Smith's Municipal Bond Conference
With a focus on leading indicators in a post-pandemic world, market participants will discuss their outlook for the municipal bond market in 2021 and beyond. Topics include trends in infrastructure, the state of the states, big cities, public finance volume, direction of ESG investing and more.
View the Short Story:
To find out how your firm can maximize its presence at Smith's Muni Bond Conference with a Sponsorship Package,
please contact Pamela Kilbourn at (571) 299-4954
Smith's Municipal Bond Conference
With a focus on leading indicators in a post-pandemic world, market participants will discuss their outlook for the municipal bond market in 2021 and beyond. Topics include trends in infrastructure, the state of the states, big cities, public finance volume, direction of ESG investing and more.
View the Short Story:
To find out how your firm can maximize its presence at Smith's Muni Bond Conference with a Sponsorship Package,
please contact Pamela Kilbourn at (571) 299-4954
Program at a Glance
Thursday, July 22, 2021
8:30 am
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Continental Breakfast
9:00 am
WELCOME
The Honorable Jeanne-Marie Napolitano
Mayor, City of Newport
9:15 am
WHAT JUST HAPPENED AND WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Panelists will discuss the impact of the pandemic on regulatory changes and federal funding of infrastructure
Michael Rowan, CFA
Managing Director, Global Public, Project and Infrastructure Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service
Eden Perry
Managing Director & Head of U.S. Public Finance
S&P Global Ratings
Arlene Bohner
Managing Director, Head of U.S. Public Finance
Fitch Ratings
Douglas Kilcommons
Managing Director, Public Finance
Kroll Bond Rating Agency
10:30 am
COFFEE NETWORKING BREAK
Sponsored by: Fitch Ratings
10:45 am
ESG INVESTING
Whether it is referred to as sustainable investing, socially responsible investing, or impact investing, ESG has become more than a niche sector. Investors are committed to sustainability, but questions remain: How to incorporate ESG into muni bond portfolios? Are bonds designated as Green really Green? What parameters should be used when evaluating Green bonds?
Zachary Solomon
Executive Director
Morgan Stanley
Samphas "Sammi" Chhea
Senior Vice President
Jefferies LLC
Leonard Jones
Managing Director
Moody's Investors Service
Ariel Cuschnir
Executive Advisor
GHD
11:30 am
MUNI MARKET STRATEGIES
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a Golden Era for Sellside Municipal Strategists. Panelists will provide an outlook on market volume for 2021, new tax policies and how states will spend federal dollars. As the use of Artificial Intelligence becomes more prevalent we will hear about how it gets incorporated into the investment process and what that means for the role of analysts.
Mikhail Foux
Managing Director
Barclays Investment Bank
Tom Kozlik
Managing Director, Head of Municipal Research & Analytics
HilltopSecurities Inc.
Michael Zezas, CFA
Managing Director
Morgan Stanley
12:00 pm
LUNCHEON
Keynote Speaker:
Maria Lehman, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP
U.S. Infrastructure Lead
GHD
President-Elect, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
1:30 pm
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS — HERE'S SOME STIMULUS, NOW WHAT?
Expectations of widespread and long-lasting economic stresses and credit deterioration have not come to be. But just because the economy is forecast to have a historic second half surge and Federal stimulus dollars are flowing; state and local issuers are still facing challenges. How will the federal funds beyond COVID reimbursables be spent? Local businesses have closed and office usage uncertain — how will economic development play a role? Pension and OPEB pressures remain. Join us hear from a banker, rating analyst and city official outline what to look for in the coming months.
Geoffrey Buswick
Managing Director & Sector Leader
S&P Global Ratings
Bill Fazioli
Director of Planning & Economic Development
City of East Providence, Rhode Island
Kristen Stephens
Managing Director
Head of Credit Strategies
UBS Wealth Management Americas - Public Finance
2:15 pm
MUNICIPALIZATION OF UTILITIES
The energy industry is transforming. Panelists will discuss some of the new approaches, including municipalization, to create a grid that is reliable, affordable, and contributes to slowing climate change.
Dan Aschenbach - Moderator
President
AGVP LLC
The Honorable Henry Beck, Esq.
Maine State Treasurer
Tom Falcone
Chief Executive Officer
Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
Michael Mace
Managing Director
PFM Financial Advisors LLC
3:00 pm
MUNI BOND MARKET SUMMIT AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Leaders from the municipal bond market will be talking about their work on Wall Street to build back the investment process. Specific topics will include: Inside the Washington Beltway lobbying; Successful pandemic investment programs; the growing role of taxable municipal bonds; and The burgeoning muni high yield bond market. These experts will lead a discussion with audience participation.
Bill Black, CFA
Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager
City National Rochdale
Randall (Randy) Gerardes
Managing Director & Head of Business Origination Public Finance
Assured Guaranty
Patricia Healy, CFA
Senior Vice President Research & Portfolio Manager
Cumberland Advisors
Bob Spangler, CFA
Managing Director & Head of Municipal Finance
RBC Capital Markets
4:00 pm
DAY ONE ADJOURNS
5:30 pm
MUNI BONDS ON THE HALF SHELL - COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Sponsored by: HilltopSecurities
The Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina
Marine Suite
49 America's Cup Avenue
Friday, July 23, 2021
7:30 am
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Continental Breakfast
9:00 am
THE NEXT PANDEMIC COULD BE ELECTRONIC - CYBER RISKS IN MUNILAND
First, they came for your water (Oldsmar). Then they came for your energy (Colonial Pipeline). Then they came for your food (JBS). Are just standing by and watching or are you preparing? Issuers throughout public finance are not immune and in many cases as targeted by cyber-criminals. Join us to hear from a former CIA officer about who is attacking and how; a local official who has long been warning about electronic fraud; and a rating analyst trying to gauge credit impacts. We’ll all attempt to answer, “What can be done?” and “Will this get worse before it gets better?”
Hans Holmer
CISO, Smith Information Services LLC and former CIA Case Officer
Geoffrey Buswick
Managing Director & Sector Lead
S&P Global Ratings
Ernie Almonte
Chief of Staff
Rhode Island Lt. Governor Sabina Matos
9:45 am
HEALTHCARE AFTER COVID
Understanding how hospitals coped with COVID-19 and implications for credit analysis.
John Mitchell
Senior Vice President and Municipal Bond Credit Analyst
Bessemer Trust
Sandy Pae Goldstein
Managing Director
Foundation Credit
10:30 am
COFFEE NETWORKING BREAK
Sponsored by: Fitch Ratings
10:45 am
ALTERNATIVE FINANCING APPROACHES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND P3
Panelists will focus on the role of the private sector in infrastructure financings, especially the airport sector and water systems.
Michael Ross (Moderator)
Senior Correspondent
Smith's Research & Gradings
Damian Georgino
Senior Counsel
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Simon Kaye
Principal / Executive Advisor
GHD
Peter Stettler
Director, Municipal Credit Analyst
Piper Sandler
12:00 pm
CONFERENCE ADJOURNS
Registration Fees
$1,250 per person Standard Rate: (Broker/Dealer & Underwriting Firms, Sell-Side Firms, Commercial Banks, Financial Advisors, Attorneys, Credit Enhancers, Corporate Trust, Rating Agencies)
$700 per person Investor Rate: (Mutual Funds, ETFs, Hedge Funds, Asset Managers, Portfolio Managers)
$400 per person Issuer/Governmental Rate
Registration fee includes course materials, breakfast, lunch, and breaks during the conference.
Payment by credit card, company check or personal check is required prior to the event.
Group Discounts
Groups of 3 or more Standard Rate — $1,125 per person.
Groups of 3 or more Investors — $630 per person.
Groups of 3 or more Issuer/Governmental Rate — $360 per person.
Cancellations
Cancellations are subject to a $100 service fee. Cancellations will be accepted up to 30 days prior to the Conference in order to receive a refund. Cancellations after the 30 day cut-off will receive a registration credit toward a future Smith’s conference program. Credits will be issued at the paid registration rate and will be valid for 12 months. Registration credit requests must be received by the last day of the conference.
Substitutions
Substitutions from your company will be accepted any time prior to the conference.
Program Cancellation
In the event that Smith's Research & Gradings cancels a scheduled program, all registrants will be notified in writing via email.
Registration fees will be refunded. In the event that the scheduled program is canceled, Smith's Research & Gradings cannot be held liable for non-refundable transportation costs. In the case of inclement weather, or acts of God, if the scheduled program takes place, the registration fee is not refundable.
Complaint Resolution
Address any complaints to Pamela Kilbourn, Smith's Research & Gradings, P.O. Box 1195, Great Falls, VA 22066; email to pamkilbourn@smithsresearch.net or phone (571) 299-4954. Complaints will be handled in as timely a manner as possible.
Privacy Policy & Records Retention
Smith's Research & Gradings values your privacy. Smith's retains information submitted during the registration process with regard to your name, company and contact information. We will never willfully sell, lease, or rent any of your personally identifiable information to any third party
As a Smith's Conference attendee, you will receive a complimentary edition of Smith's Research & Gradings — the leading independent source for credit opinions.
Registration
Business Casual
Register by Phone: (571) 299-4954;
Email: smiths@smithsresearch.net ;
Online: Smith's Store
Mail: TMS Holdings, Inc., P.O. Box 1195, Great Falls, VA 22066
Payment
Payment is required prior to the conference. We accept company or personal checks; MC, Visa, American Express and Discover credit cards or, via PayPal using all major credit or debit cards.
Duty of Care Agreement
The safety of those attending Smith’s Municipal Bond Conference is our top priority. In response to COVID-19, attendees must agree to the following requirements prior to attending the conference.
We are strong in our commitment to keeping the municipal bond community informed, engaged, and connected. Therefore, we are relying on everyone to do their part to keep themselves and everyone else safe during the conference. Your conduct impacts others.
Smith’s Research & Gradings will exercise reasonable efforts to utilize protocols that will comply with or exceed any local public health requirements and be consistent with then-prevailing public health standards.
Rhode Island travel restrictions:
Visitors coming from states with a positivity rate of COVID-19 greater than 5%, are required to quarantine for 10 days while in Rhode Island. If you're fully vaccinated or have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days and completed your isolation period, you do not need to quarantine. If you're not yet fully vaccinated, you can end quarantine with a negative result from a test taken after you arrived or no more than 72 hours before you arrived. Learn more about Rhode Island’s guidance for travelers on covid.ri.gov/travel.
Before Leaving Home
•Attendees must adhere to government-issued travel guidance and all applicable restrictions issued by the region to which they will be traveling, and the region from which they are traveling.
•Attendees shall evaluate their own health and that of people with whom they are in close contact within 14 days prior to the conference dates and should contact Smith’s Research & Gradings if they have any concerns.
•Attendees must STAY HOME if they feel ill, actively experience COVID-19 symptoms, or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive or presumed to be positive with COVID-19 within 14 days prior to the conference dates. In that case, they should contact Smith’s Research & Gradings to cancel their registration and receive a full refund.
On-Site During the Conference
•Attendees and their guests who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear masks.
•Attendees and their guests who are not fully vaccinated are required to wear a mask indoors and at outdoor gatherings where social distancing is not possible.
•Hand sanitizer products will be available for attendee use throughout the conference space. Attendees are expected to use these available resources regularly and to practice everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.
Hotel Viking, One Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840
Phone: 401-847-3300
The room block at the Viking is sold out. Reservations may be made at the prevailing rate (currently high) by calling reservations at 1-800-556-7126.
An alternate room block has been set up at the Wyndham Newport Hotel, 240 Aquidneck Ave, Middletown, Rhode Island 02842 (2.2 miles from the Viking)
$269 Weds, July 21; $287 Thurs, July 22. The room block is being held open for our group until July 9.
Reservations: Smiths Research & Gradings Room Block or phone: 401-236-2020
