The ESOP Association’s Professionals’ Forum is the only event of its kind: a meeting designed exclusively for high-level professionals who provide technical, financial, and legal assistance to ESOP companies.

The Forum brings professionals together with their peers for a collaborative learning experience. Because it’s a meeting of professionals for professionals, you can take full advantage of programming without the pressure of servicing clients or attending to their needs, unlike at our larger, national events.

Chairs of The ESOP Association’s technical advisory committees, among the foremost experts in their fields, design the Forum. Each year, it draws ESOP professionals from across the nation for strategic discussions on the complex challenges and issues facing ESOPs. With the recent passage of the Retire Through Ownership Act, which gives fiduciaries a defined, well-established process for valuing ESOP stock, that discussion carries new weight this year: what it means for your valuation work, your clients’ risk exposure, and the standards your practice will be held to. Join your peers to share insights, learn about emerging trends, network, and develop and revise best practices. The topics listed on the Program page are general descriptions. Each session is interactive, with audience participation helping to direct the discussions.

This event is only available in-person. Advisory Committee meetings will also be held in-person only. Early registration is strongly recommended as this event sells out annually.

Program Format

We’re offering nine breakout discussion topics across three time slots on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. These sessions cover current ESOP trends and issues across disciplines vital to employee ownership. An advisory committee chair and an expert committee member lead each discussion. Since all nine topics repeat, you can attend three different sessions or return to the same one for deeper discussion. This format gives you room for in-depth conversation on the latest trends before regrouping as a larger group.

ESOP-Talks for Early-Career Professionals

ESOP-Talks is back! If you’re building a career as an ESOP professional, these sessions are designed for you. You’ll learn from experienced ESOP professionals on topics like the ESOP life cycle and transaction issues, grow your professional network, and build the relationships that help you navigate ESOP career paths and opportunities. Additional registration fee applies.

The Professionals’ Forum is only available to TEA Professional Members. Members must be logged in to receive the member rate and register for the event.