Last week's Weekly Report listed the SEG regulatory and legislative initiatives, SEG industry-sponsored market practices initiatives and SEG administrative/management items. As a follow-up, this edition of the Weekly Report lists several important events which highlight some of the upcoming programs offered by The Asset Managers Forum and the AMF Senior Executives Group. These events relate to the overall goals of each organization.
June 6, 2005
ISITC Meeting
The AMF will participate in an ISTIC meeting in San Francisco with ISDA and other industry representatives to discuss the AMF Swaps Best Practices as they relate to the business activities of custodians. The focus will be on how custodians are critical to future implementation plans. George Hall of Goldman Sachs, Joseph Sack of The Asset Managers Forum and George Reis, an AMF Industry Consultant, are serving as representatives for the AMF and will continue to build on the asset management industry's relationship with custodians, ISITC & ISDA.
June 8, 2005
SEG/TBMA Debt Mark-up Policy Conference Call (3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET)
A conference call is scheduled with the leadership of the Senior Executives Group and select leaders of other Divisions of The Bond Market Association to discuss dealer sentiment and concerns about the NASD's debt mark-up proposal. The buyside support in this matter is critical. For more information about this upcoming call, please contact Joseph Sack, Executive Director of the SEG.
June 14, 2005
FIX Educational Event (9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET)
This dual session educational event is designed to provide participants with an overview of FIX for fixed income. This session is ideal for business professionals, who are not necessarily familiar with the technical aspects of FIX, but want to learn how FIX can be used to modernize business practices and automate communication. These sessions will address:
- The basic structure of a FIX message
- Opportunities for connectivity between hubs and counterparties
- Leveraging FIX to standardize the trading of fixed income securities
- Steps to integrate the buyside in FIX message communications
- Information on what is needed when a firm makes the decision to implement FIX involving the trading desks, back office and IT groups
Also, Brian Gay of TransactTools (Chair of the FIX Certification Committee) and Lisa Taikitsadaporn of Brook Path Partners (Co-Chair of the Technical Subcommittee), will lead a panel session of the FIX certifying firms TransactTools, NYFIX, B2Bits, Aegis Software.
Click here for more information or to register for this event.
Questions may be directed to the attention of Elisa Nuottajarvi of The Bond Market Association at 646.637.9266.
June 15, 2005
Protocols Summit (8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET )
The Bond Market Association will host a Protocols Summit that will focus on swaps and derivatives to be moderated by Dan Doscas of HSBC Securities. This summit will provide guest participants with an opportunity to discuss how the industry can improve business practices by converging and creating interoperability between and among protocols. Questions regarding Summit may be directed to Elisa Nuottajarvi at 646.637.9266.
June 16, 2005
AMF Networking Reception Sponsored by The Bank of New York (6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET )
The AMF will host a Networking Reception sponsored by The Bank of New York at 6:00 p.m. at One Wall Street in New York City. This event is an opportunity for both prospective and current members to meet and network with operations professionals at other buyside firms and custodian banks. In addition, this reception is an opportunity to become further involved in the asset management industry's efforts to increase operational efficiency and reduce associated risks.
Members and staff of The Asset Managers Forum will be present to address any AMF initiative-related topics that members or prospective members may have. Additional information on current Forum issues will be available at the event. To register, please contact Diane Trupia of The Asset Managers Forum at 646.637.9270.
June 23, 2005
SAS 70 Lunch and Learn (11:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. ET)
This Lunch & Learn event is intended to address the reporting questions that are raised by customers of asset management firms. When is a SAS 70 Audit Report appropriate? What is the relevance of Sarbanes Oxley to asset management firms? Are there Best Practices that are satisfactory to auditors and others? John Gidman, SEG Chairman will offer a special presentation regarding the potential resources available pursuant to a proposed SEG Web site relating to financial controls reporting by asset managers. More details on this event are forthcoming.
July 25, 2005
AMF/SEG Golf Outing (11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET)
We cordially invite you and any of your guests to join the AMF/SEG members, individually or as a foursome, at our AMF/SEG Golf Outing to be held at The Ardsley Country Club in Ardsley-on-Hudson, NY.
The outstanding growth of the AMF/SEG over the past several years has been largely attributed to the camaraderie that has developed not only between AMF/SEG members, but also among asset managers and broker-dealers, custodians, vendors and other members of the Wall Street community. This event is a continuation of that camaraderie, and a chance for you to network with colleagues at one of New York's most prestigious golf clubs.
Sponsorship Opportunities - Promote your company with a sponsorship at the Golf Outing. Opportunities range from sponsoring the hole-in-one contest, meal sponsorship and distributing logo items.Please contact Diane Trupia at 646.637.9270 if you have any questions regarding sponsorship opportunities. We also welcome you to share this invitation with others in your organization who may be interested in joining us.
Click here and register today or contact Susan Weiss at 646.637.9293
July 26, 2005
Swaps Conference (Newport Beach, CA and New York City, NY)
The OTC derivatives market is now into the era of modernization through automation and standardization. This Swaps Conference is designed to put asset management firms, dealer firms, custodians and other market participants in the driver's seat in order to steer the industry toward sophisticated and sensible business practices relating to swaps.
The AMF Swaps Best Practices will soon be promulgated for industry comment and feedback. On July 26, it will be time for the rubber to hit to road as these recommended best practices are implemented by the industry. The goal of the conference is for firms to have a best practices implementation plan.
The AMF will use its typical EastCoast/WestCoast video conference approach. Speakers, panelists and the audience members can participate in New York or California. Sponsorship opportunities are available. More information on this event is to follow.
July 2005
30 Year Bond Working Group Meeting (Date TBA)
The SEG/Asset Managers Division is working with The Bond Market Association's Government Division on an initiative to better quantify the nature of investor demand for 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds. A 30 Year Bond Working Group made up of institutional investors and dealers is being created. This group will review the consolidated results of the investor survey right after and work with TBMA staff to prepare a public comment letter that will be submitted to the U.S. Treasury in mid July. For more information, please contact Joseph Sack at 646.637.9265.