On May 16–18, 2007, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago held its 43rd annual Conference on Bank Structure and Competition at the Westin Hotel in Chicago. Since its inception, the conference has encouraged an ongoing dialogue and debate on current public policy issues affecting the financial services industry. Each year, the conference brings together several hundred financial institution executives, regulators, and academics to examine current policy issues.
The 2007 conference addressed a number of issues including Basel II capital regulation, payday lending activity, the changing real estate markets, risk management, financial stability, banking industry structure and government-sponsored enterprises. However, a number of sessions were dedicated to the conference theme: The Mixing of Banking and Commerce.
As usual, the Wednesday sessions (May 16) showcased more technical research that is of primary interest to research economists in academia and research agencies. The Thursday and Friday sessions were designed to address the interests of a broader audience.
