full schedule of events and register for the conference online at www.nasaa.org. Participants who register by September 1 may take advantage of reduced early registration rates. Participants may reserve hotel accommodations with the Hyatt Regency Wichita either by registering online or by calling (316) 293-1234 and providing group code "NASAA Fall Conference." Attendees should make their hotel reservations by August 8 in order to take advantage of the special group rate of $119 per night.