Welcome to the Pensions Conference 2009

3-5 June 2009, Queen's Hotel, Leeds

One of the fun parts of organising this conference is choosing the theme and cover style. It's an opportunity for the committee to exercise their artistic side and usually some light relief from deciding things such as how many mortality sessions to have.

There had to be a storm, but is it already here or should it be approaching us? If it's not here, will it be here in June? Should it be a storm facing the actuarial profession or the economic storm we currently find ourselves in?

We considered the perfect storm as a strap line, with perhaps a nod to the poster image from Wolfgang Petersen's movie of the same name. Someone asked, how can something be considered perfect when people will lose their jobs and livelihoods? How does that movie end by the way?

There is no doubt though that these are some of the most challenging economic conditions that we have ever faced. Some of us have never faced a recession in our careers, never mind conditions that could lead to fundamental changes to the way we do business.

Actuaries have already come under pressure. Many of the financial models we use have proven inadequate for today's financial system.

But as asset values decline and risk becomes more complex, shouldn't our advice be needed now more than ever? How do we go on proving that we have something relevant to say?

This year's conference aims to address some of these themes. But in the true spirit of anchoring, a topic that you can find out more about in this year's programme, we've tried to keep many of the ingredients that were so well received last year. So whilst you can learn more about how to assess employer covenant in current conditions and the latest longevity ideas, you could also find out who generation Y are or participate in workshop-based debates and discussions.

To help you navigate your way through the workshops, we've grouped them in the printed brochure using a colour scheme. If you want to get fired up and involved in some of the debates of today, then look for orange. To hear about how the future will shape up go green. For intellectual challenge, go for blue technical sessions. To get up to speed on some of the wider issues around pensions choose purple, and to share experience pick yellow.

In the plenary sessions, you'll find focus on the economic challenges we have faced and where next, the future of pensions social policy, and what risk management might look like in 10 years time. We close the event with a debate - actuaries need to re-train to survive.

To ensure the programme is relevant to June 2009, we've also hedged our bets and slotted in a selection of hot topics sessions where some of the industry's leading figures will give their take on the issues of the day.

The challenges faced by pension actuaries are not ours alone and we encourage attendance from outside the actuarial profession to contribute to discussion and debate.

We look forward to seeing you in Leeds in June.

Adrian Jones, Chairman

Actuarial profession staff at the conference

Maria Singleton, Head of Professional Community Support Staff, will be present at the conference, along with several members of the Pensions Practice Executive Committee. They will be interested in hearing your views on what more the executive committees can do for you.

Fleur Morrison, Press and PR Officer, will provide information on communication activities, including the new Pensions Forum by which you can discuss conference topics during and after the conference.

Richard Smith will also be there with the Publications Shop - come and have a look at a selection for books on pensions themes.

Claire Marsh, Sunita Dhawan, Emma Wood and Nicola Orriss of the Event Management Division will also be there to help you with any issues relating to the organisation of the conference.