Asset managers are key partners to financial advisors and their clients. Whether constructing personalized portfolios or providing insight into alternative assets like cryptocurrencies or private equity, asset managers are responsible for making sure clients earn the best returns on their money. This is especially important for people who depend on their investments for sources of income during retirement.
This installment brings you the essentials on the Money Management Institute (MMI) Annual Conference, the Investments & Wealth Institute (IWI) Strategy Forum and the Morningstar Investment Conference. In our view, these conferences are the most important annual events for asset managers, especially those in independent space.
Each installment of our Guide to Industry Conferences series provides crucial information on location, dates, prices and agendas, as well as speakers, sponsors and attendees, to help you decide which conferences to attend.
MMI Annual Conference
The Money Management Institute, an industry association that represents firms that provide financial and investment advisory products and services, will host its 2025 MMI Annual Conference Oct. 15 to 17 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington. The conference focuses on the investment advisor industry.
The program, chaired by Kara Grehan, Head of Strategic Accounts and Client Engagement at BNY Investments and John McDonough, Head of Americas Distribution at Invesco, will explore trends driving the future of investment advice and solutions, highlighted by keynote presentations, specialized track sessions and networking opportunities.
Registration is as follows: Until Sept. 12, the fee is $2,345 for members and $3,045 for non-members, and from Sept. 13 to Oct. 14, the fee is $2,445 for members and $3,145 for non-members.
Last year’s agenda included a keynote by Laura Edell, Chief Data Scientist, AI Markets & Innovation at Microsoft on AI; a presentation on demographic changes by Lacy Garcia, Founder and CEO of Willow; a keynote on the 2024 elections by Jeff Bush, Principal at The Washington Update; and separate tracks for investment solutions, distribution and leadership.
The conference program has been submitted for continuing education credit the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA), Retirement Management Advisor (RMA) and Certified Investment Management Consultant (CIMC) certifications.
Sponsors this year include InvestCloud, BNY, Broadridge, Cerulli Associates, Envestnet and Charles River, a State Street company.
IWI Strategy Forum
The Investments & Wealth Institute, an organization that seeks to improve the professionalism of financial professionals and wealth managers through educational and certification programs, will host its annual IWI Strategy Forum Nov. 17 to 18 at the New York Marriott Marquis hotel in New York.
Early bird pricing, which lasts until Oct. 10, is $1,295 for Standard Registration, $971.25 for Signature Member Registration and $777 for Elite Member Registration. After that, the prices increase to $1,495, $1,295 and $1,295, respectively.
The program, designed for professionals who serve high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, will focus on the theme of “Building Resilient Portfolios During Volatile Times,” which includes topics like effective portfolio construction and client planning.
Sponsors include Invesco QQQ, Touchstone Investments, Capital Group, GQG Partners, Prudential and Dana Investment Advisors.
Over 300 investment and wealth managers are expected to attend the conference, with an expected average assets under management of $601 million.
IWI supports the CIMA, CPWA and RMA certifications, and the conference will provide up to 14 hours of continuing education for these certifications. The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board will also review the program for continuing education credit.
IWI plans over 30 speakers, including keynote speakers Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology & Behavioral Economics at Duke University; Chris Geczy, Adjunct Professor of Finance and Academic Director of the Jacobs Levy Equity Management Center at the University of Pennsylvania’s The Wharton School; and Emma Seppala, an author and lecturer at the Yale School of Management.
Morningstar Investment Conference
Morningstar, an information and investment analytics company, will host its annual 2026 Morningstar Investment Conference June 17 to 18. The conference focuses on an audience of advisors and financial experts.
The 2025 conference at the Navy Pier in Chicago focused on topics like government and fiscal policies, retirement planning, cryptocurrencies, the convergence of public and private markets and deep dives into specific industries like healthcare.
For the 2025 conference, advisor admission cost $399 through May 14, rising to $499 after that, while a general attendance pass cost $999 through May 14, and $1,199 thereafter.
Keynote speakers from the most recent conference included Salim Ramji, CEO of Vanguard; General Stanley McCrystal, former Commander of U.S. & International Forces in Afghanistan; Dana Emery, Chair and CEO of Dodge & Cox; and Ron Baron, CEO and Portfolio Manager at Baron Capital.
The 2025 conference was approved by the CFP Board and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy for 19 continuing education credits.
Sponsors for the conference included Gabelli Funds, Vanguard, Howard Capital Management, AssetMark and Pimco.
Janeesa Hollingshead, Contributing Editor at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at editor@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
