On January 21 and 22, 2010, DealFlow Media hosted The Activist Investor Conference 2010 in New York City.  Among the key topics discussed during the conference were: what attracts activist investors to certain target companies; how a company can defend itself against an activist campaign; how activist investors assess the vulnerability of a board of directors; defining good corporate governance; and what might cause a passive investor to become – without intending to do so – an activist investor.  This article offers a comprehensive summary of the key points raised and discussed at the conference.