The Tribune

The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Caribbean Conference 2014, the largest trust conference held in the region annually, will convene at Atlantis from May 12-14, under the theme ‘Exploring the Possibilities’.

The conference will focus on issues faced by trust practitioners, including evolving client needs, mastering the complexities of trust business on a local, regional and global scale, and the influence of new technologies on the industry. Prime Minister Perry Christie will bring opening remarks.

Dianne Bingham, senior manager of private banking and trust at Bank of the Bahamas International, and chairperson for the conferernce, said the event will continue an important dialogue on issues that threaten the survival of international financial centres (IFCs).

“IFCs play an intricate part in global financing. We structure business and individuals to enable them to operate legitimately in a more cost friendly environment,” Mrs Bingham said.

“STEP CC14 will bring global industry colleagues and professionals together in the same forum to address the ongoing challenges of IFCs and seek resolutions to those challenges with Government and tegulators to ensure the survival and continuity of international financial centres.”

She added that the conference schedule includes presentations on international regulatory pressures on IFCs, and IFCs’ best options for responding to those pressures. Sessions will also examine trends such as the impact of social media on the trustee-beneficiary relationship, and jurisdictional matters including the threat of kidnapping.

Mrs Bingham said the conference will offer presentations by Bahamian professionals from Graham Thompson and Co, Deloitte and Touche, Higgs & Johnson, the Ministry of Financial Services and Ernst and Young.

STEP CC14 is supported by the presenting sponsor, the Ministry of Financial Services, the Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) and the Association of International Banks and Trust Companies (AIBT), along with leading law firms, accounting firms, offshore banks and trust companies, and other financial Institutions.