The Federal Reserve’s annual conference, hosted by the Kansas City Fed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, began Thursday evening with a dinner for the central bankers, economists and journalists who have flown in from around the world.

In a typical year, Jackson Hole sparks excitement mostly among market watchers. This time, the symposium feels more pivotal.

The annual economics symposium, which begins Thursday, brings together top monetary policy officials from around the world and always makes headlines in the financial press. There are at least three reasons the conference is worth paying attention to this year.

U.S. stocks closed lower Thursday, with the S&P 500 index logging a fifth straight daily loss, as technology stocks slumped and investors waited to hear from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday.

Gold prices fell on Thursday, pressured by a firmer dollar, while investors looked to the U.S. central bank's annual Jackson Hole symposium later in the day for further policy cues.

Federal Reserve chair is under bombardment from Donald Trump and battling an insurgency within the central bank