Conferences: a timesavers' guide to the SCCE's annual event

Hundreds of compliance and ethics officers will be descending on Chicago on September 12-15 for the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics’ (SCCE) annual Compliance & Ethics Institute (CEI).

Billed as the primary education and networking event for all those working in the compliance and ethics profession around the world, it is going to be an extremely busy four days. If attendees are going to take full advantage of the outstanding program, some careful planning will be needed.

Juggling the vast selection of plenary sessions, roundtables, breakouts and networking events – not to mention the after-work social activities – is an exercise in time-management itself. But with a little pre-planning, and possibly the use of this handy guide, you will be able to take full advantage of the program and walk away educated, entertained, inspired and refreshed.

The venue
The stylish and comfortable Swissôtel Chicago, designed by noted local architect Harry Weese, sitting on the southern edge of the Chicago River and only steps from Lake Michigan, plays host to this year’s CEI. Attendees will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy many of the city’s more famous attractions. For first-time visitors, a stroll along the lake, through Millennium Park and Grant Park and culminating in a visit to the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium is a must.

Trivia tip: Chicago’s moniker of the Windy City is a bone of contention, largely because Chicago is not actually that windy. It doesn’t even rank in the country’s top 10 windiest places. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the windiest cities in terms of average wind speed in the 48 contiguous US states are Dodge City in Kansas, Amarillo in Texas and Rochester in Minnesota. Even New York and Oklahoma City rank above Chicago on this front.

Who’s who
SCCE always attracts some of the world’s leading compliance and ethics experts, and this year is no exception. In addition to senior SEC officials and some of the top service providers and vendors available, plus leading lawyers in the field of ethics and fraud prevention, the conference boasts an impressive array of in-house corporate speakers who will share personal and professional insights.

Some of the leading luminaries include: Odell Guyton, director of compliance at Microsoft; Michael Bednar, senior director of operations compliance at Wal-Mart; Meric Bloch, vice president of corporate investigations at Adecco; John Chico, global compliance manager at Johnson Controls; Grace Renbarger, vice president of legal and chief ethics and compliance officer at Dell; William Jacobson, co-general counsel and chief compliance officer at Weatherford International; and Steve Epstein, chief counsel for compliance and ethics at Boeing.

Bonus tip: Two speakers not to be missed are Jim Skinner, CEO of McDonald’s, who gives a keynote address on Tuesday at 8.30 am, and BP America’s senior counsel Mildred Calhoun, who presents part of the risk program at 3.00 pm, also on Tuesday.

Making friends
While the conference officially kicks off on Monday morning, there are plenty of reasons to get in earlier. Sunday afternoon features an opening cocktail reception that wraps up early so you can enjoy dinner at one of the many outstanding restaurants in the city.

First time at SCCE? Don’t know anyone? Here’s a tip: the SCCE management is posting a selection of dinner venues outside the exhibit hall with price range and estimated cab fare to help you choose one. All you have to do is sign up for the venue you’re interested in and meet at the restaurant. This is a great opportunity to meet some new people in a smaller setting.

Another tip: use your first trip to the exhibit hall on Sunday to introduce yourself to some of the 24 sponsors and exhibitors. Many of them have arranged private parties at some of the best venues in the city. You could network your way into a great meal and perhaps make some useful contacts at the same time.

Monday night is the annual dinner and awards presentation. Make sure to RSVP to let the SCCE management know you are coming; it’s free, but the society needs to know numbers.

Like to mix a little altruism in with your conferencing? You’re in luck. The Saturday before the conference is the SCCE volunteer program. This year attendees can join efforts with the Greater Chicago Food Depository to help properly and efficiently distribute quality food to participating food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. The project takes place on Saturday from 12.00 noon to 4.30 pm, and transport will be provided to and from the hotel.

Hot topics
There is never any shortage of interesting and controversial topics at the SCCE conference but this year has a few more than usual, with a total of 45 breakout sessions and more than 70 speakers. Each day features a general session directly following breakfast. There are four breakout periods when attendees must choose between any one of six topics, but don’t worry: there are plenty of breaks to allow time for vital networking and refilling that coffee mug.

With so much on offer there are bound to be sessions you will miss but some of the most popular panels this year include: Tackling social networking risks; In-house counsel and compliance officer: can both hats sit on the same person?; Mergers and acquisitions; Anti-corruption/anti-bribery; and What to do when the government comes knocking.

In addition, if anyone is interested in sitting for the Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional qualification, there is an exam at 2.00 pm on Wednesday afternoon. If you are considering sitting this exam, there are 25 sessions the SCCE has identified as being particularly helpful as a primer. You can find details of these in the conference brochure.

The final curtain
The conference officially comes to an end at noon on Wednesday (if you are sitting the CCEP exam plan to be there until at least 4.00 pm), which gives you plenty of time to beat rush hour traffic to the airport.

If you are interested in staying on and letting your mind relax after three days of intense compliance education, however, there are plenty of things happening to keep you amused. For sports fans, the White Sox take on Minnesota at US Cellular Field on Wednesday night before the Detroit Tigers come to town Friday-Sunday.

If music is more your thing, Alice in Chains play the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island on Thursday night and Dave Matthews is at Wrigley Field on Friday. Blue Man Group plays a regular performance every night at the Briar Street Theatre and there are several special exhibits taking place that week, including a history display at Navy Pier.

Whatever you decide to do, it will definitely be worth marking your calendar for the 2011 event where you will be able to reconnect with all the friends and contacts you met and made this year.