In the context of asset allocation, gold plays an important role within investors' portfolios as a source of diversification, risk management and capital preservation. However, allocations to gold within a portfolio remain extremely low, especially among institutional investors where less than 0.3% of all assets is invested in gold. For investors seeking to achieve "true" diversification, an outright position in gold provides benefits that complement other assets, including alternative investments that cannot be replicated by simply investing in a broad basket of commodities. Research shows that a modest, consistent holding of gold increases long-term risk-adjusted returns while reducing portfolio value at risk complementing other alternative investments in an institutional portfolio. During this presentation we will also discuss the most current trends in demand and supply and drivers of gold's performance over the past decade

Investment Research, World Gold Council

Partner, Bernstein Liebhard LLP

• How are public funds preparing for the next economic cycle
• Near term future of the US economy
• What returns are expected?
• Understanding and adapting to the evolving landscape of pension funding
• Best Practices to Control Expenses and Streamline Board Business
• What role should investment banks or fund managers have in dispensing strategic asset allocation advice to public funds
• Government reform, impact of pending legislation

Moderator:
Director, Arizona State Retirement System

Panelists:
Chief Investment Officer, Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System
Executive Director, Minnesota State Board of Investment
Trustee, Virginia Retirement System

• Regulatory issues
• How to differentiate your fund?
• What investors need to know about current opportunities in hedge funds
• SEC influence
• New expectations pension plans have for hedge fund managers
• What risks should public funds be aware of?
• Management fees
• Role of the consultant
• Manager incentives and expenses associated with hedge funds
• What is the value added by hedge funds (alpha)?
• What are their systematic market exposures (betas)? 
• How much leverage is too much?
• Should your fund invest directly or through fund-of-funds? 
• How much transparency do you need?
• Are hedge fund fees justified?  
• Do hedge funds increase or reduce risk for pension funds? 
• Changing economics for hedge fund managers
• How will hedge funds fit into an institutional investor's portfolio
• Which hedge fund strategies will thrive in the current market environment?
• Legal issues

Moderator:
Senior Managing Director, Cliffwater LLC

Panelists:
President & Founder,Titan Advisors
CEO, CIO & Portfolio Manager, 300 NORTH CAPITAL
Associate Director & Portfolio Manager, Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company
Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners
Principal, Acting Managing Director, SUNRISE CAPITAL PARTNERS

• The changing face of global investing
• How increased diversification lead to investment gains in 2011
• Responding to a rebounding economy
• Opportunities in distressed investing
• What are the best strategies for the future
• Investment opportunities in a zero interest rate environment
• Robust corporate credit fundamentals
• Short duration high yield - under owned and undervalued

Moderator:
City of Chicago Treasurer/ Trustee, Laborers' Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago

Panelists:
Senior Director, S&P Indices
President, Co-CIO, Caywood-Scholl Capital Management
Portfolio Manager, FRED ALGER
Director, Institutional Portfolio Manager, Parametric (Eaton Vance)

• How is the global economy and current global events affecting the public funds space?
• How alternatives diversify a portfolio
• Key mistakes to avoid
• Life settlement solutions
• Where is the growth in alternatives?
• Top alternative asset classes
  

Moderator:
Trustee, Farmington Pension Board, CT

Panelists:
Vice President, INTECH
Head of Quantitative Analysis, FRM
President, diversified global asset management
Head of US Pensions & Consultants,Lyxor Asset Management

• Where should pension funds look to invest in 2012?
• Public Fund allocation trends
• Target allocations and risk tolerance
• Tactical Asset Allocation
• Shelter from the storm...safe investments?
• Investing in alternatives: how much of your portfolio is the right amount?
• What asset classes will perform best in the next 12 months
• The role of hedge funds in asset allocations
• What new asset classes are worth considering?
• Incorporating alternative strategies within traditional strategies
• Determining the optimal investment mix
• Latest methodologies for constructing efficient portfolios
• Pros and cons of risk parity strategies
• Tactical asset allocation

Moderator:
Director of Risk Allocation, Wurts & Associates

Panelists:
Partner, NovaFund Advisors
Credit Strategist, PACIFIC ALTERNATIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY
SVP, Alternative Investments, Pyramis Global Advisors
Managing Director, Bertram Capital

Philip Gocke, Managing Director of the Options Industry Council discusses the practical application of risk reducing strategies in the current market environment. The presentation will highlight studies by the University of Massachusetts, "Loosening Your Collar: Alternative Implementations of QQQ Collars" by Ed Szado and Thomas Schneeweis and "15 years of RUT buy-write" by Ed Szado and Nikunj Kapadia.

Managing Director, Options Industry Council

Attorney, Saxena White

• Learn how market turbulence and systemic risk impact the performance of risky assets
• Learn how these new risk measures can improve the performance of TAA strategies
• Learn how these measures can help investors and policymakers identify systemically important companies

Chief Investment Officer, Windham Capital Management, LLC

• Major trends in the credit markets for 2012
• Exploiting inefficiencies in the credit markets
• The importance of manager flexibility
• Benefits of a long-term strategic allocation to the high yield asset class
• How to use derivatives to express views not available in cash securities
• How will the maturity wall impact the market?

Moderator:
Senior Consultant, Segal Advisors

Panelists:
President and CEO, MONROE CAPITAL LLC
Golub Capital
CFA, Principal, Income Research & Senior Portfolio Manager, Management Zais Group, LLC
Portfolio Manager, Brandywine Global Investment Management

• Which sectors present the greatest risk and what are the risk factors specific to these markets and other Emerging Markets
• Which emerging market will be the best performer in 2012
• Benefits of Diversifying into Emerging and Frontier Markets
• Frontier Markets as a Hedging Strategy
• Africa – The New Frontier
• Investing in BRIC economies

Moderator:
Consultant, Meketa Investment Group

Panelists:
Executive Vice President, Thomas White International, Ltd.
Senior Portfolio Manager, Dupont Capital Management
Portfolio Manager, CCA Event Driven Fund
Executive Vice President and CIO, Wentworth, Hauser, & Violich

• Trends in 2012
• Buying from the FDIC & Banks
• Exit strategies...now more than ever
• Buying notes/debt vs. assets
• Commercial best buys
• What significant opportunities and challenges face the Real Estate sector
• What new areas of opportunity are developing
• Commercial vs. Residential
• The current state of the international and domestic REIT market, public & private Understanding different types of real estate private equity investment strategies
• A closer look at International Real Estate trends
• Distressed Real Estate Strategies

Moderator:
Chairman, Daytona Beach Police and Fire Pension Fund

Panelists:
Partner & Executive Vice President, Real Estate Capital Partners
Chairman & CEO, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation
Vice President, Fortress Partners Funds New Regional Director, Southeast, Boston Real Estate Investments

• The latest regulatory landscape for securities finance
• Developments in cash collateral
• The credit crisis and its impact on the securities lending market
• How plan sponsors and providers reacted
• Is the market supply/demand dynamic changing and if so, what might be the impact?
• Will plans that suspended lending return?
• What changes might we expect in program structure?
• Will greater transparency become the standard?
• What potential regulatory changes might we expect?
• What can plan sponsors do to optimize their programs?

Moderator:
Trustee, Chicago Policemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund

Panelists:
Executive Director, J.P. Morgan
Head of Global Securities Lending, NORTHERN TRUST
Trustee, Boca Raton (FL) Police & Fire Retirement Association

Sponsored by:
SUNRISE CAPITAL PARTNERS

• How do real assets fit into a pension funds portfolio?
• Infrastructure
• Water
• Master Limited Partnerships (MLPS)
• Oil and Gas Investing
• Why commodities...why now?
• What are the real return characteristics of Real assets?
• Direct vs. Indirect Investments
• Risks involved
• Investing in Timber
• Diversifying with Agriculture

Moderator:
Managing Principal, Meketa Investment Group

Panelists:
Partner, FLAG Capital
Managing Partner, Harvest Fund Advisors LLC
Global Head, RREEF Infrastructure
Managing Partner and President, TIMBERVEST

• What are the most pressing issues facing the private equity industry today
• Where are we now... where are we headed
• How are deals being sourced
• Short & Long term expectations
• Emerging Asian economies
• Liquidity issues vs. risk
• What is the cost of capital
• Return expectations
• Buying distressed debt
• Does size matter?
• US Real Estate on sale
• What Private Equity Strategies are producing the best returns?
• How the private equity market has faired since the crash
• Asset allocation decisions and up and coming trends
• Pros and cons of private sale versus going public
• How to build a new private equity program and take it to mature stage - length and phases of the development
• The convergence of Private Equity and hedge funds

Moderator:
Trustee, Oklahoma Firefighters Pension & Retirement System

Panelists:
Vice President, SAIL Capital Partners
Managing Partner, Cushing MLP Asset Management
Managing General Partner, Greenspring Associates, Inc.
Managing Director & Principal, Bronlen Financial Group LLC

• Which areas should public funds pay attention to
• With market volatility a major concern, how should public funds approach commodities?

Moderator:
Investment Analyst, Utah Retirement Systems

Panelists:
Managing Member, Blue Tip Energy Management
Chairman & CEO, Duluth Metals Limited
CEO, TIMBERVEST

• Globalization & rise of the BRIC countries
• The international equity market
• The domestic equity market
• Role of the traditional core portfolio
• Where are the best investment opportunities in 2012
• Domestic vs. International Equity
• Global strategies
• New opportunities ahead?
• Enhanced equity strategies
• What to look for when selecting an equity manager

Moderator:
Treasurer, City of Southfield Michigan

Panelists:
Founding Partner, P2 Capital Partners, Llc
Director of Research, First Pacific Advisors, Inc.
Investment Strategist, Senior Vice President, Westwood Holdings Group
Head of Long/Short Strategies, UBSGlobal Asset Management

Moderator:
Executive Director, Minnesota Teachers Retirement Association

Panelists
Treasurer, State of Utah
Sate Treasurer, State of Iowa
State Treasurer, The State of Idaho
State Treasurer, Arizona State Treasurer's Office

• Protecting your fund from scrutiny
• Fiduciary Reliance on Expert Advice
• Cross border litigation...International Issues
• Avoiding conflict
• Protecting your assets
• Corporate reform and shareholder litigation
• Pending litigation...potential impact
• Recent developments
• Shareholder activism
• Investor protection
• Best practices and compliance issues for the hedge funds and fund of funds
• Conflicts of interest
• Outcome of current legislation and regulations
• SEC update

• Choosing the right consultant for your plan
• How are consultants and pension funds comparing money manager's performance?
• Consultant obligations during manager selection and what characteristics do consultants focus on?
• Choosing a qualified consultant to perform appropriate due diligence.

Moderator:
President, Board of Trustees, City of Aurora Police Money Purchase Pension Plan
Managing Director, Asset Consulting Group, Inc.

Speakers:
Executive Vice President, Callan Associates
Managing Director, Alternative Investing, Pension Consulting Alliance
SVP and Senior Consultant, Investment Performance Services, LLC
Senior Consultant, Allenbridge Epic

Sponsored by:
300 NORTH CAPITAL

Speakers:
Head of Research, RECORD CURRENCY MANAGEMENT

• Top concerns for public pension funds & how they are addressing them
• Asset allocation - expected trends in 2011 & beyond

Moderator:
Managing Director, Public Funds, Watershed Investment Consultants

Panelists:
Head of Global Asset Allocation, Putnam Investments
Managing Director, balestra capital
Managing Director, Blue Harbour Group
Founder and Managing Director, Light Green Advisors

• Selecting & monitoring your managers
• Creating a benchmark
• Legal parameters
• Third party oversight and transparent reporting
• Current litigation...Latest cases and trends

Moderator:
Executive Director, Holyoke Contributory Retirement

Panelists:
Asst. Chief Investment Officer, Arizona State Retirement System
Fiduciary Compliance Consultant, Fiduciary Plan Governance
Trustee, City of Atlanta Firefighter's Pension Fund
Of Counsel, Cohen Milstein

• Regulatory reform
• Meeting long term obligations
• Assumed Investment Rate of Return
• Competing for plan-sponsor resources in times of budget austerity

Moderator:
Executive Director, Denver (CO) Employees Retirement Plan

Panelists:
Principal, Buck Consultants
Executive Director, Duluth (MN) Teachers' Retirement Fund Association
VP Consultant Relations, Pacific Pension Advisors

Sponsored by:
300 NORTH CAPITAL