The NASPP Blog

With the NASPP’s 20th Annual Conference quickly approaching, my staff and I have been reminiscing about past Conferences. For today’s blog, I share some of my fondest memories of past NASPP Conferences.

Share your own memory of a past NASPP Conference.

My Initiation to the NASPP

The first NASPP Conference I attended was in 1998 in Washington, DC–I still have the Conference book with my notes in it. I don’t remember much about that Conference anymore, other than being impressed with the sheer volume of information delivered by the presenters and the number of attendees. Also, I got to visit with Mark Borges, who I hadn’t seen since he left ShareData for the SEC. Seeing old friends and making new friends has always been one of the best parts of the NASPP Conference for me. It feels like a reunion where you are genuinely happy to see everyone (unlike, say, your high school reunion where you never liked half the people there).

IRS Regs Premiered

Another highlight for me was the “IRS and Treasury Speaks Panel” at the 2009 Conference. This was just before Treasury released the final regs under both Sections 423 and 6039–projects that had been in the works for several years. I had warned Helen Morrison of Treasury that our members were looking for information on these projects and that she’d better come with an update. She did better than that–she gave our members a preview of the final regs before they were released (they were officially released the following week). The NASPP had provided extensive comments on the regs and it was very cool that our members got a glimpse of them before anyone else.

The Role-Playing

I’ve seen a lot of great sessions at the NASPP Conference (and I like to think I’ve led a few myself), but some of the best have been the panels led by Boyd Brown of Intel and Gorden Klepper from Marriott. First, Boyd never shies away from a tough question and I’ve learned most of what I know about FICA taxes and RSUs from his sessions. But even more memorably, Boyd and Gordon often feature role playing in their sessions to hilarious results. Sometimes other panelists are drawn into the game as well, as during their session at the 2010 Conference, which included skits, props, and audience participation.

The Loot

The exhibit hall is always a lot of fun. I remember Sibson Consulting offering freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in their booth; I have handcuffs from Baker & McKenzie, a stuffed bear from Linklaters (we named him “Link”), and a stuffed bull from Merrill Lynch (we named him “Merrill”). I also still have my coffee mug commemorating the 10th anniversary of the NASPP Conference–it’s a little large so we use it for hot cocoa. But my favorite gift from the exhibit hall is a Polaroid of me with an actuary (Terry Adamson) that I won by playing Radford’s Monte Carlo Simulation. My only regret is that I didn’t make Terry sign the picture.

Share Your Own Memories

To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are collecting memories from our attendees of their fondly remembered Conference moments. It could be your favorite Conference, a session that you were impressed with, a speaker you look forward to hearing every year, a prize that you won–really, any fond memory related to the Conference. Submit your memory today.

– Barbara