I look forward to speaking at AQ Research's conference next week on "The Future of Research", Dec. 5, Grand Hyatt, New York.

Full schedule here.

 AGENDA THE FUTURE OF RESEARCH MORNING SESSIONS


08.00 Welcome and Introduction: Graham Field, Managing Director, AQ Research 08.15 Keynote address: Dan Chornous, Chief Investment Officer, RBC Asset Management

08.45 Major Trends in Research A review of the main factors influencing the development of research in North America: - The aftermath of the global settlement - The future of independent research - The impact of unbundling - The rise of hedge funds Speakers to include: Stefano Natella, Global Head of Research, Credit Suisse. Chair: Michael Mayhew, co-CEO, Integrity Research Associates; Eric Frank, Global Managing Director, Investment Management Division, Thomson Financial

09.40 Research Performance Measurement Performance measurement will be a key ingredient in assessing and pricing research.

 But who performs well – and which metrics make most sense? - Quantitative and qualitative tools - All round performance measurement – integrating the elements - Implementing organizational change Speakers to include: Robin Hodgkins, President, Cogent Consulting;William Russell-Smith, Commercial Director,AQ Research; John Wiseman, Manager, AlphaMetrics North America.

Chair: Michael Mayhew, co-CEO, Integrity Research Associates

10.25 REFRESHMENT BREAK

10.45 Research pricing Fidelity has already struck hard dollar deals with research providers. How much further will the research pricing trend go? - Is hard dollar the way of the future? - How does the buyside evaluate and price research? - Should the sellside go down the menu pricing route? Speakers to Include: Lisa Shallett, Chairman and CEO, Sanford C Bernstein; Paul Spillane, CEO, Soleil Securities.

Chair: Albert Alonzo,AQ Research

11.45 Expert Networks Expert networks have become a powerful addition to the research proposition.

 But how can they be built and where are they most effective? Speakers to include: Stanton Green, CEO Vista Research David Teten, CEO, Nitron Advisors, LLC

12.30 LUNCH Michael Mayhew Integrity Research Associates Stefano Natella Credit Suisse John Wiseman FactSet Lisa Shallett Sanford C Bernstein Dan Chornous RBC Asset Management William Russell-Smith AQ Research Robin Hodgkins Cogent Consulting

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

13.30 The Global Research Picture How does the research outlook for North America compare with – and relate to – what has been happening in Europe (and Asia).

 - Does a global offering still make sense? - What will the impact of MiFID and unbundling be? - Is outsourcing part of a global solution? Chair: Sanford (Sandy) Bragg, co-CEO, Integrity Research Associates Speakers to include: John Lowrey, Head of European Electronic Client Services, Lehman Brothers; Charles Gepp, Global Head, Research Initiatives, Reuters

14.30 Equity and Fixed Income Research Convergence The buyside can see the advantages, but how far can it go in reality? - Does regulation encourage or discourage convergence? - Is cooperation the realistic alternative? Chair: Sanford (Sandy) Bragg, co-CEO, Integrity Research Associates Speakers to include: Margaret Cannella, Head of Americas Corporate Research, JPMorgan; Jim Linnehan, Managing Director, Investment Banking and Research,Thomson Financial

15.15 REFRESHMENT BREAK


15.30 Research Product Management The creation and delivery of an effective product has to lie at the center of any research business. - How can the research product be differentiated? - What role can RIXML play in improving distribution and utilization of research? Speakers to include: David Richeson, Global IT Program Manager, Deutsche Bank; Skye Hauptman, CEO, BlueMatrix

16.30 Making Research Pay How can research be changed from being a cost center into being a profit center? - What role can research play in the equities business? - What organizational structures will deliver the best research product? - Does research on small and mid cap stocks make economic sense? Speakers to include: David Weild IV, CEO,The National Research Exchange; Shubh Saumya and Jai Sinha, Partners, Booz Allen; Scott Lessing, Chief Operating Officer, Citigroup Investment Research

17.30 COCKTAIL PARTY – Sponsored by BlueMatrix