The Association For Governmental Leasing & Finance (AGLF) Announces The Success of its 2016 Annual Conference

 

Mt Royal, NJ – The 36th Annual Association for Governmental Leasing & Finance Conference was held from May 4-6, 2016 at the Omni Charlotte hotel in downtown Charlotte. The AGL&F Conference’s theme, tailored to its setting at the home of NASCAR, was “Racing Toward Excellence in Public Finance.”

The Conference kicked off on Wednesday afternoon with two sessions covering the basics of municipal and federal leasing. This led right into the first keynote speaker covering issues of cybersecurity. The highlight of the evening, and maybe of the entire Conference, was when Darrell “Buzz” Larsen of Chapman & Cutler was given the AGL&F’s Jay Terry Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thursday morning started bright and early with an entertaining and inspiring multimedia presentation by world explorer and creator of the World’s Triathlon, Charlie Wittack, followed by an economic update from Mark Vitner, the Chief Economist for Wells Fargo Securities. Conference attendees then had the unexpected pleasure of being able to sit in on the first ever “Municipal Shark Tank.” The rest of the day saw attendees having to choose among multiple breakout sessions, not the least of which was a panel of representatives from the City of Charlotte, State of North Carolina, and other private participants to discuss the successful Public-Private Partnership (P3) that led to the construction of the nearby NASCAR Hall of Fame. Attendees then were able to see the facility first-hand at an evening networking event at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Capital One Public Funding.

The Conference wrapped up on Friday with a full morning of industry-specific sessions. This included a panel of representatives from the rating agencies discussing recent credit trends, including pockets of concern and the impact of Pension and OPEB liabilities on their analysis. And what would the AGL&F Conference be without the infamous securities and tax update session, and of course, the Lawyer’s Panel? Attendees who stayed until the end were entered into a drawing for prizes, in addition to the generous gifts that the sponsors had already provided at check-in.

After such a successful Conference, attendees were already talking excitedly about next year’s Conference which will take place at the Omni Interlocken Hotel near Denver from May 3-5, 2017.

 

The Association for Governmental Leasing & Finance is a nonprofit association whose membership is comprised of companies actively engaged in governmental and non-profit leasing and finance. AGLF was founded in 1981 to provide an educational forum and industry oversight among issuers, leasing companies, investment banking firms, banks, and third-party lease brokers who participate in the lease-purchase financing of real and personal property to state and local governments. Law firms, municipal bond insurers and rating agencies complement the membership, as do equipment vendors.