IFTA History

 

The origin of this organization dates back to May 1984 when members of the Market Technicians Association (MTA) and the Nippon Technical Analysts Association (NTAA) met in Southern California,

USA .

 

During this keystone meeting, the idea of starting a global federation of technical societies was born and two other formal technical societies were invited to join the project - the Society of Technical Analysts (STA) in

London, England and The Technical Security analysts Society of San Francisco, USA (TSAA-SF).

 

The following year, in October 1985, the MTA and NTAA organized a seminar in

Tokyofor these four societies and the newly formed Canadian society, the CSTA. All agreed to pool their financial resources and selected the name for this new global organization-- the International Federation of Technical Analysts (IFTA). It was then incorporated in the state of Delaware, USA on January 22, 1986. With Ralph Acampora as first Chairman, the board of directors shared a great enthusiasm for developement of technical analysis, realizing it to have a universal language - transcending all national boundaries and linguistic hurdles.

The First Annual IFTA conference in

Tokyoin late 1988. This intellectual exchange and success was followed by a second Conference in Londonin October 1989, under the tutalege of host, Robin Griffiths, President of the British Society of Technical Analysts (STA) at the time. Since then IFTA has held an annual conference in different locations throughout the world.

IFTA has been led by the following Chairmen:

• Elaine Knuth (SAMT) 2007-2009
• Bill Sharp (CSTA) 2004-2006
• Hiroshi Okamoto (NTAA) 2001-2003
• Bruno Estier (SAMT) 1998-2000
• John Brooks (MTA) 1995-1997
• Robin Griffiths (STA) 1992-1994
• Ralph Acampora (MTA) 1987-1991