St. John�s (June 12, 2003) Advocacy and member representation will be the overriding focus for Advocis throughout the next six months as the Association plans to launch a significant political action campaign to combat unfair regulatory pressures. That was the message delivered by Advocis president Steve Howard and chair Brian Mallard to members during the opening ceremonies of the first Advocis annual conference, which kicked off this morning in St. John�s, Newfoundland.
“We believe in meaningful regulation,” said Brian Mallard. “Regulation that protects the consumer and is also fair to professional advisors. Today we have neither of those. We have a simple goal � to ensure that consumers are receiving financial advice from appropriately designated professionals.”
Over 1000 professional advisors have gathered in the province�s capital for the three-day conference and annual general meeting, which will incorporate more than 35 educational sessions and a number of networking events, including a “Down Home Lobster Dinner.”
Today�s plenary sessions included an in-depth look at the future of distribution with Bill Black, president and CEO of Maritime Life, and a talk about tax investment strategies with Jamie Golombek, vice-president of tax and estate planning from AIM/Trimark. Attendees were also able to choose from a number of breakout sessions from the conference�s five educational streams � advanced financial planning, practice management, human relations, sales and marketing, taxation and estate planning, and insurance planning.
Attendees who arrived early were rewarded with several pre-conference seminars yesterday, including the launch of the Advocis Compliance Seminar Series for Advisors. The conference will wrap up on Saturday.
Advocis is Canada’s largest association of financial advisors, with members in 50 chapters across the country. Advocis members adhere to a strict Code of Professional Conduct, meet ongoing continuing education requirements, and are committed to putting the interests of their clients first. Visit our Web site at www.advocis.ca.
