Future Proof Citywide: A refreshing, productive event  

Key takeaways:

• More than 2,500 advisors attended the event on the beach 
• The innovative “breakthru” meetings connected attendees, sponsors, others
• Robust media attendance adds additional opportunities to network 

Last week I attended Future Proof Citywide, the upstart conference on the beach, literally, in Miami. It was my first Future Proof conference, and I found the experience refreshing. The event's disruptive approach to advisor gatherings brings a lot to the table.

Future Proof launched in 2022 in Huntington Beach and has grown in popularity. Its founders, Matt Middleton and Josh Brown, sought to redefine how the investment industry connects and learns, even describing it as the “SXSW of finance.”

While this conference was smaller than the main event in Huntington Beach, what stood out most to me was the highly productive “breakthru” meetings—one-on-ones that participants agree to, sharing their interests in advance and being connected in a “speed dating” fashion with others who want to connect.

Past Future Proof conferences have been a strong opportunity for our wealthtech, asset management/ETF and wealth management/RIA-focused clients to connect with the media. It is a brilliant strategy by the organizers to invite the media to moderate most of the panels, guaranteeing decent turnout and coverage.

Media opportunities

While connecting with media onsite can be a bit tricky, we’ve successfully supported clients at the conference to help make those conversations happen. This has sometimes led to immediate coverage when our clients are quoted in articles about the conference. More often, media use these onsite conversations for articles they write once they return to the office. And making a face-to-face connection often leads to future requests for interviews throughout the year.

Future Proof Citywide featured the usual suspects as sponsors, large asset managers including Blackrock, State Street and Vanguard and service providers like Orion and SS&C. Numerous technology innovators and app providers like Wealth.com, MoveHealth and Waterlily were onsite to support advisors’ discussions on estate, health care and long-term care planning.

Conferences often take on the flavor of the moment, and what stood out most to me in terms of both the exhibitors and mainstage content was two things: active ETF issuers and private market investments sponsors:

• Numerous ETF issuers exhibited and attended promoting the tickers of the many active ETF offerings launched in the last few years. And there was lots of chatter about innovative buffered, bitcoin and leveraged products. Amplify, Tidal, Calamos, State Street, JP Morgan, Van Eck and others promoted their services and tickers on their booths, swag and signage.
  
• Alternative providers and private market leaders attended in force including Carlyle, a top-level sponsor whose CEO Harvey Schwarz was interviewed on stage. There were numerous discussions about advisor interest and uptake of private credit, private equity and other alternatives.
  No surprise that the swag reflected the location on the beach with sunglasses, visors, beach towels and flip flops among the most popular giveaways.

When launching Future Proof, the organizers promised the content would be earned—not paid. They introduced a portal for speaker and content submissions, and conversations with the staff at the event reinforced that speaking slots aren’t directly sponsored. That said, it is still unclear whether higher levels of sponsorship influence mainstage speaking opportunities. We’d encourage the organizers to keep prioritizing fresh, high-quality content and to provide greater transparency around how mainstage spots are earned.

Last year, Morningstar took a page from the Future Proof playbook and moved their longstanding conference to Navy Pier, adding “breakthru meeting” style networking and outdoor events. Their upcoming event in June will continue this new format. It will be interesting to see if Schwab Impact, another other well-attended advisor conference, takes any lessons from the Future Proof playbook. I hope so!

A big congratulations to the organizers for creating a standout event—refreshing, engaging and impactful.