SIA 2005 Technology Management Conference and Exhibit

Beginning of article

Vendors of products and services for the securities industry staked out their booths on the three floors at the Hilton New York for one of the largest exhibits of its kind. Although longtime attendees said the Securities Industry Association (SIA)-sponsored event is getting smaller, the steady stream of 6,800 people walking up and down the aisles was in line with its 7,000 visitors in 2004.

The 3-day showcase, which was held June 21-23, updated specialists on equipment, products, and services for a wide range of securities industry technology operations. Visitors maneuvering through the maze of 300 exhibitors (suppliers, consultants, companies, and publications) required a pullout map to navigate each of the floors.

Industry analyst John Blossom, president of Shore Communications, Inc., sees a wave of change on the horizon: "This year's SIA conference exhibited a wider range of technology solutions [that targeted] trading infrastructure and trade processing and fewer content-oriented products and services," he said. "In the push to drive costs and time out of …