Platts' Day of the Trader conferences have tracked the meteoric rise of the power trading business in the 1990s through the troubled times of recent years. The conference has provided an unbiased look at the strengths and weaknesses of an industry segment that remains vital to fulfilling the promises of a competitive wholesale power market. This year's Platts Power Marketing conference again offers industry executives the opportunity to hear the latest expert analysis on where the marketing business is headed and to network with their peers.

Almost three years after Enron's collapse and the near death of the power trading market, new players and new attitudes are contributing to a rebirth. To be sure, a shortage of creditworthy trading partners and other obstacles remain. But price volatility both shows the need for traders who will take on risk and offers the lure of potential profits to pull them in. Some energy merchants, badly bruised but not mortally wounded, are beginning to slowly rebuild their businesses. Banks that have taken over distressed power generation assets are rapidly asserting themselves as the new force to be reckoned with in the marketplace. And new entrants, such as hedge funds, are carving out a role.

The Power Marketing Conference, being held October 11-12 in Houston, gives attendees a chance to look forward to future opportunities and break away from lamenting the past. From market supply/demand fundamentals to strengthening credit, the signposts indicate a brighter outlook for power trading than in years. Industry experts lay out these new market realities and interpret what they may mean for your-or your competitor's-business in the months ahead.

In the following pages you will hear firsthand from our speakers on these and other issues.