It’s cliché to say everything’s bigger in Texas, but it makes sense when it’s your biggest conference yet. EXCEL 401(k): The Advisors’ Conference kicks off in Dallas, October 27 – 29, 2019, at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center with advisor attendance at an all-time high.
True to form, Ross Marino and the Advisor2X team have an agenda that’s meant to keep attendees engaged, informed and (yes) entertained in a “work hard, play hard” structure that gets the most from the experience.
“Everything we do is designed to help advisors increase capacity and either add or improve capabilities,” Marino said. “Every session must accomplish one or both of those objectives (capacity and/or capabilities).”
While he declined to highlight specific sessions of which he’s particularly excited (preferring to remain diplomatic by praising them all) a few items of interest standout to the causal agenda observer.
High-energy Marino himself will kick if all off with his opening presentation “Idea. Decision. Action!” meant to instruct advisor attendees on the most efficient way to ensure what happens in Dallas doesn’t stay in Dallas. He’ll share his tips and techniques for taking what’s learned at EXCEL and actually implementing it for better practice optimization and growth.
401(k) Specialist’s John Sullivan and J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Meghan Jacobson then hit the stage to celebrate the “Top Advisors by Participant Outcomes” and to reveal the 2019 overall recipient of the honor.
The always popular Pete Swisher, Senior Vice President and National Sales Director with Pentegra Retirement Services, as well as Matthew Halloran Partner/CEO and “The Voice” with Top Advisor Marketing, open with the first keynote intriguingly titled “High Five: Top Takeaways for Advisors in 2019.”
The next two-plus days feature a who’s who of industry personalities, pundits and professionals—as well as a number of new faces—to impart critical thinking on the advisors in attendance about regulation, revenue, and client retention, among many (many) other topics involving the 401k space.
The agenda
Mega-advisor Jania Stout will tackle financial wellness, as will Stuart Ritter, Senior Financial Planner with T. Rowe Price.
Marketing extraordinaire Rebecca Hourihan, Founder, and CMO of 401(k) Marketing will bring her equally energetic brand of advice to a sometimes-stodgy advisor populace in desperate need of updated marketing direction (hint: think digital).
David Reich, National President, Retirement Services with Hub International who’s on something of a tear of late in the advisor M&A space will share some of the lessons he’s learned from the top advisors with whom he routinely interacts. What concerns advisors? What are they planning for? How do they stay competitive? And how has all of this changed over the past decade?
Like financial wellness, ESG is—of course—all the rage, and Katrina Bell, Principal and Co-Founder of NewCo will present “Real World of Implementation of ESG in Your 401(k) Plan Lineups.”
Health Savings Accounts certainly won’t be left out, and top advisors Aaron Pottichen, Senior Vice President of Alliant Retirement Consulting will be joined by TrueNorth’s Jake Rushton and HealthEquity’s Danny Streiff for “A Deeper Dive into Health Savings Accounts.”
The bleary-eyed boys from Plan Design Consultant will once again be on hand under the command of CEO J.D. Carlson for their signature Retireholi(k)s series, recording their hijinks (and great 401k insight) live from the floor of the exhibit hall with their always-entertaining guests.
The parties after a hard day of learnin’ won’t disappoint, with spectacular views from the lakeside Glass Cactus nightclub, the food, and fun at the Cowboys Golf Club, and much more.
It’s just a sampling of the over 80 sessions, networking opportunities and parties over the 2.5-day event, a conference that’s sure to leave attendees energized, enthusiastic and ready for next year.
With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.
