This one day conference brings together academics, practitioners, consultants, regulators, and policymakers to analyze and assess the various types of risks and tackle the tough issues around derivatives operations. This format will integrate the perspectives of Banks, Hedge Funds and Other Market Participants, Supervisors of Financial Institutions, Investment Managers, Custodians and Asset Service-Providers with the broader financial stability concerns.

In an area as dynamic and innovative as derivatives, regulators and firms have found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the evolution of the instruments. The time lag between the introduction of a product and industry-wide understanding will be a problem if regulators and examiners are inadequately equipped to assess the products, strategies, models, and internal controls used by dealers for derivatives activities. A lack of understanding at the regulatory and legislative level on derivatives and its management risks could cause an increase in "regulatory risk" - the risk that inappropriate regulations or ill-conceived regulatory actions could accelerate disruptions and heighten volatility during a market crisis.

While there has been a steady increase in the use of exchange-traded derivatives, over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives are growing at a phenomenal rate as asset managers use them for hedging and as an investment. According to statistics from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the OTC derivative markets grew by 25% in the first half of 2007, compared to 12% in the second half of 2006. With this relentless growth, pressure has been put on operational infrastructure and raised regulatory concerns.

An overwhelming majority of OTC derivatives contracts are negotiated between sophisticated institutional counterparties, which are able to establish appropriate contracts and counterparties. The roles of clearing houses and settlement are another challenge to the industry and players. As a result of this industry-wide growth, the need to improve the operational efficiency of the back-office has never been greater. Derivatives as an asset class have the lowest level of automation across all segments of the investment industry. Automation has been a challenge due to the wide variety of instruments and rapid change in the products that are traded.

The agenda, which can be viewed online includes:
-The State of the Industry
-The OTC Derivatives Processing Landscape
-Requirements for Derivatives Processing
-Best Practices
-Derivatives Operations and Alternative Investments
-Outsourcing Trends
-Derivative Settlements: The Process in Clearing Derivatives
-Next Generation or Risks: New Derivatives
-The Future of the Industry: A Cross Industry View of Derivatives in the Market

Time: 8am - 5:45pm Break, Lunch, and Breaks included Cost: $895 Regiester online at: http://www.soforum.com/profile/basket.php