Registration opens March 22 for this year’s Financial & Insurance Conference Planners Education Forum, set for June 16–18 in St. Louis. Here’s why you should make plans to be there:

1. The FICP Education Forum has evolved into our niche’s premier annual educational event with targeted breakouts and roundtables, and an intimate size, which facilitates fantastic peer-to-peer networking.

2. David Houle, futurist and author of The Shift Age, is booked for the opening session. Houle spent 20 years as a media and entertainment executive and now speaks to corporate and association audiences and advises CEOs on trends. In February, Houle became a featured blogger at Oprah Winfrey’s Web site. Click for more information and a list of his predictions. 

3. FICP listened to you! Compiling the requests and ideas of members, the FICP Education Design Team has developed workshops that run the gamut from the tactical, such as room arrangements, principles of adult learning, and webinars, to the strategic—such as building your own brand and developing community-service programs.

4. Soon to be announced is this year’s “community giveback” event, which will benefit an amazing St. Louis–based nonprofit called Our Little Haven. The residential program provides education and services for children recovering from abuse, neglect, abandonment, or early childhood trauma.

5. It’s all about building and using your network. This is the era of partnership for planners and hospitality partners. It’s also a time of dramatic change, when communing with your peers offers both practical and emotional benefits. Mark your calendars for the opening day of registration—March 22—and add your spark to the energy of the FICP gathering.

And here’s a bonus sixth reason: St. Louis, Gateway to the West! The Education Forum takes place at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, just steps away from Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, and the famous Gateway Arch.