The 50th ICI GMM has come and gone and left many with fond memories of surf and sand, courtesy of the entertainment.

New for the 50th anniversary were the display marking important events in mutual fund history outside the general session hall and the product demo room in the exhibit hall.

The speaker that everyone crowded into the conference hall to see was JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon, the closest thing the financial industry has to a rock star. Many conference attendees remarked that Dimon was a dazzling orator, though he did not exactly reveal any earth shattering news. This was not for lack of trying by those who wrote in questions; though Dimon did tell the moderator to ask him anything, Dimon was very deft at avoiding giving direct answers.

The 50th anniversary gala dinner outdid last year's dinner by a mile, according to attendees. The Beach Boys (with at least one original member) took the stage to play an hour-long set. Many revelers moved to the front of the room to be closer to the band, armed with their party favors -- neon sunglasses. One fan was even lucky enough to get on stage with the band, while others were content to get a chance to touch their one-time idols.

As the conference wrapped up, attendees were treated to a last speech by a presidential historian, Michael Beschloss. Yet this reporter found some other presidential stories, imparted to a fund industry insider by an ex-Secret Service agent, to be at once more amusing and less repeatable. The agent had much to tell about the non-public lives of Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.  

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