Fourteen companies presented at the conference held April 26-27. DBRS, Fitch Ratings, Moody's and Standard & Poor's sponsored the event along with 17 companies from the capital markets. Over 200 executives from 16 countries attended, some as far away as the Middle East, Russia and Japan.

Conference chairman Ken Fischbach, Senior Vice President with MBNA America, kicked off the opening session, which also included the keynote address delivered by Norbert Walter, Chief Economist with Deutsche Bank. On the second day, representatives from three rating agencies participated in a panel, with each speaker discussing a specific market sector. Small group discussions between investors and finance companies were made available on both days and at hosted lunches and breakfast. The format, location, overall program and investor turnout proved to be a winning combination.

Plans are in the works to return to Amsterdam next April 26-27. Bryan Binyon, Vice President & Treasurer with American General Finance will chair the 2006 conference. Check the AFSA Web site for updates.