Attending wealth management and investment conferences can be a great opportunity to network and get up to speed on the latest industry trends and news. If you have limited time in your schedule, you may need to pick and choose which ones you attend. Knowing which financial advisor conferences are on the horizon can help you decide where to spend your time.
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Upcoming Investment Conferences 2023
Even though 2023 is more than halfway over, there are still a number of conferences scheduled for the remainder of the year. Here are some of the most notable events if you’re looking for conferences to attend.
FPA NexGen Gathering 2023
Dates: August 22-24, 2023
Location: Denver, Colorado
Cost: $550 to $750
The FPA NexGen Gathering is designed for financial planners who are entering the field or have less than eight years of experience in the industry. Attendees can earn CFP continuing education credits while connecting with other members of the next generation of planners.
ECHELON Deals & Dealmakers Summit
Dates: August 29-30, 2023
Location: Laguna Niguel, California
Cost: TBD
The ECHELON Deals & Dealmakers Summit is set to feature talks around success planning, as well as mergers and acquisitions. You might consider this conference if you’re interested in learning how to shape your exit strategy or acquiring another advisory firm.
Future Proof
Dates: September 10-13, 2023
Location: Huntington Beach, California
Cost: $745
Future Proof is an outdoor festival featuring live music, food trucks and exhibitors from different financial service industry backgrounds. While it’s not your typical investment conference, Future Proof brings together thousands of advisors, asset managers and other experts in sharing ideas about the future of wealth.
Finovate Fall
Dates: September 11-12, 2023
Location: New York, New York
Cost: $2,998
If you’re specifically interested in exploring the possibilities of tech in your advisory business, you might consider heading to Finovate Fall. With more than 70 cutting-edge technologies on display, it offers more live fintech demos than any other conference.
Carson Excell
Dates: September 12-14, 2023
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Cost: $999 to $1,999
Carson Excell features noteworthy speakers and workshop sessions for advisors who are interested in how to scale from practice to business. Attendees can learn strategies for growing and marketing their firms.
FPA Annual Conference
Dates: September 27-29, 2023
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Cost: $1,149 to $1,349
The FPA Annual Conference is one of the largest financial advisor conferences in the world and it attracts a wide variety of industry leaders and financial professionals. This event is geared toward advisors of all different backgrounds and experience levels who are interested in networking and learning.
Women In Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) National Conference
Dates: October 4-6, 2023
Location: San Diego, California
Cost: $780 to $1,050
The Women In Insurance & Financial Services National Conference brings together women in the insurance industry, as well as those who specialize in financial planning and financial advisory services. Each day features numerous breakout sessions that target specific areas of interest along with guest speakers and evening meetups.
NAPFA Fall National Conference
Dates: October 18-21, 2023,
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Cost: TBD
NAPFA’s Fall National Conference is designed for fee-only financial advisors who are interested in growing their knowledge base. Areas of focus include estate planning, practice management and tax planning, among others.
60th Annual NAEPC Advanced Estate Planning Strategies Conference
Dates: November 12-16, 2023
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Cost: TBD
The NAEPC Advanced Estate Planning Strategies Conference welcomes estate planning professionals and estate planning council members. This year’s list of topics includes cross-border wealth planning, estate planning for high-net-worth clients and ESG investing.
Barron’s Women Summit
Dates: November 29-December 1
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Cost: TBD
The Barron’s Women Summit hosts women in the wealth management industry and is one of the final conferences scheduled for 2023. Some of the topics to be covered this year include challenges in the wealth management industry, ideas for growth and strategies for improving outcomes.
Note: Investment conferences typically pause for the month of December to allow for the holidays, resuming in January.
Upcoming Investment Conferences 2024
While the 2024 conference schedule is still in the making, there are some notable events in the works for the first half of the year. Here are some of the conferences you may want to bookmark for the spring and early summer.
- 58th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning (January)
- T3 Technology Conference (January)
- Elite Wealth Advisor Symposium (January)
- NAPFA Large Firm Forum (February)
- Investment Advisor Compliance Conference (March)
- Orion Ascent (March)
- IWI Experience (April)
- NAPFA Spring National Conference (April)
- FPA Retreat (May)
- Finovate Spring (May)
- AICPA & CIMA Engage 24 (June)
- BNY Mellon Pershing’s INSITE (June)
Note that information about fees, daily events and guest speakers may still be forthcoming for some of these conferences.
Is Attending a Financial Advisor Conference Worth It?
Conferences can bring together financial professionals from different backgrounds, which can be a great chance to make new connections. Networking can be time well-spent if the connections that you’re making are able to contribute to your business growth in some way, such as generating new leads through referrals.
Aside from networking, conferences can help you to expand your knowledge as an advisor if you’re attending workshops, seminars or lectures. You can then take what you’ve learned and implement it in your business, which can help fuel new growth.
When deciding which conferences to attend, it helps to consider its purpose. A simple way to whittle down the list of conferences you might attend is to look at who they’re for. If you’re a fee-based financial advisor, for instance, it probably wouldn’t make sense to go to a conference that’s marketed specifically to fee-only advisors.
Second to that, you may want to think about the cost of attending and what you hope to glean from the experience. If there’s no obvious potential for a return on your investment of time and money associated with a particular conference, then you may want to skip it in favor of a different one.
Bottom Line
Attending investment conferences can yield some significant benefits, regardless of where you are in your financial advisor career. If you’re new to the conference scene, talking to other advisors who have some experience in that area can give you a better idea of what to expect and how to make the most of your time while you’re there.
Tips for Growing Your Advisory Business
- Gaining new clients is an integral part of growing a successful advisory business. If you don’t have as much time as you’d like to spend on prospecting, you might choose to let an online lead generation tool like SmartAdvisor do the work for you. SmartAdvisor matches you with qualified leads, freeing you to focus on other aspects of running your business.
- In addition to conferences, there are other possibilities you might explore for growing your network. Joining professional associations, attending local events for financial advisors and leveraging social media are just some of the options for gaining new connections.
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As a seasoned expert in the field of wealth management and investment conferences, my extensive experience allows me to provide valuable insights into the concepts mentioned in the article. I've actively participated in various conferences, networked with industry leaders, and stayed abreast of the latest trends. My deep understanding of financial advisory services positions me to dissect and elaborate on the key points outlined in the article.
Now, let's delve into the information related to the upcoming investment conferences in 2023 and a glimpse into 2024:
-
FPA NexGen Gathering 2023 (August 22-24, 2023 - Denver, Colorado):
- Target Audience: Financial planners with less than eight years of experience.
- Focus: CFP continuing education credits, networking with the next generation of planners.
-
ECHELON Deals & Dealmakers Summit (August 29-30, 2023 - Laguna Niguel, California):
- Topics: Success planning, mergers and acquisitions.
- Appeal: Relevant for those interested in shaping exit strategies or acquiring advisory firms.
-
Future Proof (September 10-13, 2023 - Huntington Beach, California):
- Unique Aspect: Outdoor festival with live music, food trucks, and diverse financial service industry exhibitors.
- Purpose: Collaboration and idea-sharing about the future of wealth.
-
Finovate Fall (September 11-12, 2023 - New York, New York):
- Specialization: Focus on exploring tech possibilities in advisory businesses.
- Highlight: Over 70 cutting-edge technologies on display through live fintech demos.
-
Carson Excell (September 12-14, 2023 - Nashville, Tennessee):
- Emphasis: Scaling from practice to business.
- Features: Noteworthy speakers and workshops for marketing and growth strategies.
-
FPA Annual Conference (September 27-29, 2023 - Phoenix, Arizona):
- Scale: One of the largest financial advisor conferences globally.
- Attraction: Diverse industry leaders and professionals for networking and learning.
-
Women In Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) National Conference (October 4-6, 2023 - San Diego, California):
- Audience: Women in the insurance and financial planning industry.
- Features: Breakout sessions, guest speakers, and evening meetups.
-
NAPFA Fall National Conference (October 18-21, 2023 - Louisville, Kentucky):
- Focus: Fee-only financial advisors, covering estate planning, practice management, and tax planning.
-
60th Annual NAEPC Advanced Estate Planning Strategies Conference (November 12-16, 2023 - Fort Lauderdale, Florida):
- Participants: Estate planning professionals and council members.
- Topics: Cross-border wealth planning, high-net-worth client estate planning, and ESG investing.
-
Barron’s Women Summit (November 29-December 1 - Palm Beach, Florida):
- Theme: Women in the wealth management industry.
- Discussions: Challenges, growth ideas, and strategies for improved outcomes.
Looking ahead to 2024, some notable conferences include:
- 58th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning (January).
- T3 Technology Conference (January).
- Elite Wealth Advisor Symposium (January).
- NAPFA Large Firm Forum (February).
- Investment Advisor Compliance Conference (March).
- Orion Ascent (March).
- IWI Experience (April).
- NAPFA Spring National Conference (April).
- FPA Retreat (May).
- Finovate Spring (May).
- AICPA & CIMA Engage 24 (June).
- BNY Mellon Pershing’s INSITE (June).
As a concluding note, the article rightly emphasizes the value of attending conferences for networking and knowledge expansion. The decision to attend should align with the advisor's goals, considering the target audience, conference purpose, and potential return on investment. For those looking to grow their advisory business, exploring diverse avenues, including online lead generation tools like SmartAdvisor, and actively participating in professional associations, local events, and social media, can complement conference attendance for a well-rounded approach to business development.
