The Coal Trading Association announces a new training class: Advanced Fundamentals of Coal Trading. The class will be September 18-19 in Houston, TX, at the Intercontinental Hotel. The registration fee for CTA members will be $250, and for nonmembers $450.

Online registration is available from the CTA’s website on the Events page (www.coaltrade.org). Class size is limited. Rooms are available at the Intercontinental Hotel for the discounted rate of $179 a night by calling 800-316-8645 and asking for the Coal Trading Association group rate.

The one-day training class will begin with a reception on Thursday, September 18. The class will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. September 19.

The course is intended for people who have already taken the Fundamentals of Coal Trading class or others in the industry who would benefit from a more in-depth and sophisticated look at the trading industry. Course participants will learn the nuts and bolts approach to using the instruments in OTC and futures markets covered in the Fundamentals Course in their trading and hedging strategies.

Steve Doyle, a former trader who now provides the energy and financial sectors with research and risk management consulting, will teach the class. He is also the author of the highly regarded Coal Trading Handbook.

The Coal Trading Association will host its 2008 Midyear Meeting in Chicago, July 16-17. The event will kick off with an opening dinner on July 16 and continue the following day with the Midyear Business Meeting and a tour of a DTE fuel transloading terminal on Lake Michigan.

The free event is open to members and nonmembers, but advance registration for all attendees is required. Online registration is available on the CTA event website.

During the Midyear Meeting, the members discuss pending industry issues, hear reports from standing committees, and vote to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors. This year, the members will elect four members to the Board of Directors.

The agenda for this year’s meeting will include a report from the CTA’s New Products Committee, which was created at the membership’s request at the 2007 Midyear Meeting. The committee will discuss the results of a survey on new products that are in development in conjunction with anticipated environmental legislation.

The DTE facility is a modern and efficient fuel-service solid fuels terminal that provides transportation options for inbound and outbound deliveries, including logistical support.

The Coal Trading Association will again host a reception the evening before the Eastern Fuel Buyers Conference in Orlando, FL. The event will take place Tuesday evening, May 6, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and include a wine tasting and two drawings for $200 in Disney Dollars. Registration is free.

The reception is one of several events the CTA will sponsor this year; including two training classes, a coal facility tour, and the leading conference for coal traders held in the US.

The following are highlights of the 2008 CTA events:

• July 16-17: 2008 Midyear Meeting and Coal Transportation Facility Tour in Chicago will kick off with an opening dinner on July 16 and continue the following day with the Midyear Business Meeting and tour of a DTE fuel transloading terminal on Lake Michigan. The facility is a modern and efficient fuel-service solid fuels terminal that provides transportation options for inbound and outbound deliveries, including logistical support. Registration is free, but required, and the event is open to nonmembers.
• July 18: Chicago will also be the site of this year’s Fundamentals of Coal Trading class that will be held at the Ritz-Carlton. Steve Doyle, a former trader who now provides the energy and financial sectors with research and risk management consulting, will teach the class. He is also the author of the highly regarded Coal Trading Handbook.
• September 18-19: Steve Doyle will also teach the new Advanced Fundamentals of Coal Trading class at the Intercontinental Hotel in Houston, TX. The course is intended for people who have taken the Fundamentals of Coal Trading class and who would benefit from a more in depth and sophisticated look at the trading industry.
• December 10-11—New York City will host the 2008 Coal Trading Conference at the Millennium Broadway Hotel located in Times Square. A reception on December 10 will precede the full-day conference on December 11. Program details and an online registration form will be available in October.

The Coal Trading Association announces its preliminary schedule of conferences, meetings, and training classes for 2008.

The schedule includes a repeat of the popular Fundamentals of Coal Trading class, which sold out in 2007, as well as an all-new Advanced Fundamentals of Coal Trading course.

Following is the preliminary event schedule for the 2008 year:

• May 6: The CTA will host a reception the night before this year’s Eastern Fuel Buyers Conference in Orlando. The reception will be held at the Disney Yacht Club Resort. Registration is free.
• July 16-17: 2008 Midyear Meeting and Coal Transportation Facility Tour in Chicago will kick off with an opening dinner on July 16 and continue the following day with the Midyear Business Meeting and tour of a DTE fuel transloading terminal on Lake Michigan. The facility is a modern and efficient fuel-service solid fuels terminal that provides transportation options for inbound and outbound deliveries, including logistical support. Registration is free, but required, and the event is open to nonmembers.
• July 18: Chicago will also be the site of this year’s Fundamentals of Coal Trading class that will be held at the Ritz-Carlton. Steve Doyle, a former trader who now provides the energy and financial sectors with research and risk management consulting, will teach the class. He is also the author of the highly regarded Coal Trading Handbook.
• September 18-19: Steve Doyle will also teach the new Advanced Fundamentals of Coal Trading class at the Intercontinental Hotel in Houston, TX. The course is intended for people who have taken the Fundamentals of Coal Trading class and who would benefit from a more in depth and sophisticated look at the trading industry.
• December 10-11: New York City will host the 2008 Coal Trading Conference at the Millennium Broadway Hotel located in Times Square. A reception on December 10 will precede the full-day conference on December 11. Program details and an online registration form will be available in October.