The 2008 IBA Symposium will once again march to the beat of a different conference drummer in Chicago, June 18 - 21.  Instead of the “open call” of most professional group gatherings, the IBA offers two tracks, each limited to 100 registrants—“Masterminds” allows practitioners to dive into the finer nuances of technique and theory, and “Fine Tuning” is for those who are developing report templates, supervising staff, and acquiring skills in new areas, such as intangibles.  Presentations are a half-day in length, allowing for more in-depth treatment of the issues and practice case studies.  Seating is rotated so registrants confer with different groups during each session.  Jim Hitchner will deliver this year’s keynote on “The Cost of Capital: Duff & Phelps v. Morningstar v. Common Sense.”  Additional speakers include Rob Schlegel, Len Sliwoski and Ray Miles on the transaction databases; Ashok Abbott and James Lurie on "Apportioning Active and Passive Appreciation in Divorce;" Michele Miles on professional service agreements; and more.  The full brochure is here.  Early bird discounts end this Friday, May 9th, but the IBA will offer the lower price through next week if you mention BVWire.  To register, call 800-299-4130 or visit www.go-iba.org.