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by Heidi Lindahl
Spring is in the air, and that means conference season is here as well. It doesn’t take much research to find a conference in your area, in a key sector for your core business, or that is custom to your job. Some managers may ask if conference attendance is worth the time away from the office plus the expense. Blue Rose definitely sees conferences as a must-do, and we look forward to them every year. They provide opportunities to sharpen skills, meet with influencers, network with peers, learn new tips and best practices, learn from like-minded individuals, and invest in yourself.
SHARPEN SKILLS
The daily grind can really dull your senses or send you in a rut. Sometimes it’s best to break out of the everyday and refocus your energy on the basics. How many times have you walked away from a conference or training with new ideas or approaches to your daily work routine?
MEET WITH INFLUENCERS
Attending a conference or workshop in person doesn’t guarantee you a meeting with your idol, but it does increase your chances. Being in a space with industry experts and leaders lends itself to an environment where it’s okay to walk up to a total stranger, introduce yourself, and strike up a conversation on a hot button topic.
NETWORK WITH PEERS
Conferences are a great way to see multiple clients, prospects, vendors, or partners in one space in the same trip. The time saved from planning and coordinating schedules and travel arrangements is worth it alone. Relationships can be created and nurtured through phone calls and Skype meetings, but nothing can replace the face-to-face experience.
LEARNING FROM LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS
What better way to learn, than from people who live in your work every day? Your fellow conference attendees and presenters are experts in their field. People are always willing to share their knowledge and conferences provide great venues for continued education and learning.
INVESTING IN YOURSELF
Yes, attending a conference is investing in yourself and your company. Taking time away from your personal life and time away from the office shows your dedication to making yourself better. By continuously learning and growing your skill set, you’ll become more valuable to your team and company.You’re guaranteed to see Blue Rose out in full force at industry events and conferences this year. We thrive on meeting with like-minded people in the industry and sharing ideas. That’s how we grow as individuals and continuously improve on the service we provide to our clients and partners.
About the author:
Heidi Lindahl, Sr. Marketing Manager
Heidi has recently joined the Blue Rose team, but has been with our sister company, HedgeStar since 2015. She has over 15 years of professional marketing experience working with several Fortune 500 companies. You can reach Heidi at hlindahl@blueroseadvisors.com.
Comparable Issues Commentary
Shown below are the results of two negotiated, tax-exempt private higher education issues from the state of Ohio that sold at the end of February. Denison University, rated Aa3/AA (Moody’s/S&P), and the University of Findlay, rated BBB- (S&P), priced their bond issues on February 26th and February 27th, respectively. Denison’s bonds were issued purely to finance new money projects, while Findlay’s issue solely served to refinance outstanding indebtedness and lease obligations of the University. Denison’s 2019 project will provide funds for a new residence hall for upper-year students along with acquisition, construction and furnishing of other campus facilities used for a variety of purposes ranging from administration and student residence to academics and athletics, among others. Findlay’s deal refinanced a number of outstanding notes and lease obligations with Fifth Third Bank and Old Fort Bank, and also provided for the financing of bond reserve and funded interest funds.
Though the deals priced just one day apart, market conditions differed for the two transactions. MMD was reduced across the curve during Denison’s pricing on the 26th (by 2 bps from 2020-2029, 3 bps from 2030-2039, and 4 bps on the remainder of the curve from 2040-2049), while it was more neutral the following day for Findlay’s pricing (unchanged from 2020-2032 and increased by 1 bp on the remainder of the curve from 2033-2049). Both deals were structured with a 25-year final maturity, although Denison’s transaction utilized a more serialized structure with maturities beginning in 2027, while Findlay’s deal incorporated more term bonds, including an initial 2025 term bond with small sinking fund payments from 2021-2024 before a ramp-up of principal amortization thereafter.
The two universities each used a standard 10-year par call structure for their deals, and opted for similar coupon structures for their transactions as well, each sticking purely with 5% premium coupons across all maturities. The debt service structures of the two deals differed slightly, with Denison structuring its 2019 issue to generate level debt service after principal amortization begins in 2029 while Findlay provided for a slight step-up period from 2021-2024, with only nominal principal payments of less than $100K/year, before an increase of principal paid in 2025 and level debt service thereafter from 2026 through the final maturity in 2044.
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