Traders Magazine spoke with Jim Toes, President & CEO of Security Traders Association (STA) about the organization’s upcoming 91st Annual Market Structure Conference, which will be held on September 18-20 in Orlando, Florida. According to Toes, this year’s conference theme: “Shifting the Landscape”, illustrates where we are as an industry, and the imperative need for proactive adaption.
Give us the rundown on STA’s 91st Annual Market Structure Conference – what do potential attendees need to know?
As always, our conference will include three days of compelling industry content featuring prominent speakers along with valuable relationship-building opportunities. It will take place September 18-20. What’s different this year is the location – instead of Washington DC, the conference will be held at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes, a massive and elegant resort in the heart of Orlando. It’s a beautiful venue that will open up some exciting new opportunities for our members and sponsors.
US market structure affects every corner of our industry, and our conference will reflect that reality. The panels and fireside interviews will cover topics ranging from retail investing, ETF liquidity and options market innovation to cyber-crime and the recent waves of SEC regulation. Our attendees will include industry professionals from leading exchanges, broker-dealers, market makers, buy-side firms, technology providers and more, as well as a number of government officials.
What is the significance of the conference title “Shifting the Landscape”?
Beyond the fact that we’ve quite literally shifted the landscape of our conference venue from DC to Orlando, this year’s theme represents the many technological and regulatory developments that have shaped our market structure this year and will continue to in the future. It also reflects our commitment to staying on top of the change and growth that affects our members. With the SEC pursuing its most ambitious agenda in years and the upcoming presidential election in November – which we now know will certainly result in a change in leadership in the White House – the regulatory landscape is facing even more uncertainty than usual. Our conference will see industry executives from all corners of the market discuss these topics, how their firms might respond and how they could impact our markets.
Why the new location in Orlando?
There were a few factors. In order to continue serving our members as effectively as possible, it’s important that we pay attention to the changes taking place in the industry. While we will maintain a strong presence and stage future events in DC, where we have long hosted our annual conference, the post-COVID world has seen the emergence of “Wall Street South” in Florida and the Southeast in general. Hosting our 2024 conference in Orlando is one of many ways we’re evolving alongside the industry. While we’ll be in a new location, attendees will enjoy the same high-caliber content they’ve come to expect from our events.
We’re also excited to offer an array of exciting onsite events for our attendees, including a golf tournament at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club and an outdoor event at the JW Marriott’s incredible poolside Oasis Cabanas. Relationships are key in our industry, and we look forward to offering these exciting new networking opportunities.
During the early part of the program, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will be interviewed alongside Thomas P. Gallagher, Chairman and CEO of Miami International Holdings. What can attendees expect from that discussion?
One of the things we’ve long prioritized is adding a local flavor to our conference program. We’re thrilled that we’ve been able to continue this commitment in our new location with a two-term governor of Florida and the longtime leader of one of our industry’s most important Florida-based businesses. Among other things, Governor Bush and Mr. Gallagher will discuss the financial services industry’s rapidly growing presence in Florida and the opportunities that lie ahead. They’ll also turn their attention to our nation’s shifting exchange landscape, recent SEC proposals and how the November elections could impact our markets. This is not one to be missed!
With the backdrop of an election year, there is perhaps more uncertainty than usual around the future direction of our market structure. How will this be addressed in the program?
This will be a recurring topic throughout our program. Most notably, we’ll have a Friday morning session highlighted by DC experts that will dive into the current state of legislative affairs, industry regulation and the short- and long-term impacts that each election outcome could have. But more generally, this uncertainty will provide the backdrop for just about every session in our program. Every challenge our members face has effectively doubled in size – they must be equally prepared for a Democratic administration and a Republican administration, not to mention any combination of outcomes in the House and Senate elections. Our speakers will address this uncertainty wherever it is necessary.
Any other program highlights people should be aware of?
While we’re in a new location, there will still be plenty of focus on happenings in our nation’s capital. SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda will be interviewed on Thursday morning, offering his perspective on the commission’s recent activities. In addition, the program will feature a fireside chat with former SEC Commissioner Dan Gallagher and former Division of Trading and Markets Director Brett Redfearn. There will also be a panel discussing suggested priorities for future regulation featuring speakers from Robinhood, Morgan Stanley and GTS Securities. Finally, I’ll be interviewing Bryan Smith, Senior Vice President, Complex Investigations and Intelligence at FINRA, on how FINRA is detecting and combating cyber-crime. Mr. Smith is a former FBI agent with over two decades of investigative experience. If you’re interested in unique insights into how our leaders shape our market structure, you’ll find them in Orlando.
Beyond the industry-focused content, the STA Foundation will give out its annual awards at the conference – tell us about this year’s honorees.
Giving out our STA Foundation awards is always a highlight. This year, our Dictum Meum Pactum Award will be given to Chris Halverson, Director, Institutional Sales at CAPIS. The Dictum Meum Pactum Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our industry and show integrity in all they do – the Latin phrase translates to “my word is my bond” and is STA’s founding principle. Chris is a past STA Chair who has faithfully served our organization and dedicates his time to various charities, both locally in Dallas and beyond. In addition, as part of our pre-conference Women in Finance Symposium, our 2024 Woman Mentor of the Year award will go to Patty Schuler, Senior Vice President of Business Development at BOX Options. Patty played an instrumental role in the initial launch of our STA Women in Finance initiative and has provided vital support and mentorship to female colleagues throughout her career.
Tell us about this year’s Charity of Choice, Brave Gowns, and the presence that organization will have onsite.
Philanthropy is an important part of STA’s mission – each year, we select a charity to partner with and give them the opportunity to attend our events, tell their stories and build relationships with our members and sponsors, in addition to supporting them financially. This year’s charity is Brave Gowns, an organization that provides customized hospital gowns to children struggling with illness. In doing so, they fulfill an important need for children in the hospital facing an unimaginably difficult experience. While it can’t eliminate every challenge for the children and their families, a new hospital gown with a vibrant design that reflects a child’s personality and interests can make each day that much brighter. We greatly look forward to welcoming Brave Gowns in Orlando and educating our members on the surprising and significant difference a hospital gown can make.
