The agenda for the IFSC for the next twenty years
With 2007 marking the the 20th anniversary of the foundation of Ireland's IFSC , the FINANCE DUBLIN 8th Annual Conference will look to its future over the next twenty years.
Accordingly, its agenda will be to look at the building blocks of the IFSC, and that will mean looking at the building blocks of the IFSC's markets, and operating platform.
The success of the IFSC project has been its treatment of financial services as a globally mobile investment activity, the provision of a supportive environment in the critical areas of regulation and taxation, and a supporting business infrastructure, for example in legal and accounting expertise.
Europe's role, twenty years into the IFSC's life is now critical to the continuation of this supportive environment – more so today, than it was in 1987.
Thus, the perspective of Ireland's former Minister for Finance, Charlie Mc Creevy, and current EU Commissioner responsible for the financial services industry is of central importance to this, and he will be addressing this topic at the conference.
For Europe, and for the global economy, the next frontiers beckon, in particular the relationship with the United States, at a time when US financial services giants increasingly struggle to come to terms with the global growth of their own industries, not least in the EU.
In this context, the conference will hear the views of the SEC Commissioner responsible for external relations, Paul Atkins who will be joining Commissioner McCreevy in a dialogue on key issues regarding the future directions of transatlantic capital markets and financial services regulation.
They will be joined by a cast of leading thinkers including Bob Wigley, chairman EMEA, Merrill Lynch, Sir Andrew Crockett, former head of the Bank for International Settlements, and president of JPMorgan Chase International, and James Leigh-Pemberton, chairman of European investment banking and managing director of Credit Suisse Securities (Europe).
The conference will provide a comprehensive leading edge account of the building blocks of new regulatory developments by the leading authorities (see programme) under these heads:
Reporting
Markets & Securities Regulation
Banking Regulation & Capital (including Basel issues)
Reinsurance and solvency
Taxation
Transatlantic Stock Exchanges & Clearance & Settlement
Consolidation of financial services institutions across borders
Furthermore, the conference will also address developments in these key areas:
*Funds Servicing: *Ireland's cross-border funds industry is at the top of its game, experiencing growth of 25 per cent in 2006,. Moreover, recent initiatives such as the 24-hour authorisation of QIF funds, and the introduction of a new regime for property and private equity funds has put Ireland at the cutting edge of funds jurisdictions. At the conference, leading funds players, including a paper by former head of FSI, and chief executive of State Street Ireland, one of the largest employers in the funds industry, will examine how the sector can continue to grow, and what each company's role will be in ensuring continued success.
*Hedge Funds: *Ireland's position as the leading global hedge fund servicing centre has been further validated by the continued flow of new company start-ups and expansions throughout 2006. With hedge fund regulation increasingly on the EU agenda, leading experts will assess what shape this burning issue is likely to take, and how a move towards a more structured industry is likely to impact on Irish based firms.
*Global Outsourcing & Business Strategy:*Leading speakers at the event will assess how Ireland can rise to the challenge posed by lower cost jurisdictions, will ask whether it is time to allow the expansion of Irish operations to Northern Ireland, and examine how successful Ireland's funds sector has been in coping with such threats to date by 'moving up the value chain'.
*Taxation: *Ireland's leading tax experts will address the international issues impacting on Ireland including the role of the European Court of Justice in setting tax policy, and whether or not the Government should be doing more to incentivise the sector in a post-ring fence environment.
*Regulation: * Ireland's Financial Regulator will address the role of the body in shaping the regulatory environment for the IFSC; how recent efforts are improving competitiveness; and what level of scope there is for 'regulatory arbitrage' given the EU's increasing 'big brother' type role. Moreover, a panel of leading industry experts on the Regulatory implications
*Marketing: *The CEO of IDA Ireland will give an insight into the IDA's marketing and promotional strategy for the IFSC going forward.
This conference will set the agenda for the IFSC for the next twenty years – I hope that you will be able to be there. To view a PDF copy of the brochure CLICK ON THE IMAGE OPPOSITE 
Yours sincerely
Ken O'Brien
Editor
Finance Dublin
For event updates and conference information log-on to www.financedublin.com/conference or contact Fiona Reddan fr@financedublin.com, or tel: 353-1-293-0566.
To discuss marketing opportunities for the forthcoming Conference further, please email or phone Valerie Hannigan vh@financedublin.com or tel: 353-1-293-0566.
