The happy talk of a gathering of this nature is admirable and represents a departure from the "it is our fiduciary duty to avoid anything that will not give us the highest returns possible" of yesteryear.  However, it is the scale and manner of investing that requires change.  We need to transfer the "star" power of well-intentioned people like O'Neill and Gore to local venues.  In another time, those attending a conference of this nature would have been community leaders in their towns and cities, rather than making a stressful trek to a far-away place to hear something they expect to hear.