Wednesday, February 16, 2011

REGISTRATION DEADLINE TODAY, MONDAY 2/21, for 2/23 Event: The Past, Present, and Future of Chicago's Derivatives Exchanges

2/21 UPDATE: Today is the registration deadline for Wednesday's event. If you are not a member of the University Club or HBS Club of Chicago, please call The Book Stall at 847-446-8880 to sign up today. The cost for the event is $25.

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Attention Chicagoans!

On February 23 I'll be speaking at the University Club over lunch and would be thrilled to see you there. This is probably the last major speaking event I'll have in Chicago for the foreseeable future, so if you'd like to have your copy of Zero-Sum Game signed by moi, enjoy a fabulous meal, hear me blab for a little while and also see Bernie Dan in action (he'll be joining me for a Q&A session), now's your chance.

The event is open to all -- details on how to register are at the bottom of this post. Please note that registration closes at the end of the business day on Monday the 21st. Also please note that the University Club has a business casual dress code -- no denim or athletic wear is allowed.

Date and time
: February 23, Noon - 1:15 PM

Registration closes: End of business day on February 21

Location: The University Club of Chicago, 76 East Monroe Street

Event description:

For over one hundred years, the intense feud between the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) put even the Sox/Cubs rivalry to shame. The thought of these two institutions joining forces was simply inconceivable. But in July 2007, after a one-hundred-seventeen-day, multibillion-dollar bidding war, a six-month-long Department of Justice investigation, a bomb threat, a media circus, and the consumption of countless T-bones, the CME/CBOT merger happened. Erika S. Olson was a managing director at CBOT during that tumultuous time, and will share an overview of the futures exchange industry as well as behind-the-scenes highlights of the deal that resulted in Chicago-based CME Group dominating the country’s exchange-traded futures industry.

With the NYSE Euronext/Deutsche Borse merger dominating headlines this month and deadlines for the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation looming, there couldn’t be a better time to review the storied history of Chicago’s futures exchanges and discuss what lies ahead for the derivatives industry. Join us over lunch for a discussion of these topics with Erika S. Olson, author of Zero-Sum Game: The Rise of the World’s Largest Derivatives Exchange. Bernie Dan, President of Sun Holdings LLC and former CEO of the Chicago Board of Trade, will join Erika for a Q&A session at the end of her prepared presentation.

Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.


TO REGISTER (deadline: end of business day, February 21):

- Call The Book Stall at 847-446-8880. The cost for the event is $25.

The Book Stall is a bookstore in Winnetka that is handling reservations for those who are not members of any of the clubs co-hosting the event.

- OR -

- If you are a member of The University Club, you can register with them directly.

- If you are a member of the HBS Club of Chicago, you will find a registration link at the bottom of this page.

- If you are a member of the Harvard Club of Chicago, you can call the HBS Club of Chicago at 847-256-4846 (they are handling the reservations for both Harvard alumni clubs for this event).

Thank you for your support!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Chicago Event: Derivatives Industry Panel Hosted by ACG Chicago

Those of you who've read Zero-Sum Game already will recognize a few names on the panel I'm moderating next week. The luncheon event is hosted by ACG Chicago, and non-members are welcome to attend (for a slightly higher registration fee).

If you know of anyone in the Windy City who might be interested in hearing futures industry executives discuss current trends and debate the latest issues, please spread the word. Discounted pricing for early registration ends this Friday the 11th.

Hope to see you there. Here's the registration page with more information:

Chicago: The Risk Management Capital of the World