Financial advisors increasingly are an important market for exchange-traded funds, and that will be reflected in the 11th annual Inside ETFs conference set to run January 21-24 at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Fla.
This year’s event is shaping up as the biggest one yet with an expected head count of between 2,300 to 2,500 attendees, says Matt Hougan, CEO at Inside ETFs. And the number of speakers has grown, too, with roughly 180 on tap to contribute to 78 different sessions in addition to various keynote addresses.
Featured presenters include Mohammed El-Erian, the chief economic advisor at Allianz and one of the most respected voices in the investment industry. In addition, legendary music producer Quincy Jones is on tap to discuss what it means for an industry that gets disrupted by technology. That’s a germane topic for advisors given that the wealth management space has seen its own degree of technology disruption.
And while Jones might share a few stories about the making of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album from back in the day, he also might lay down some ETF perspective considering he has the Quincy Jones Streaming Music, Media & Entertainment ETF filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Hougan says this year’s conference has three major themes. One deals with practice management and how advisors can differentiate themselves by transitioning from an emphasis on asset management to playing a greater role in the area of life management.
A second theme focuses on portfolio downside protection, while the third major theme highlights some of the newer players and investment approaches in ETF Land in an effort to help advisors find less-traditional ETF sponsors and products that can add value to client portfolios.
“It was a record year for ETFs, and we expect this to be a record year for the conference,” Hougan says.