http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acams-9th-annual-international-anti-money-laundering-conference-sets-record-with-1000-aml-professionals-in-attendance-103300299.html

AML experts, regulators and government officials from around the world gather in Las Vegas to combat financial crime

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 1,000 AML/CTF professionals from over 40 countries are attending the ACAMS 9th Annual International Anti-Money Laundering Conference in Las Vegas this week. Event organizers confirm attendance is up significantly this year setting an attendance record for ACAMS conferences.

"This year's record-setting attendance demonstrates AML and financial crime are still top priorities, and industry professionals and government officials are very interested in continuing education and training to address evolving threats against their organizations and agencies," said John Byrne, CAMS, ACAMS executive vice president.  "The ACAMS international conference provides an expansive  global learning and networking experience that is unrivalled anywhere in the world, and I am pleased that so many AML professionals are choosing ACAMS as their source for staying current with regulatory updates and essential training advice."

With nearly 70 expert speakers and 50 unique sessions, the 2010 conference program is ACAMS' most comprehensive and hands-on to date. 

The conference convened this morning with a panel discussion featuring representatives from the FDIC, OCC, FinCEN, the NY Federal Reserve and the Egmont Group. The session, "Critical Update on International Regulatory Developments," kicked off the conference by providing attendees an extensive overview of hot button issues such as sanctions, emerging technological risks, cross-border issues and the impact of payments issues on AML professionals.

"The cutting-edge curriculum is the culmination of an extensive selection process that was over a year in development," said Byrne.  "We are extremely pleased with the dynamic, in-depth program and the support of our expert speaker faculty—including many new faces from financial institutions, government agencies and industry consultants—helped enhance the presentations with relevant, practical information."

New to the agenda this year are focused discussion groups, including exclusive closed-door forums designed for law enforcement and regulators.  These sessions provide a unique opportunity for the exchange of ideas and best practices to help tackle everyday challenges in an open-discussion setting. Moderated by government leaders, these sessions address key typologies and trends vital to law enforcement and regulators. 

"We are fortunate to have the strong support and participation of so many government agencies," said Byrne.  "It is vitally important for the ACAMS membership and other AML professionals to have so many regulators and law enforcement representatives attending this program and sharing real-world experience and innovative solutions to everyday legal and compliance challenges."

ACAMS will also be announcing the results of a survey, developed with Ernst & Young, that is looking at AML and Fraud issues and how financial institutions are grappling with this important challenge.

In addition to three days of non-stop education and training, ACAMS will recognize individuals who have set a new standard of AML/CTF excellence with the ACAMS Recognition Awards.  Award recipients will be honored during an awards presentation taking place at the conference on September 21.

The 9th Annual International Anti-Money Laundering Conference continues through September 22.