Roth ‘n Roll

I just returned from the 20^th Annual Roth Conference in Dana Point, Calif. All of the usual suspects were there toting their Roth beach bags around like tourists in search of a secluded cove, or in this case, a quiet table to talk shop.
 
Not sure if Roth put something in the water, but everyone seemed excessively happy. I looked around the room during our one-on-one session and noticed a sea of smiles meeting and greeting and eating.
 
The stock market is down, smelling salts of a recession are in the air, and the Fed keeps cranking out weak data.  Am I missing something? Is there a Prozac vendor nearby?
 
I realize that nearly a third of the attendees hail from the East Coast, and popping pastries at the Ritz-Carlton Dana Point in mid-February is a lot more appealing than popping antacid while knee deep in traffic on the Major Deegan. But investors and presenting companies were practically gleeful at this year’s Roth conference.
 
The fact is Roth knows how to throw a good party. Our buy-side meetings were with top-notch firms. The evening entertainment included In-N-Out Burger and alt-rockers Good Charlotte. And the Ritz-Carlton box lunch included a cookie that was moist and, well, delicious.
 
I suppose my only complaint is the noise level that emanated from neighboring tables during our one-on-one meetings. That, of course, and the distracting view of the handful of surfers and the Pacific Ocean that serve as a backdrop from nearly every vantage point at the hotel. 

— Evan Pondel, Senior Associate, epondel@pondel.com