Every year around this time, Fed officials from all its regional banks get together for a little retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The activities (other than talking about how much ink needs to be ordered for the printing press this year) usually include hiking, rafting and other outdoorsy things – and, of course, a meeting here or there about the domestic and international economic outlook. Special events planned this year apparently also include “stargazing with a local astronomy club and a visit to a ranch with a ‘horse whisperer’”.

Don’t worry, folks, you’re not paying for this — participants pay their own way. Cost of horse whispering aside, it’s probably a small price to pay for the right to hob-nob with senior Fed officials and international central bankers. This year, however, it’s a little more difficult to get an invitation:

Some Federal Reserve officials accustomed to an automatic invitation to the central bank’s annual mountainside symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, are finding themselves empty handed this year.

The Kansas City Fed bank in recent years has welcomed the president and research director from each of the 11 other regional banks. For this year’s Aug. 26-28 conference, a regional bank may only send one of the two officials. Also, unlike in previous years, the New York Fed’s markets chief, currently Brian Sack, isn’t invited.

The change helps to foster debate and include more non-Fed attendees such as central bankers from abroad, said Diane Raley, a Kansas City Fed spokeswoman. Robert Eisenbeis, a former Atlanta Fed research director, said it deprives many research officials, who serve as their presidents’ top policy advisers and attend Fed interest-rate meetings, the chance to make important global contacts.

Now that the research wonks are kicked out (for better or for worse), I guess it remains to be seen which lucky banksters get a golden ticket. Bloomberg says the change even opens up a few slots for CRITICS of the central bank. We’ll let you know if Jason or I get an invitation.