To stay on top of the latest industry trends and education topics, advisors at registered investment adviser (“RIA”) firms have many options to turn to online. You can read blogs, view webinars, and listen to podcasts just to name a few. So why should should an advisor spend the time and money to attend an industry conference? While it likely does not make sense to attend every industry event out there, finding the right conference for you to attend can have a meaningful impact on your firm and individual professional development!
Are you looking for a comprehensive list of all upcoming RIA industry conferences? Be sure to check our frequently updated RIA industry conference listing page.
Top RIA Industry Conferences to Attend
So what conferences should you attend? Here is our quick list of the top industry conferences for financial advisors to consider investing in:
- IMPACT® (November 10-13, 2020)
This is one of the largest industry conferences out there and will attract thousands of advisors that custody with Charles Schwab. But even if your firm doesn’t custody with Charles Schwab, you won’t find a more extensive vendor exhibit hall if you’re looking to explore the latest industry technology and asset management trends. This event is generally hosted in the fall each year and will be held November 10-13, 2020 in San Diego, California. Given the pending acquisition of TD Ameritrade, this event may be also be larger and more influential than ever.
- National LINC (January 29-31, 2020)
This event continues to grow in size each year and will similarly attract thousands of advisors that custody with TD Ameritrade. More so than most industry custodian conferences, there is a large focus on technology at this event and visiting the “Veo Village” is a terrific opportunity to see many new emerging technologies entering the RIA industry. This event is generally held in January or February and will be held on January 29-31, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. Top of mind for many advisors in attendance will be TD Ameritrade’s pending acquisition by Charles Schwab.
- Morningstar Investment Conference (June 3-5, 2020)
This event presents the latest developments on financial advice from the industry’s top minds. Attendees have the opportunity to discover new perspectives on the market and ideas to put into practice. Over 100 organizations from asset management firms to financial technology companies serving wealth management firms are featured in the exhibit hall and ready to answer your questions. This years event will be held June 3-10, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois.
- Financial Planning Association (FPA) Annual Conference (September 30-October 2, 2020)
This is the national conference for the Financial Planning Association and attracts thousands of advisors with a particular concentration of those holding the Certified Financial Planner (“CFP”) professional designation. Here you’ll get a mix of thoughtful educational sessions offering CFP continuing education credits, industry networking, and a robust exhibit hall. This year’s event will be held September 30-October 2, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona.
- T3 Technology Tools for Today Advisor Conference (February 17-20, 2020)
This annual event generally held in January or February and is the RIA industry’s leading technology conference. If you’re interested in taking a deep dive into all the technology options a firm could possibly utilize, this is the event to attend. You’ll also gain access to leaders of many of the industry’s top technology companies. This is an ideal event for your firm’s Chief Operations Officer (“COO”) or other team members who help oversee your firm’s technology to attend. This year’s event will be held on February 17-20, 2020 in San Diego, CA.
- Fi360 (May 17-19, 2020)
This niche annual conference is the premier event for investment fiduciaries and financial services professionals to gain insight from industry experts, earn continuing education (“CE”) credits and build a network of like minded professionals. The approximate 750 investment professionals in attendance have the opportunity to earn up to to 10 hours of CE credit that can be applied to many different industry credentials. This years event will be held May 17-19, 2020 in Austin, Texas.
- AICPA ENGAGE (June 7-11, 2020)
This is considered the event for accounting and finance professionals ready for the next step. The 3,800 attendees can select from 300+ sessions, have the opportunity to earn 41.5 credits over 4 days of learning, and are presented with 20 opportunities to network and grow their professional community. Unable to attend in person? AICPA ENGAGE also allows attendees to access the conference online. As with previous years, AICPA ENGAGE is being held in Las Vegas, Nevada June 7-11, 2020.
- Investment Adviser Association (“IAA”) Compliance Conference (March 5-6, 2020)
Given that we are a regulatory compliance software and services company, we can’t forget to highlight the industry’s top compliance-focused event. No other RIA compliance conference will provide the depth of learning and access to senior leadership from the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). This is an ideal event for your firm’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) to attend. The IAA Compliance Conference is scheduled for March 5-6, 2020 in Washington, DC.
While we’ve highlighted a few of the top industry events above, there are a number of RIA industry conferences that are worth further exploring. In particular, a number of the industry’s leading technology vendors are now regularly hosting annual events that provide extensive training to ensure your firm is getting the most out of your systems. You can find the latest list of upcoming conferences on our RIA conference listing page.
RIA in a Box LLC is not a law firm, investment advisory firm, or CPA firm. RIA in a Box LLC does not provide legal advice or opinions to any party or client. You should always consult your relevant regulatory authorities or legal counsel if applicable.