MiniMuni Sessions

Municipal Securities Best Practices 101 (50 minutes, 1 CPE) 1:10pm-2:00pm  

Are you new to municipal government finance? Do you need a refresher on some of the major components before diving into market conditions and disclosure? If so, this is the perfect panel for you. GFOA’s debt issuance and management best practices are essential lessons for governments of all types and sizes. Members of GFOA’s Debt Management Committee will provide an overview of this suite of documents, highlighting topics such as maintaining a debt policy, using external advisors, the issuance process and investor relations. Speakers will emphasize key takeaways from the best practices to ensure attendees walk away with sufficient base knowledge to get the most out of the following panels.  

Leveraging the Partnership (50 minutes, 1 CPE) 2:10-3:00pm   

It is quite rare for projects in a community to be financed solely by issuing tax-exempt municipal bonds or any one source of financing for that matter. This is why it is important to understand how to leverage multiple sources of funding and form creative partnerships to ensure a project can go from the idea stage to completion. During this panel you will hear from a diverse group of stakeholders in a bond deal, who bring a unique perspective on how to leverage partnerships to build infrastructure in communities throughout the country.  

Market Dynamics (50 minutes, 1 CPE) 3:10-4:00pm 

While some may long for the calm market days of just a couple years ago, issuers should be looking at current market conditions and trends to determine the opportunities available to them as they manage their outstanding debt portfolio and plan to issue new debt. Whether you are in the market every other year or multiple times a year, this panel will provide you with a thorough overview of what to expect out of this current market, with an eye towards what we may expect in 2025.  

Hot Topics (50 minutes, 1 CPE) 1:05-1:55pm  

In addition to managing a debt program, finance professionals need to be aware of the various initiatives that impact the municipal bond market and bond issuances. This session will look at key matters discussed by federal regulators, the issuer community, and market leaders to prepare governments for what’s next. Expect to hear about topics such as tender refundings, terminating swaps, and the Financial Data Transparency Act.  

Disclosure (50 minutes, 1 CPE) 2:05-2:55pm  

The purpose of disclosure is to help investors assess the rewards and risks associated with municipal bonds after their initial issuance. It is the issuer’s responsibility to ensure consistent and accurate disclosure information regarding financial health, bond value, and repayment timelines. Attend this session to get a comprehensive overview of the different types of disclosure documents and requirements. 

The Financial Data Transparency Act (55 minutes, 1 CPE) 3:05-4:00pm 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially released the draft of the first set of regulations to implement the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA). These rules specify requirements for issuers and participants within the municipal market. If you want to understand how the FDTA will impact your work as an issuer, then this is the panel for you. You will hear directly from representatives of the Office of Municipal Securities within the Securities and Exchange Commission and be able to pose questions to them. You won’t want to miss this session as the FDTA will undoubtedly impact the reporting process for just about every issuer, with some potential exceptions for the smallest ones.  

Credit Rating Agencies (1 hour 40 minutes, 2 CPE) 1:05-2:45pm  

Have you ever wanted to get all the major credit rating agencies in one room to discuss their credit rating methodology and make sense of their changes? Well, this panel will provide just that. Each of the major credit rating agencies will present their methodologies, with an emphasis on explaining the logic behind any recent changes that have or will impact issuers across the country. After each presentation there will be ample time for questions so please come prepared to get your questions answered.  

Issuer Colloquy (50 minutes, 1 CPE) 2:55-3:45pm  

To close out the 6th Annual MiniMuni we will be hosting one of our more popular panels consisting of a diverse group of issuers. These practitioners will be providing their reactions to everything that was covered throughout the conference and will make sense of the most complicated topics. It is rare to get small, medium and large sized issuers in one room to discuss disclosure, market conditions, federal regulations, and other hot topics, but that is exactly what this panel will provide.