Colossal Calgary is a once-in-a-lifetime event, a chance to hear the insider’s perspective on the debacle that was Lehman Brothers, the first domino that fell in the tumble leading to the current world recession. Lawrence G. McDonald, former vice-president at Lehman Brothers, has written the number one business book in the world “A Colossal Failure of Common Common Sense”. And now he’s bringing his message to Calgary on June 3, 2010 from 3:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Special pricing for CIRI members

Use the discount code CIRIAB in our registration system and you'll get 20% off the regular ticket price, or choose the block of ten tickets for a pre-discounted special deal!

The 2009/2010 CIRI season was a work in progress for the CIRI Alberta Board. We tried some new initiatives, attempted to be innovative and creative in how we presented information and, for the most part, I am happy to say we succeeded.

We strived to build relationships with our members, bringing a new sense of value to our programming and encouraging everyone to share their knowledge. We hope that you enjoyed our line-up of luncheons, workshops and social events.

I would like to sincerely thank my fellow Board members for their dedication, hard work and for standing by me through this year of adjustment.

We need your input for the 2010/2011 CIRI season so I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the CIRI Alberta Annual General Meeting to be held on Wednesday May 26th. This will be a good opportunity to meet your Board, socialize with colleagues and help us design next year’s programming schedule. We want to hear from you so we can continue to provide sessions of value and greater learning.

You will receive your AGM material in the mail shortly. PLEASE PARTICIPATE, submit your proxies and then come on down to “Flames Central” on May 26th to personally let us know how we can make your organization even better.

Rhonda Bennetto
CIRI Alberta President

Wikipedia: The phrase mergers and acquisitions (M&A) refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow rapidly without having to create another business entity.

What does that mean? Nothing really when it comes down to the actual decision making process – “do we ask nice or do we just take it” and then doing it.

At this luncheon you will hear from two sides of the M&A process. Paul Charron, President and CEO of CanEra has spent his career deciding whether or not to go ahead with a merger or acquisition from a corporate growth point of view, less concerned with the frenzy of work that will ensue. Richard Downey, Senior Director IR at Agrium has the enviable role (or sometimes not so enviable role) of bringing that decision to fruition. When a company decides to “do the deal”, either by mutual consent or a more hostile approach, its up to the IRO (and others) to make it happen. From 30,000 feet the deal looks accretive, from ground level, there’s a lot of work to be done. Determining factors like is it Canadian, US or international? How many outstanding shareholders? Will they like the deal? Is there a large fund that may not see the value? What happens if it turns hostile? The Arbs make the paparazzi look like teddy bears).

These questions, along with honest and funny examples of real life M&A adventures, will be revealed at this ‘not-to-miss’ luncheon.

Whether you’re micro-cap, small-cap, mid-cap or large cap, we all face challenges finding new investor, new markets, getting our story out and GETTING NOTICED.

From Road Shows to what Powers a Good Web Site, to Advertising - CIRI Alberta is pleased to show you some options for Getting Noticed at this “Vendor Showcase” Event.

These specialty service providers will be set up in advance so you can come by and chat and they will each do a 20 minute presentation during the lunch hour, then stick around for a while afterwards to visit with you.

Are you thinking critically about your shareholders’ needs and expectations as the economy improves? Have you examined all your options for communication – buy or sell side? Geographic target? Defining your audience? Have you considered which channels or venues to communicate to your shareholders? Can you scale back your presence at trade shows? Can targeted direct outreach be the answer? Who can provide services to help with your plans – one provider or several?

These are some of the questions that will be answered as Road Show experts David Carey and Jason Fleury shares advice and tips on targeting, pre-trip preparation, post-trip follow-up, transportation alternative, meeting agenda and how to organize it all efficiently.

The Directors of CIRI Alberta would once again like to invite all members to share in the spirit of the holiday season. This social is in a relaxed atmosphere where we can network, catch up with our colleagues and welcome new members who have joined CIRI during the past year.

This year, in keeping with tradition, please bring some school and/or art supplies(scissors, pencils, markers, crayons, paper, pens, etc…) or an interactive board game to the event to be donated to our 2009-2010 charitable partner, The Albert Park/Radisson Heights Community After School Program (CASP).

We look forward to seeing you and we thank you for your continued support of CIRI Alberta. We hope you will be able to join us!

THIS IS A MEMBER'S ONLY EVENT. PLEASE SIGN IN TO THE WEBSITE AS A MEMBER BEFORE REGISTERING.

Sponsored by Rhino Print Solutions.

It doesn’t have to be “just another Annual Report”

Come listen to a panel of experts, moderated by Peter Knapp of Bryan Mills Iradesso.

What trends in annual report design, development and delivery should you be thinking about as you pull together your next annual report?

This lunchtime panel discussion is designed to provide fresh ideas to make your corporate message stand out creatively and strategically. You’ll discover ways to manage your design and print production budget. Plus, we’ll get you thinking about different online options for delivering your annual message.

Debra Benton, bestselling author and coach, will share her success insights at a luncheon presented as a benefit for the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter.

“A leader is a person who is always able to sit at the head of the table even when the table is round.”

Debra Benton shows how you can go from a competent manager to a true leader.

Debra Benton’s speaking engagements have taken her to 18 countries covering topics such as: How to think and act like the best CEOs; how to shed career-derailing behavior; and how to build followership both inside and outside of the organization. She has coached corporate executives, politicians, and business leaders on their organizational impact.

This is an event not to be missed!

Tickets can be purchased on the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter website at www.calgarywomensshelter.com

CIBC World Markets is pleased to sponsor “A Marriage Made In Heaven”

Join John Rogers, VP Investor Relations at Suncor and Michael de Carle from CIBC World Markets as they chat openly about the challenges and successes of communicating the largest merger in Canadian history to shareholders.

Suncor made a $19-billion bet on the oil sands with an all-stock offer for Petro-Canada on March 23, 2009 – a merger that made new Suncor Energy the biggest energy company in Canada and the fifth largest in North America. Issues such as union support, shareholder growth plan, employee redundancy, asset divestiture, new forward focus and competition bureau issues all had to be communicated.

So how does a lean IR department like John’s manage a workload like that successfully?

Guaranteed to be an enlightening, informative and colourful conversation with plenty of time for Q&A. Come and hear for yourself.

CIBC acted as Financial Advisor to Suncor Energy for the Petro-Canada merger transaction. CIBC is a leading global provider of financial advisory and capital raising services for clients involved in the global oil and gas business. Supported by their firm's strengths in M&A advisory, capital markets and credit built over decades of experience, they are uniquely positioned to provide thoughtful and creative solutions to their clients across the entire oil and gas value chain.

CIRI Alberta's first interactive lunch proudly sponsored by Crackers Promotional Products Inc - What's All the Social Media Buzz About?

Get your hands dirty: Have you attended social media sessions in the past and left wanting more? Well this is your chance to get more!

Penn West Energy is proud to sponsor "Understanding the Role of the Sell-side Analyst".

Join Brad Borggard, Executive Director, Institutional Equity Research with CIBC World Markets as 'walks' you through an evaluation model. Mr. Borggard will reveal who reads the research, the value of qualitative vs quantitative evaluations and the broader evaluation metrics. He will also discuss coverage rationale and why some companies receive coverage while others do no, as well as how to communicate with research and what analysts are looking for from the investor relations department.

This event open only to 30 CIRI Alberta members.

Register early. This event will fill-up quickly.

Cost for this event is Free for CIRI Alberta members with a food donation to the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank. Please bring your donation to the event.

• What are investors thinking?
  
• What are investors looking for?
  
• How can companies plan ahead with so many ongoing uncertainties?
  
• Are there any leading market indicators providing guidance?
  
• How can companies best position themselves now and for the future?

THIS IS A MEMBER'S ONLY EVENT. PLEASE SIGN IN TO THE WEBSITE AS A MEMBER BEFORE REGISTERING

Silent Auction
CIRI Alberta will again host a silent auction and raffle during the event with proceeds going to the Miliken Ogden Community Association (MOCA).If you are able to donate an item for Silent Auction please contact Debbie Carver dcarver@bmir.com

This is the last event of the 2007/2008 programming year. Following the AGM and CEO panel discussion, enjoy a soiree of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and networking with your IR colleagues, compliments of your Alberta CIRI Chapter.

This event has been cancelled due to timing conflict.

What is happening with the markets? When is the other shoe going to drop? Come and join FRED PYNN, President and Chief Investment Officer of Bissett Investment Management , in a lively round table discussion to answer these questions, and more. This breakfast will have timely and useful news for the investor relations practitioner.

The Directors of CIRI Alberta would once again like to invite all members to share in the spirit of the holiday season. This social takes place in a relaxed atmosphere where we can network, catch up with our colleagues and welcome new members who have joined CIRI during the past year. We hope you will be able to join us! In keeping with the tradition, please bring an unwrapped toy to the event to be donated to the Children’s Cottage.

We look forward to seeing you on December 6 at Divino's between 4:30 and 7:30pm. Thank you for your continued support of CIRI Alberta!

THIS IS A MEMBER'S ONLY EVENT. PLEASE SIGN IN TO THE WEBSITE AS A MEMBER BEFORE REGISTERING

CIRI Alberta is proud to bring you an opportunity to network with your peers and with the financial community, and to learn about two very topical issues.

11:30am - 12:00pm
Every table will have one member from the Alberta financial community to answer any questions you may have. Lunch is served during this period.

12:00pm - 12:20pm
Patrick Armstrong will provide an update on M&A activity and capital markets.

Patrick Armstrong is a Director at Scotia Capital in the Calgary office and is responsible for business development and project execution.

Since joining Scotia Capital in 2000, Mr. Armstrong has held progressively senior roles in Calgary, with a particular focus on the Energy sector. He has been involved with a number of transactions including numerous equity and debt financings, and various advisory assignments, including takeovers, dispositions, mergers, fairness opinions, and advising Independent Committees. Prior to joining Scotia Capital, Mr. Armstrong was in the Corporate Finance and Treasury department of a leading Alberta energy utility.

12:20pm- 12:40pm
Cristina Lopez will discuss the effect of the Alberta Royalty Tax decision.

Ms. Lopez, Vice President & Director, Institutional Research, joined Tristone in 2004. Her most recent duties include the coverage of the Royalty Trust sector. Prior thereto, Ms. Lopez worked at a Canadian Investment Bank as an Institutional Research Associate with responsibilities in aiding in the coverage of various Oil & Gas Producers and Oil & Gas Service Companies.

12:40pm- 1:00pm
Q&A Session

Due to extraordinary demand we are pleased to welcome award-winning journalist and Financial Times of London Canadian correspondent, Bernard Simon, back for his outstanding writing workshop.

Come join Bernard and your peers as he teaches you how to write and communicate more effectively at this full-day workshop. Bernard will introduce you to examples of good and bad business writing – and explain the differences between them. You will learn “The Ten Commandments” of writing-it-right, with numerous tips on how to obey them. A substantial part of the day will be spent on hands-on quizzes, exercises and discussion. Space is limited to 20 participants, so register early.

Join CIRI Alberta members, investor relations (IR) professionals, and the investment and media communities for a gala evening of networking, and recognition as we honor outstanding contributions to the investor relations profession in Alberta.

This year we are pleased to announce Randall J. Findlay as our keynote speaker. Mr. Findlay is the past president of Provident Energy Trust and currently is a member of Provident’s board of directors. He is a director and chair of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and past chair of the ACHF major gifts campaign. Mr. Findlay will speak about Business and the Community: The IRO's Role.

The Awards committee will be collecting nominations from CIRI Alberta members as well as from the investment and media communities. Watch your inbox for nomination information to follow shortly.

Once again, CIRI Alberta will host a silent auction and raffle during the event with proceeds going to the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. Please consider donating an item forthis worthy cause.

In addition, there are various sponsorship opportunities available for groups of 8 or more. Contact the Sponsorship Committee Chairs for more information.

The CIRI AB Awards Gala was created to be a social gathering of IR professionals and the investment and media communities, to promote IR and to recognize outstanding contributions to the IR profession in Alberta. This is the 4th year of the event and last year over 250 participants from throughout Alberta were in attendance.

Help us to make this year even more successful than the last!

Order your tickets today, as this event will sellout quickly!

EVENT CANCELLED

This year's CIRI Alberta workshops focus on honing those skills essential to the successful IRO. Creating the message that accurately reflects your business and ensuring that message is heard requires proficiency in communication and a strong understanding of your audience and your competition. A detailed program will be provided in advance of the workshop.

Join CIRI Alberta members and the investor relations and financial communities for a gala evening of networking and awards presentation as we recognize outstanding contributions to the investor relations profession in Alberta.

This year we are pleased to announce that Catriona Le May Doan, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, seven-time World Champion in speed skating and one of Canada's most successful and highly decorated athletes, will be the guest speaker.

The event will again include a silent auction to raise funds for the Making Changes Employment Association of Alberta, and its programs, the Walk In Closet and Making Changes. MCEAA is a local organization that works to empower unemployed and underemployed women to be successful in job interviews and integration into the workplace.

Nominations for the 2006 CIRIAL Awards are currently being collected from CIRI Alberta members as well as from the investment and media community nation-wide. The awards categories are:

• IR Heart & Hustle
• IR Leadership & Innovation
• IR Hall of Fame Inductee
• IR Professional of the Year
• Management Team of the Year
• Best Financial Reporting
• Friend of IR

Individual tickets for the Gala cost $100 plus GST; $800 plus GST for a table of eight. You can order your individual tickets or tables online by clicking on the link at the top of this page, or contact Kali Ann Brummitt of CCNMatthews at 403-266-2638 or ciriab@ccnmatthews.com.

Order your tickets today as this event will soon be sold out!

The CIRIAL Awards Gala was created to be a social gathering of investor relations professionals and the investment and media communities, to promote IR and to recognize outstanding contributions to the IR profession in Alberta. This is the 3rd year of the event and CIRI Alberta hopes to build on the success of last year which was attended by over 200 participants from the investor relations and financial communities, media and corporations throughout Alberta. Come help us to make this year even more successful than the last!

If you are interested in donating an item for Silent Auction please contact Mike McLeod of Georgeson at 403-444-5626 or mike.mcleod@georgeson.com

We would like to invite you to attend the Annual Meeting of the Members of CIRI Alberta for the following purposes:

1. To approve the fixing of the number of directors of CIRI Alberta at 15;

2. To elect the Directors for the 2006/2007 year; and

3. To transact such other business as may properly be brought before the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

In addition, we have put together a panel of institutional portfolio managers so that we can pick away at them and learn their secrets to our success. Too often we spend time trying to anticipate what aspects of our company story they want to hear rather than what matters to them and what does not. This is the time to find out their perspectives on corporate governance, SOX, shareholder activism and all the hot topics of the year.

We hope you will be able to join us!

Event Sold Out

54-101? 51-101? SOX? Bill 198? How much to disclose, governance guidelines and guidance. What makes a solid corporate sustainability report? Internal controls? These areas seem to be constantly changing at a fast and furious pace. Keeping up with it is a challenge for IROs - and the rest of the corporate team.

Join CIRI Alberta for a breakfast seminar on the changing corporate governance and regulatory landscape with both Canadian and U.S. issues being addressed. Find out the why and how of sustainability reporting. Come and listen to the experts share their perspectives and best practices.

4th Annual CIRI Alberta Member Social

The Directors of CIRI Alberta would once again like to invite all members to share in the spirit of the holiday season. This social is in a relaxed atmosphere where we can network and catch up with our colleagues and welcome new members who have joined CIRI during the past year. We hope you will be able to join us! In keeping with the tradition, please bring an unwrapped toy to the event to be donated to the Children’s Cottage.

We look forward to seeing you on December 1 and thank you for your continued support of CIRI Alberta!

Companies often struggle with what to say, how much to say and when to say it. Under FD guidelines, how much information should you provide to analysts and investors? Broad guidance provides flexibility, but does it satisfy the street’s needs in terms of measuring your performance? What is the best way to deal with news, both positive and negative? What is the risk of not providing guidance? Join this panel to hear differing views on what the cutting-edge IROs are doing, and those that differ from it!

FULL - This event is fully booked
To be placed on the waiting list, please contact Sheldon Bailey at CNW Group (403) 269-7925

Join CIRI AB in the jungle for a fun evening of awards and networking. The second annual CIRIAL Awards will continue on last year's success - honouring the best in the IR business in Alberta and offering IROs and members of the investment community a chance to connect with colleagues.

Your emcee will be lively and entertaining, the room will sparkle with professionals, and the night will buzz with the silent auction and award event. Don't miss your chance to come network your way through the jungle!

If you would like to become involved in this event - and assist CIRI AB in making it better in 2005 - please contact Tim Jeffery at (403) 699-5322 or tim_jeffery@nexeninc.com.

CIRI Alberta's AGM will be business as usual, except with a spin. This year CIRI has invited a panel of portfolio managers - purely for your entertainment! Ask the questions you always wanted to know about what makes these people tick. How do you get their attention and more importantly keep their interest and investment in your organization. Learn what keeps these people up at night and what their priorities are when making investment decisions.

Our panel guests include:

Martin Ferguson, Director, Canadian Equities, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.

Fred Pynn, Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Bissett Investment Management

Josef Schachter, Principal, Schachter Asset Management

The numbers of retail investors are growing every day as investors take more control over their investment decisions. This is particularly true in the royalty/income trust environment. How does a retail investor base affect the valuation of your company in the market? How can you better communicate with a large retail base in order to keep them loyal and improve your company's value? CIRI Alberta will provide key points to consider when communicating with your retail investors.

We've all heard it before; you can't manage it if you can't measure it. So how do you measure and evaluate your IR program? And more importantly, how do you translate that measurement into meaningful proof of the value you add to the organization? Learn what senior management expects from an IR program. Leave this session with some concrete action plans that will elevate your ability to track your results and compare them with past performance and help set future expectations.

Institutional investor relations is becoming increasingly more complicated in today's regulatory environment. Despite these challenges, institutional investors can provide a stable and loyal shareholder base. Join CIRI Alberta in a review of the core components of an institutional investor program. Learn how to leverage the sell-side and build credibility with the buy-side. Gain insight and further your knowledge regarding the regulatory environment and how recent changes are affecting the way you plan and execute your institutional investor relations program.

For those of you who work with issuers that are thinking about raising funds privately or from the public, going public or are already public, you have no doubt found the myriad of rapidly changing securities laws and regulations to be very confusing. Join CIRI Alberta as we review new and upcoming changes in securities regulation and learn how they might affect your company. What's next? Peer into the future and gain insight into the securities regulatory changes that are on tomorrow's horizon.

Back by popular demand, the Directors of CIRI Alberta would once again like to invite all members to share in the spirit of the holiday season. This social is in a relaxed atmosphere where we can network and catch up with our colleagues and welcome new members who have joined CIRI during the past year. We hope you will be able to join us! In keeping with the tradition, please bring an unwrapped toy to the event to be donated to the Children's Cottage.

We look forward to seeing you on December 9 and thank you for your continued support of CIRI Alberta!

Increasingly, investor relations practitioners are working on a daily basis with members of the finance and legal community. In order to effectively communicate with these specialized groups, you need the tools and the knowledge to be able to understand them. What should someone in investor relations focus on when talking to the investment community? To legal professionals? CIRI Alberta will help you to improve your ability to 'talk finance and legalese'!

Start your lunch off with “The Alphabet Soup of Finance”
Do financial terms sometimes leave you in the dark? Do you ever find yourself faking it? Well, help is here. This segment will give you an alphabet full of often used (and mis-used) finance terms. Ross Bentley, a lawyer with Blake, Cassels and Graydon, will define these terms, simply and completely. Learn the ABCs and gain the confidence to communicate with your board and shareholders -- on their terms.

Finish off your lunch with a slice of “News Release Pie”
Get a better understanding of the legal ingredients that comprise a news release. Understand how timely disclosure affects the contents of a news release and provides answers to investor’s questions (i.e. who, what, where, when and how). Let Bill Maslechko, Senior Partner and James Kidd, lawyer, at Burnet Duckworth & Palmer LLP, unravel the legal underpinnings of a news release with straightforward advice -- at a cost you can afford.

Increasingly, investor relations practitioners are working on a daily basis with members of the finance and legal community. In order to effectively communicate with these specialized groups, you need the tools and the knowledge to be able to understand them. What should someone in investor relations focus on when talking to the investment community? To legal professionals? CIRI Alberta will help you to improve your ability to 'talk finance and legalese'!

Start your lunch off with “The Alphabet Soup of Finance”
Do financial terms sometimes leave you in the dark? Do you ever find yourself faking it? Well, help is here. This segment will give you an alphabet full of often used (and mis-used) finance terms. Ross Bentley, a lawyer with Blake, Cassels and Graydon, will define these terms, simply and completely. Learn the ABCs and gain the confidence to communicate with your board and shareholders -- on their terms.

Finish off your lunch with a slice of “News Release Pie”
Get a better understanding of the legal ingredients that comprise a news release. Understand how timely disclosure affects the contents of a news release and provides answers to investor’s questions (i.e. who, what, where, when and how). Let Bill Maslechko, Senior Partner and James Kidd, lawyer, at Burnet Duckworth & Palmer LLP, unravel the legal underpinnings of a news release with straightforward advice -- at a cost you can afford.

** Please note that our printed brochure incorrectly shows this program on October 14; it is taking place on October 21. We apologize for any confusion.Year-end increases the amount of work and activity for public companies, and generates a surplus of additional responsibilities for the investor relations practitioner. CIRI Alberta's half-day workshop will explore several facets of year-end activities such as annual report trends and best practices. With the surplus of new regulations that have come into effect and are approaching, we will obtain advice from the experts and discuss the effects of regulatory changes that come into effect in 2005.

This workshop will offer a grab-bag of ideas and information that will get you thinking about your annual report alternatives in new ways and prepare you for the upcoming regulations in 2005. A panel discussion will follow at lunch that will help further your understanding on this topic.