It’s that time of year again. ISITC. Boston. March. By far my favorite event on the standards calendar. I like it so much I built an app for it.
Just as recruitment consultants advise clients of a certain vintage to quietly remove their graduation dates to avoid age profiling, I’ve adopted a similar position with this annual event. Now in it’s 20th year, I haven’t been to every one, but let’s just
say it’s been quite a few.
I’ll never forget my first. I sat in on a Settlements Working Group session and we huddled round a few printed copies of the 15022 specs for the 54x messages - the beginnings of what became the US Settlements and Confirmation Market Practice, now up to
v35.x!!
I felt immediately at home. It was the first time I’d met other people who cared about tags and fields as much as I did. Up until then I thought I might have something seriously wrong in the head.
I’ll also never forget my time as Chair in 2006 and 2007. Delivering a 30-minute speech before 400+ people was not exactly in my repertoire of skills at the time. This year Jeff Zoller of T. Rowe Price is in those same shoes as the new Chairman and I’m
confident that he’ll do a great job. During my time as Chair I developed a tremendous respect and appreciation for the ISITC Marketing Committee. Year after year this team does an absolutely unbelievable job of organizing the event.
The keynote speaker this year is Carla Harris from Morgan Stanley. Everyone I know that has seen Carla speak positively raves about her, so expectations are pretty high.
Throughout the day in the breaks between the panel sessions please pop into the vendor exhibition hall. I always think this is ISITC at its vendor-neutral finest. Vendors, utilities, consultants, service providers, network providers, banks, regardless
of their size and influence, are all afforded a single table upon which to display their wares. A completely level playing field for the smallest David and the largest Goliath. Everyone is invited to play.
On Monday night when they take the beer away, when the lobsters are all gone, and when the day-pass folks have left, it is the hard core gang that remains who will continue the real work of ISITC.