NY, let me explain...
By law a company has to announce news to the widest possible audience. That's what caused my knee-jerk reaction to your post that they might announce something at the conference... it's a very small audience... highly interested, but small.
Idiot me never once considered that they could release a PR in conjunction with any conference announcement.
I think you are right. Something big will be announced at this conference. Management cut Duane Morris and replaced them with a 2nd tier firm to save money. Yet in that environment they spent who knows what to sponsor this premier event... and they announced their shareholders meeting about the same time they showed up as a sponsor to the conference.
Too many coincidences for nothing to come of it. I better grab those certs under my windshield wiper, they might be worth something soon!