As it approaches its 10th anniversary next year, the Financial Services Institute is expecting more than 350 advisors its first conference designed solely for its advisor members.

Among the highlights of the conference, to be held September 9-11 in Washington, D.C., will be a question and answer session with Phyllis Borzi, the controversial assistant secretary of the Department of Labor, and FSI CEO Dale Brown. Officials at the FSI have expressed frustration with Borzi’s intransigent stance on applying strict fiduciary rules to very small IRA accounts and have mobilized key Democratic constituencies to voice their fears about the fate of millions of potentially orphaned IRAs.

Still, they give Borzi full credit for agreeing to appear in front of the group and answering tough questions. Borzi reportedly has agreed to take questions from advisors in the audience.

Borzi’s appearance is only one reason that some FSI members think attendance could well exceed 400 advisors. The association has spent more than a year planning the event. Initially spun out of the Financial Planning Association and formed simply as a broker-dealer association, the FSI now boasts more than 30,000 advisor members, and about 10,000 members more than the FPA.

While the FSI claims it is an advocacy-only association, the agenda for its Advisor Summit reveals that it is seeking to move beyond grassroots activism into new spheres that could help advisors in their communities and businesses. In fact, one track focuses specifically on community involvement and another concentrates on ways advisors can improve their businesses.

The third track, called "For Your Self," targets issues like eating better, striking a work/life balance and caring for aging parents. The association is also bringing consultants to speak with advisors about how to improve their Web sites. An image consultant will even talk about what color suits an advisor should wear.

Among the other keynote speakers is former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, who will discuss his program to help wounded veterans find jobs on Wall Street. FSI officials are hoping advisor members will become interested in the program and work with vets dispersed around the nation to increase involvement. Claude Lilly, a former chairman of the Charlotte Federal Reserve Board, will discuss the economy, while Peter Sheahan, CEO of ChangeLabs, will talk about change and innovation in the business world.