2006 Actuarial Students' National Association Convention

It is almost that time of year again. Summer is ending, actuarial candidates are preparing for the fall exam sitting, and the Actuarial Students' National Association (ASNA) is ramping up for its annual convention.

Although it's still several months off, this is the perfect time to start planning to attend the 2006 ASNA Convention. This year's convention is being hosted by the Universit� de Montr�al at the Delta Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from Friday, Jan. 6 to Sunday, Jan. 8. The convention falls perfectly between the release of fall exam results and the start of studying for the spring sitting. In fact, last year the release of the fall 2004 exam results coincided with the first day of the 2005 convention in Calgary, Alberta. Attending also provides a nice break from the holiday rush before returning to normal life.

Montreal stands in and along the St. Lawrence River and is one of North America's oldest cities. Located just 47 kilometres (29 miles) from the New York border, Montreal is connected to most major eastern cities by road, rail and air. Daily flights from western Canada and the United States also land at Montreal's Trudeau International Airport. Although French is the official language in Quebec, Montreal is very multicultural and English is spoken almost universally.

This year's theme is Actuaries' Day-to-Day Life: An Overview of Particular Projects is meant to give actuarial candidates an overview of real world actuarial work as well as expose them to a variety of traditional and nontraditional actuarial roles. Unfortunately, at the time of writing the speakers list was not yet ready, but past speakers have included presidents of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries; associates and fellows of the Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuarial Society; and non-actuaries. More information on speakers should be available in mid-September from the ASNA Web site, http://www.anea-asna.ca. Talks are presented during all three days of the convention in both English and French.

Speakers, however, are only part of the convention experience. Another immensely popular event is the Friday night Career Fair following the opening speaker, and featuring recruiters from a variety of companies with offices across Canada and the United States.

To increase the time attendees have with companies, the Career Fair is scheduled over a three-hour period and runs at the same time as a light buffet dinner. This novel structure allows attendees to speak with recruiters in a less stressful atmosphere and mingle with other attendees.

After the fair comes Club Night, this year planned for Montreal's Crescent Street. This is a great time to meet other candidates, compare programs, discuss exams and generally unwind and have some fun. Recruiters and speakers often attend Club Night, giving attendees the chance to ask questions in a less formal setting. Legal drinking age in Qu�bec is 18 and government-issued photo ID is necessary to enter all bars and clubs.

Saturday is filled with four talks followed by a banquet and keynote speaker. The banquet is also the only event during the conference requiring semi-formal wear, all other events are casual.

After the banquet is the sports activity, this year at Montreal's Old Port. Activities will be outdoors and winter- themed, including skating, so dress warm!

Sunday's schedule includes the final talk followed by the closing ceremonies. Attendees are always amazed at how quickly the time goes by and how much they learn in just one weekend.

Tickets for the 2006 convention should be available toward the end of September at a cost of $150 CDN. Included in the ticket price is admission to all talks, participation in the Career Fair, Club Night and Sports Activity, and all meals during the convention, including: Friday supper, Saturday breakfast and lunch, and Sunday lunch. A seat at the Saturday banquet is also included. Tickets will be available through the 13-member universities' actuarial clubs (see the ASNA Web site for listings) and through the ASNA Web site: http://www.anea-asna.ca.

A special room rate has been arranged for attendees staying at the Delta Montreal: $169 CDN per night, plus taxes, covers up to four people sharing a room. Sales tax in Quebec is 14.5 percent and Canadian currency is standard, but American money is widely accepted.

The annual ASNA convention is a great experience for all actuarial candidates and attendees from Canada and the United States, both in and out of postsecondary programs, are invited to attend. See you in Montreal in twenty-oh-six!

For more information on the Actuarial Students' National Association, please visit http://www.anea-asna.ca.

More information on the 2006 Convention is available on the Web site or from http://www.anea-asna.ca.

Ryan May is a third-year actuarial science student at the University of Calgary.