NOTE: Date moved to July 28. Venue: Columbia University
Inspired by the success of the Energy Rodeo, we are happy to finally announce the first ever Wall Street Oasis Conference to be held in the summer of 2012 in New York, NY.
http://wsoconference.eventbrite.com/
Make sure to get your Early Bird-Monkey Tickets - huge discount! Limited # sold at this price.
Since this is the inaugural conference for WSO, we'd love the communities support in developing the agenda, recruiting speakers, sponsors, panelists, and feedback on the overall framework / agenda. Right now it is pretty open ended, but our target is going to be college students trying to break into finance fields and young finance professionals looking to broaden their network. As the conference takes shape we will continually update this thread.
Here is the current vision:
The Wall Street Oasis Conference is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the finance industry. Areas of focus include: investment banking, private equity, trading, hedge funds, management consulting, resume writing and review, graduate school selection, and question & answers sessions. More importantly, attendees will have ample opportunities to meet and network with experienced finance professionals and conference speakers. Direct exposure and one-on-one time with experts in these field sets our conference apart from other career fairs.The target audience for the Wall Street Oasis Conference consists of current college students and young finance professionals - anyone interested in gaining a competitive edge in these competitive industries. All panel speakers will attend the networking reception following the day conference to provide individualized feedback and information about their respective companies. Attendees will walk away from the WSO Conference with a larger professional network, a stronger resume, extensive knowledge about the finance industry, and an acute awareness of their post-graduate professional goals.
Please use this thread for feedback / ideas / questions.
Thanks,
Patrick
In
Is there going to be an after party?
of course...and if we get enough people, I will either rent a monkey for the conference to serve as our mascot and/or get a guy to dress up in a monkey costume for photos with all the attendees. :-)
just like the spirit of WSO, we want the conference to not only be useful, but also fun.
I own two full gorilla suits. Just saying.
Brilliant idea...would love to go.
awesome idea wish I could make it
Awesome, hopefully I can make it
Awesome. What if im already "in" ? is there any sense in coming?
Sounds interesting.
Thoughts on the date?
I am helping to run things so you know it is going to be top notch
This should be fun.
I like the date. Saturday would seem like a manageable date for most.
I just signed up. I was disappointed I couldn't make the rodeo this year so hopefully this will make up for it. Looking forward to the event.
@Jorge, you going to be in town?
@luccabananas - look forward to meeting you.
Not 100% sure yet but that's the plan so far.
I'm down. Might not be able to make it to Energy Rodeo this time around, although last year's was fun and definitely beneficial
i'll wave from up north - enjoy
...Can you make it before internships start or after they end? Juniors may not have the time to attend. And those working in London/Asia won't be able to attend either.
...well that is part of the reason we are doing it in July on a Saturday... so that the interns are in New York. We are hoping that they can get out for at least some of Saturday to stop in and take advantage of the networking opportunities.
Yes! That is, assuming the world hasn't ended yet by that time.
Sounds awesome! Unfortunately, I'm hoping to be in London next Summer.
same issues with the energy rodeo. It is not going to suit everyone time wise but this is still the best case time slot for most.
Patrick,
I talked to monty09 about the Energy Rodeo. Here's my suggestion for the panelists (one from each):
Corp Fin/Treasury/FP&A I-Banking (Advisory/Underwriting,etc). Sales/Trading Equity Research Hedge Fund/Prop Firm Private Equity LP Investors (Pension Fund, Endowment, Foundation, etc).
I'm at a pension fund now, so if you need someone from the LP side, count me in.
Potable, thanks for the suggestion. I like it. Can you e-mail me at WallStreetOasis.com>[email protected] and we'll get your contact info to keep you updated on panel developments?
Thanks
I also have a few people I know who would probably be willing to be on a panel or just hang around to answer questions. This is a great idea! Can we rent out the Rainbow Room afterwards like in Monkey Business? :)
...will look into the Rainbow Room ;-)
Sounds awesome... I will do my best to attend...
Patrick, what i mean was if you do it in July, US students interning in Asia/London may not make it to the conference. Plus, if the date is immediately before the internship starts, that might have a better turnout as the juniors haven't been committed to the unpredictable hours. But if that's not a concern, I guess the date's fine.
I'll be honest, I don't think I can afford a quick trip to NY before the Summer. How much of an extra turnout there would be is probably debatable.
...more details coming soon.
So as far as scheduling, would there be a panel for each group going on at a different time? An hour for Q&A, followed by an hour of networking? And for the more popular panelists, have multiple sessions so everyone gets a chance to talk?
Happy,
No worries. I've got management consultants in my family. They can't all be winners, right? Just kidding. I was just throwing ideas out there. It's Patrick's call. For me, as long as you can hold your booze that's all that matters in this scumbag business.
D M,
Super Troopers..."oh shit, I got you good you fucker...."
Patrick,
Have you thought about doing a "WSO" Panel for which you choose those WSO users that you want to sit on a Panel and essentially laugh at the nature of everything in person?
Frieds, no - but you want to organize it? :-)
Sorry for the delay guys -- we should have some sponsors / deals to announce for those that attend in the coming weeks.
Reminder: Get your early bird super discounted tickets soon before they run out - http://wsoconference.eventbrite.com/
Thanks, Patrick
I'd be up to rep structured commodity finance.... but I doubt you're going to find many folks currently working on the street who will pay to come to this. Let me know the plan for drinks afterwards.
Barring any unforeseen surprises, I should be there.
Of course I'll be there.
earlymonkeybird ticket sold out!.... omg
made 30 more of these available since the others went so fast this morning....get them before they run out!
http://wsoconference.eventbrite.com/
I'm coming.
Oh and I'll be at this WSO conference too.
If anyone wants to beat me up, you should attend as well. I want to be on the Troll panel that Frieds suggested.
I want to beat you up, but I can't attend. Until next time, you bastard.
haha, can't wait for your response.
And Texas? I don't see any horns on you.
I'm a big supporter of WSO, but find it a little facetious to imply/say that attending this conference will strengthen a resume at all. It won't. Is it good for networking? Sure. Does it have other benefits? Probably. But attending a one day conference hosted by an internet finance forum doesn't belong anywhere on a resume. If I got a CV with WSO-anything on there, I would probably chuckle a bit and view it simply as a space filler.
Just my 2c.
Hey AVP - maybe it is a bit facetious, but I don't think writing "attended WSO conference" will strengthen your resume, nor would I recommend applicants put that on their resume.
BUT I think actually having a short 30-60min. panel on resumes and cover letters will help attendees strengthen their own resume once they leave the conference by listening to analysts and associates that are actually screening them. would you like to sit in on that panel? Are you attending?
Thanks for the feedback! Patrick
Patrick, I'd prefer to sit on an industry panel that discusses middle market/commods banking, but am happy to sit on a CV/coverletter panel if that's what you're looking for and we can come to an agreement on remuneration.
Conservatively, it looks like WSO is grossing at least $25k on this conference. That's assuming no full price tickets are sold. That said, I assume panelists are being paid (and obviously would not have to purchase a ticket) - I have a family and live about an hour outside of the city, so need to make sure this is worth missing a day with my kids. PM me if you'd like to discuss.
Thanks AVPG
Sounds like a great idea. Also, it is not that expensive. Unfortunately I wont be able to attend. If only it was available in other cities
Sounds like a great idea. Also, it is not that expensive. Unfortunately I wont be able to attend. If only it was available in other cities
You bastage...
Seriously though, I really want to go solely to annihilate you at beer pong.
Anyone will to sponsor a return ticket from London :)
We should have a poll to see who is attending for sure, who can't and who can maybe be there.
I'd be interested in coming...just have to see how things turn out in the summer, but I'd love to use this as an excuse to send time in NYC haha
I'll attend if I'm in NYC this summer.
would be great to meet you in person. thanks for all of your contributions to WSO.
I'll be there if I happen to be lingering around the Northeast after graduation. We'll see how things turn out.
In for sure, bought ticket and everything, for both the networking and the good times to follow!
Well, well, well. At 3 quid a pop? Sign me up!
Fortunately for me, I'll just happen to be in the region this summer...
looking forward to seeing you there...I'm sure we'll have people from all over the world since a lot of interns will still be in town July 28th.
Looks like I completely misread the price, but whatevs. See you chaps anyway!
As soon as I can figure out wrestling with PayPal, at any rate...
Any info for companies that want to sponsor?
Got my earlybird ticket! Looking forward to meeting everyone!
Can you offer a steeper discount for those who already have a job? hahaha..
booked my flight this week... open to buying first round if we go drink afterwards
Are WSO canadians going to the conference? If yes, I might come with you guys.
Will be there. I'm giving up a nice summer Saturday of hang gliding to come- I think it's going to be a great time.
As the economy starts to pick up, the ticket price and cost of getting here starts to look a bit more like an investment in your career than an expense- especially when it's amortized over several conference.
-IP
whats ticket sales #
I'd love to be on that troll panel with Frieds and Flake. Just sayin'.
Patrick is out of the country so replies will likely be posted next week sometime.
got my early bird ticket a while back. will be there.
what is gonig rate for AVPg to sit on a panel? Call me a $100 bid
Hey is WSO looking for partners/sponsors?
We will have HR/Recruiters there too guys and gals. Partnerships and Sponsors info are certainly welcome.
Bought out the rest of the early birds to scalp.
Just kidding, just purchased a ticket and looking forward to it. Excited to see the speakers etc.
Is there gonna be a monkeying around panel???
maybe a monkeying around room? we could maybe have little people in monkey suits in that room to help make people relax if the networking gets too intense in the other rooms...
i hope avpg will be there
signed up
my flight is booked
First round is on you.
Will leveraged sellout be speaking?
I just added a few more tickets for earlybirds...only 5 left. Had a lot sell yesterday so we are bumping the price up after these next 5 sell...
http://wsoconference.eventbrite.com/
Venue announcement coming soon.
Patrick- judging from lack of response, I take it panelists are not being compensated for their time & are expected to purchase tix?
hey AVP, we won't be compensating panelists but we do give them complimentary admission. There should be a good # of young professionals there as well from top PE, IB and HFs, so I think it would be worthwhile. But, if it is a pain in the butt to get in with your family and all I totally understand if you can't make it ...although I know we'd love to have you there. You've been an awesome contributor for the last 3 years and I'd personally love to meet you in person.
I do not expect any comp
and people in NYC could care less about energy trading
sorry guys, just realized i messed up and there were no earlybirds available last night...they sold out and i thought i made 5 more avaialble but I didnt.
now they are up: http://wsoconference.eventbrite.com/ (4 left)
Patrick, it's not a pain in the butt - it's just a 40 minute drive into the city for me. But if you can't kick panelists $100 bucks to cover transport (gas/parking/airfare/time is besides the point) then I am going to have to pass.
It's kind of the principle of it. You personally are likely grossing north of $25,000 in ticket sales. Figure renting out a space for the day costs you what... $5k? You seem like a bright dude.... so, let's be equitable here.
I mean, some folks are flying in for this thing, and you can't kick them a couple bucks for sitting on a panel, so your conference is the success you want it to be? I'm not trying to be a dick, but really.... the reason WSO is sucessful is because of its members. The reason its conferences are sucessful... its members. If you want us to contribute our personal time to the growth of your personal business, I think we should be compensated. And $100 bucks for our time really isn't asking for too much, IMO.
I don't know how you think I am personally going to bring home $25,000 from the event. I am not doing this alone (I have never thrown a conference and wouldn't know where to start...luckily, several users with great experience have and are on board working hard behind the scenes) and we will be comping a lot of tickets for our Certified Users to make sure they have other professionals to interact with and to make sure the undergraduate crowd also has people they can look up to there.
If we are extremely lucky we can keep it under $15,000 (this is NYC and we want to get a nice space, plus catering and a lot of other expenses to make it run smoothly), a lot of that which the business will have to pay up front before knowing if we will even break even. The amount of time and planning of pulling this off is also a huge time commitment for WSO and our team.
How about this -- we will see how we are doing financially and with panelists and will make an informed decision in the coming months. My main event planner has told me that costs can quickly spiral out of control if we start paying for panelists, especially if we want to spend some $ to bring in a good keynote speaker. So I am going to follow her advice until we have some more breathing room.
Fair enough. Forgive the assumption. I clearly know very little about event planning in NYC. If you can kick in a few bucks for time/travel, I'm in... I just need to be able to quantify the upside. Hey, I'm a banker, what can I say. Good luck with the planning!
That said, I understand some of this sentiment- that Patrick can make more from spotting and sharing the win-wins in a few other aspects of the business. On Patrick's behalf, someone asked me to help write technical questions for the interview guide- for free. That's a lot of work, and more importantly, it's extremely specific and extremely valuable knowledge. And by giving him the questions and solutions, I'm giving up my own rights to write my OWN book based on those questions. I asked if Patrick would be willing to share the IP rights, but I never heard back. But in that case, it's technical, specific knowledge that's actually work.
Delete the Early Bird tickets from the Event Brite page. People will get upset if they see that they have to pay $299 when they could've paid $79
I'll be the keynote speaker for a sixer of Brooklyn Brown and a taco.
nice! looks like we got avpg, ip and whole bunch of monkeying around dudes for this! im so fucking pumped!
@IP - not sure I follow.
Again, I'm not saying we won't make money on the conference, I am saying it's not as easy as a slam dunk as AVP seemed to be implying and right now we are still trying to tie down the venue which will/should be the main expense (with catering). Once we know where and sell more tix we may be fine and can start offering some comp to panelists / speakers (especially true if we can land some good sponsors).
But not sure what that has to do with our technical interview guide or what your offer was? when was this?
We already have a dedicated author (along with editors) that earns royalties on the sale of the tech guide - so not sure how that would work? I can tell you we did do one guide with multiple authors and it was by far the one that took the longest and was the hardest to coordinate / reach an agreement with all parties involved. We got it done, but that was with ~6 authors, not 100s. (" A Look Behind the Wall")
We do have another author (again, with help) that has been working on a technical PE interview guide that will hopefully be released within the month and we are working on an updated version of the behavioral and tech guides for next recruiting cycle.
Besides, if you cut everyone in, you've got 10 experienced posters to help you promote the guide.
Don't fault you for missing it. Know there's a lot of stuff to manage with everything from the forums to the conference to the mock interviews to the advertisers. Just pointing out a potential synergy.
@IP - think you rewrote your comment when i was typing my reply. I likely asked one of the editors and/or co-authors to ask the most knowledgeable users for their advice on the best technical questions and I guess that is what you are referring to? was this recent?
As for your counter, I'm truly sorry if I never got back to you (if you emailed me?). I honestly must have missed it and I totally understand if you're not willing to share that info.
As far as spotting win-wins on the business, I feel like I have made sacrifices to improve WSO and I put a lot of $s and countless hours back into WSO (latest example is removing header ad along top of site to try and improve look and user experience).
As far as the guide is concerned, are you talking about just the technical interview guide that focuses mostly on IB and S&T? what you are suggesting (more a crowdsourcing model) is really what we did for A Look Behind the Wall. I'd be open to it but at this point I am not sure the incremental sales gained from adding more questions (even though we are constantly doing this) through a crowdsourcing model would justify the headache of paying royalties to 10+ more authors. As of now, we have been able to source new relevant questions and are planning on releasing a much more extensive version in a few months.
I apologize if I offended you by missing this...i know there are a lot of things I could have done / could be doing better, but I have already entered into an agreement with the author so I'm also kind of stuck.
all I can say is that I'm trying my best to make WSO the best resource for careers in finance and I realize that users like you (and AVP) are what makes it go round. This is a business and I am doing this as my full time job, so I am always open to ideas on how to make the community AND business run better.
Thanks, Patrick
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