The Business & Financial Conference is the annual meeting for public power professionals in the areas of business and finance, offering 60+ sessions bringing you the latest in:
- Accounting & Finance
- Customer Accounting & Services
- Human Resources & Training
- Information Technology
- Pricing & Market Analysis
- Risk Management & Insurance
Join the interest list to receive the latest information about this conference. Questions? Please contact us at 202-467-2919 or email [email protected].
Registration
Registration for the 2019 B&F Conference is currently open (Register) if you'd like to register before seeing the agenda. Register by August 23 to receive early-bird pricing. After August 23 prices increase. Book your hotel reservations directly with the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.
Who Should Attend
Conference attendees get the latest information from experts in their fields, learn about the national issues and industry-wide activities and trends that are affecting their communities and utilities, and share experiences and strategies for dealing with key issues and challenges at more than 50 breakout sessions and roundtables. Bringing together more than 450 public power professionals, the conference is ideal for both industry veterans and those new to the electric utility industry who are interested in professional development and networking.
Conference sessions are designed for utility employees at both the professional and management levels, in the fields of accounting and finance; customer accounting and services; human resources and training; information technology; and pricing and market analysis. Attendees typically include specialists, coordinators, analysts, managers, directors and vice presidents in their area of specialty. The conference is also recommended for utility employees with interests and responsibilities in conference topics and with cross-departmental responsibilities, as well as rising stars and future leaders those who would benefit from learning more about these strategic areas and making connections with the national public power community.
Conference Mentor Program
If you’re a first-time attendee, or the only one from your organization, pair up with a seasoned conference-goer who’ll show you the ropes. Your mentor will meet you at Sunday evening’s welcome reception and stay in touch with you throughout the conference.
Want to have a conference mentor or serve as one? Select the check box on the registration form or contact us at [email protected] or 202-467-2919.
Serve as an Officer
Utility employees play a vital role in planning the conference to bring you the important topics. Incoming Vice Chairs for committees will be selected in July. Email [email protected] if you are interested in taking a leadership position in the conference by serving as an officer for one of the following tracks:
- Accounting & Finance
- Customer Accounting & Services
- Human Resources & Training
- Information Technology and
- Pricing & Market Analysis
- Risk Management & Insurance
Conference Co-Host
More Information
Registration
Phone: 202-467-2978; Email: [email protected]
Hotel
Phone: 202-467-2941; Email: [email protected]
Program/Content
Phone: 202-467-2919; Email: [email protected]
Billing
Phone: 202-467-2967; Fax: 202-495-7467; Email: [email protected]
Program
The Business & Financial Conference offers four days of keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities from Monday to Wednesday, September 16–18, 2019. Preconference seminars on Sunday, September 15, are a great value-add. Learn more about each of these offerings.
- Preconference seminars
- General sessions
- Breakout sessions
Breakout Sessions
Benefit from engaging breakout sessions led by industry experts and public power colleagues — take home actionable ideas and tactics.
Breakout sessions are offered on Monday through Wednesday, September 16–18. Several breakout sessions run concurrently in each time slot and you can go to any sessions you like. Browse sessions below or download the program PDF for a listing by date/time that you can share with colleagues and use to plan your itinerary.
Sessions cover the following tracks or topic areas:
- Customer Accounting & Services
- General Accounting, Finance & Audit
- Human Resources & Training
- Information Technology
- Pricing & Market Analysis
- Risk Management & Insurance NEW!
Agenda at a Glance
Sunday, September 15
8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Registration
8:30 a.m. – Noon
Preconference Seminars
- Performing a Utility Financial Check-Up
- Distributed Energy Resources: Overview of Financial Risk and Opportunities
- Talent Wars: Are You Ready for the Next Generation?
1:30 – 5 p.m.
Preconference Seminars
- Utility Rates at the Crossroad: Emerging Rate Designs
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception
Monday, September 16
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Conference Registration
7 – 8 a.m.
Networking Continental Breakfast
8 – 8:45 a.m.
Opening General Session
- Chair's Address - Decosta Jenkins, President and CEO, Nashville Electric Service, Tennessee, and Chair, American Public Power Association
- State of Public Power - Sue Kelly, President and CEO, American Public Power Association
8:45 – 9:15 a.m.
Break with Sponsors
9:15 – 10:15 a.m.
Breakout Sessions
- Customer Accounting and Services Roundtable
- Internal Audit: Your Best Offense
- Giving the Green Light: The Rise of the Environmentally Friendly Bond Market
- Human Resources & Training Roundtable
- Information Technology Roundtable
- Thinking Outside the Box on Rate Design
- Contractual Risk Considerations
10:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Break with Sponsors
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Breakout Sessions
- AMI: Don't Hesitate, It's Great
- Small Utility Roundtable
- Large Utility Roundtable
- Joint Action Agency Roundtable
- Attracting, Inspiring, and Retaining Millennial Talent
- Behind-the-Meter Storage: Market Evolution, Customer Economics, and Utility Impacts
- Risk Management & Insurance Roundtable
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch on your own
1:30 – 3 p.m.
Breakout Sessions
- Enabling Customer Engagement Through AMI
- Welcome to the Wonderful World of Leases
- Pay Now, Save Later: The Benefits of Tax-Exempt Prepayments
- Doing More with Less: Adding HR Support Without Adding Head Count
- The Right Rate at the Right Time: Lessons Learned from the Time-Varying Rates
- Business Continuity 101: Readying for the Storm
3 – 3:15 p.m.
Break with Sponsors
3:15 – 4:30 p.m.
Breakout Sessions
- Building an Effective Training Program
- We Need Closure
- What's in Your Piggy Bank
- The Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion
- Cyber Awareness: ISACs and Other Lifelines to Information
- Rate Design: Don't Forget About Commercial and Industrial Customers
- Balancing the Rewards and Risks of the Energy Markets
4:45 – 5:15 p.m.
Breakout Session
- Resource Central: Association Benefits for You
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Young Professionals Happy Hour
Tuesday, September 17
7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Conference Registration
7 – 8:15 a.m.
Women in Public Power Networking Breakfast
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Networking Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 10 a.m.
Breakout Sessions
- Getting the Best Out of Your CSRs
- The Great GASB
- Are Your Working for Your Bank or are They Working for You?
- Networking Discussions: Hot Topics in HR
- Knowbe4: Cybersecurity Safety for Employees
- Load Forecasting and Strategic Rate Design
- Evaluation and Quantifying Your Reputational Risk
10 – 10:15 a.m.
Break with Sponsors
10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
Breakout Sessions
- Maximize Your Customer Adoption of Electronic Billing and Payments
- The Great GASB, the Sequel
- Forecasting Your Utility's Financial Future
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! A Discussion on All Things Health Insurance
- Cybersecurity Roundtable
- Electric Vehicles: How Much Will Demand Change?
- What's Happening in the Insurance Market
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch on your own
1:30 – 3 p.m.
Breakout Sessions
- Telecommuting: There's No Place Like Home
- The Power of Data Analytics
- Rating Agency Panel
- Evolving Employment Liability Trends: There's No Such Thing as a Risk-Free Workplace
- You Can't Do It All: The MSP Experience
- Beyond Billing: Getting the Most from AMI
3 – 3:15 p.m.
Break with Sponsors
3:15 – 4:30 p.m.
Breakout Sessions
- Improve Collections with AMI & System Integration
- Fraud Alert: Today's Biggest Security Threats
- Directors and Officers Insurance: It's Not Just About Mergers and Acquisitions
- Develop and Implement a Compensation Plan that Works
- Life After Email
- Pricing and Market Analysis Roundtable
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Reception
Join your colleagues for an evening reception. You are welcome to bring a guest.
Wednesday, September 18
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Networking Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 10 a.m.
Breakout Sessions
- Supporting Low-Income Customers Through Creative Programs
- Change Management: Countering "That's the Way We've Always Done It!"
- What is Your Cyber Responsibility
- New Ideas for Recovering Fixed Costs
10 – 10:15 a.m.
Break
10:15 – 11:30 a.m.
Closing General Session
11:30 a.m.
Adjourn
Platinum Sponsors
Registration
Register now!
Conference Fees
Register by August 16, 2019, to receive these conference registration rates:
- Association Members: $775
- Nonmembers: $1,550
Pre-Conference Seminar Fees
Preconference seminars require a separate registration fee. Register by August 16, 2019, to receive these preconference seminar registration rates:
- Association Members (half day): $350
- Nonmembers (half day): $700
Seminars include:
- Performing a Utility Financial Check-Up
- Distributed Energy Resources: Overview of Financial Risk and Opportunities
- Talent Wars: Are You Ready for the Next Generation?
- Trending Complexities in Public Utility Accounting
- Utility Rates at the Crossroad: Emerging Rate Designs
After August 16, 2019, all registration fees will increase by $50.
Not an American Public Power Association member? Join today and save $775 on your conference registration. Call Member Services at 202-467-2936 email [email protected] to learn more.
Conference Mentor Program
If you’re a first-time attendee, or the only one from your organization, pair up with a seasoned conference-goer who’ll show you the ropes. Your mentor will meet you at the Sunday Welcome Reception and stay in touch with you throughout the conference.
Want to have a conference mentor or serve as one? Select the check box on the online or PDF registration form or contact us at [email protected], or call 202-467-2965.
Questions?
Email [email protected].
Hotel
Scam Alert
Make your reservations only through the American Public Power Association website. Do not make hotel reservations through any third party that may contact you by phone or email. Use only the online reservation link or the phone numbers and codes provided in brochures from the American Public Power Association.
Conference Location & Hotel
All conference events will take place at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. The American Public Power Association has room blocks at the following:
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
1300 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55403
- Group rate: Single/Double $215 per night (plus 13.15% tax)
- Check in: 3 p.m. / Check out: Noon
- Main telephone: 612-370-1234
- Complimentary standard wireless internet
Reservations
- Attendee group code: G-PPWR
- Reservation telephone: 888-591-1234
- Reservation cut-off date: August 23, 2019
Silver Sponsors
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when is the next Business & Financial Conference?
September 13-16, 2020
Hyatt Regency Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
What educational credits are available?
Academy events include the following opportunities for educational credits:
- Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)
- Professional Development Hours (PDHs) as established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)
- Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Ccedits from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Is there international registration?
Online meeting registration is for U.S. and Canadian residents only. International registrants must provide a signed registration form — signed by the authorized cardholder — if paying with a credit card. Fax the completed registration form to 202-495-7484 or email it to [email protected].
Alternatively, you could send a check from a U.S. bank payable to American Public Power Association. Please mail completed form with full payment to our bank lock box:
American Public Power Association
P.O. Box 418617
Boston, MA 02241-8617
Are meals included?
The following food functions/meals are included in the registration fee:
- Sunday - Welcome Reception
- Monday - Continental Breakfast
- Tuesday - Continental Breakfast; Reception
- Wednesday – Continental Breakfast
What is the conference dress code?
The attire for the conference is business casual. Meeting room temperatures vary, so prepare to dress for cool conditions.
How can I present at the conference?
We welcome your topic and speaker ideas for future conferences and events. To submit your idea for consideration, complete this form. Conference topics are generally determined 6-8 months before the event is held. Ideas will be kept on file for a full year, so if the agenda for the conference has already been determined, your ideas will be considered for the next year’s event, or in case any space opens up in the current year’s program. You will be contacted only if your idea is selected for an upcoming conference.
