Adviser feedback - financial services conferences
Do financial services conferences offer any real value?
The value is highly debatable but they are a necessary evil. What attendees take away from a conference depends on what they are seeking and what they seek to put in.
Do financial services conferences offer any real value?
The value is highly debatable but they are a necessary evil. What attendees take away from a conference depends on what they are seeking and what they seek to put in.
To say conferences are useful for planners of different levels of experience is just plain bull. Conferences are seen as a perk and a chance to get away from the office and get into the food and drink.
Regardless of the industry, across the world, they are based on sales. If you make the sales and the wife likes the destination you're doing well. Mind you, if we got Alan Fels into it we would see that sorted out pretty quick.
I see the real value in conferences as renewing acquaintances and making new contacts in the industry. Its more of a people than content approach.
Peter Dunlop
Authorised and technical representative
Winchcombe Carson
Melbourne.
I certainly do see value as they provide updates on professional knowledge in the sessions and more importantly allow networking.
This means looking at different approaches to certain situations with peers and identifying common problems and solutions.
The interchange of ideas is essential for the whole industry as it improves the level of advice to clients and the whole face of the industry. Since we are now in the ad-vice business better information is always a benefit.
Increasing the amount of smaller laboratory style sessions would tied into that in-terchange and organisers could flag in the program if these sessions are pegged to experience levels.
I don't know whether I need to have any more sessions telling me how to run my life. Giving financial advice takes an wholistic approach and if I can't do that my-self I would be a pretty poor planner. We should be doing that as well as telling clients the same.
Bruce Spender
Managing director and principal
Macey Investment Services
Nowra.
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