Charles Schwab’s annual confab kicked off in Boston with a preconference session Tuesday afternoon followed by an opening night reception. A full series of events slated for the next two days. Easy metaphors about the “revolutionary” nature of the business model the firm employed (and still employs) aside, the agenda includes a number of interesting items for the advisors, exhibitors and press in attendance.
Among the highlights this year’s IMPACT 2015 is an Oxford-style debate between Rob Arnott from Research Affiliates and Roger Ibbotson with Zebra Capital Management titled “Can the markets be timed?” Arnott and Ibbotson will present opposing viewpoints in a traditional debate format, arguing their positions on asset allocation, return expectations, portfolio construction, and how to set client expectations. The debate will be moderated by Omar Aguilar, senior vice president and chief investment officer, equities, for Charles Schwab Investment Management.
“Over the last quarter century, IMPACT has evolved to be much more than simply the largest conference of its kind for advisors,” says Jonathan Beatty, senior vice president, sales and relationship management, Schwab Advisor Services. “Today’s IMPACT is a place to learn and grow as an advisor and become enriched as an individual. We’re already seeing strong interest for many of the sessions through early registration, which points to advisors being eager to explore the array of valuable content intended to benefit their firms and their clients.”
Among this year’s presenters are 15 well-recognized professors from universities including MIT, Harvard and Yale. In addition to the education sessions there will also be three preconference sessions (up from two last year) – The Guide to Retirement, Branding Your Best Asset: You! and Preparing Your Firm for the Future. There are also four one-hour ‘spotlight’ sessions (up from three last year) covering topics including cybersecurity, big data, and changing values in work and consumption.
“The content for advisors this year reflects the realities of today’s RIA firms,” says Beatty, “many of whom are at an important intersection between managing current growth and success, and identifying a need to evolve in order to capture the significant growth opportunities that lie ahead.”
As previously announced, the event also features a lineup of prominent keynote speakers, including: former CEO of the Ford Motor Company Alan Mulally; cellist and cultural ambassadors Yo-Yo Ma and Friends and influential writers and commentators David Brooks and Fareed Zakaria. Advisors will also hear from Schwab’s head of advisor services, executive vice president, Bernie Clark, Charles Schwab President and CEO, Walt Bettinger, as well as chief investment strategist Liz Ann Sonders and global chief investment strategist Jeffrey Kleintop.