The wealth management industry’s M&A boom shows little sign of slowing. Despite high interest rates and economic uncertainty, firms continue to pursue M&A both as sellers and buyers.
That demand has fueled the growth of conferences dedicated to M&A, succession planning and advisory firm valuations. These events bring together buyers, sellers, consultants, attorneys, investment bankers and private equity firms to discuss the trends shaping the industry’s future, from valuation multiples and deal structures to financing, integration and long-term growth strategies.
This fall, two gatherings — the ECHELON Partners Deals & Dealmakers Summit and DeVoe & Company’s M&A+ Succession Summit — will bring hundreds of executives together in Southern California. We give you the information you need to know about these events in this installment of our annual Guides to Industry Conferences: M&A edition, including location, dates, speakers, agenda highlights, sponsors and registration information.
ECHELON Partners Deals & Dealmakers Summit
More than 200 industry executives are expected to attend ECHELON Partners’ Deals & Dealmakers Summit from Sept. 1 to 3 at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, in Dana Point, California. The event will feature sessions and discussions focused on strategic and timely M&A topics within the wealth management and investment industries, according to ECHELON.
Featured speakers include Meg Carpenter, CEO of Ficomm Partners; Jason Ozur, Founding Partner and CEO of Lido Advisors; Tim Welsh, President, CEO and Founder of Nexus Strategy; Lisa Crafford, Managing Director and Head of Advisory for Constellation Wealth; and Neil Turner, Co-Founder of NewEdge Advisors and Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Strategy Officer of NewEdge Capital Group.
Among the agenda’s highlights are:
- The Growth Paradox: Why Success Creates Complexity and How Leaders Win
- Beyond the LOI: What Successful Sellers Learned Along the Way
- Beyond the Purchase Price: Legal, Tax and Structural Issues That Shape Outcomes
- The Great Reshuffle: Why Advisors Are Rethinking Affiliation, Ownership, and Independence
Sponsors include Ficomm, Wintrust and Seward & Kissel (Gold); Prime Capital Financial, Charles Schwab and Goldman Sachs (Silver); and Warner, Cerulli Associates and Fidelity Investments (Bronze).
Registration is $995 for financial advisors and $1,750 for industry professionals who are not financial advisors.
DeVoe & Company’s M&A+ Succession Summit
DeVoe & Company’s tenth annual M&A+ Succession Summit will be held Sept. 23-25 at the Pasea Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, California. This conference will examine topics including the current state and outlook for M&A among financial advisory firms, lessons from experienced acquirers for prospective sellers, transition stories from industry peers and the state of the RIA industry.
The event website says that it “is designed to equip you with the fundamentals of transition planning while diving into the latest trends in the RIA space with the most experienced industry leaders.”
Featured speakers include Dave Welling, CEO of Mercer Advisors; Jason Gordo, President and Co-founder of Modern Wealth Management; Karisa Diephouse, Chief Operating Officer of Beacon Pointe Advisors; and Eric Sontag, President of Wealthspire.
Sessions from last year’s conference included mastering succession communication, demystifying RIA valuations, financing acquisition transactions and navigating the legal and tax challenges that can accompany a deal.
Sponsors include Invesco QQQ, BNY, Mercer Advisors, Fidelity Investments, Carson and Mariner.
Registration is $799 for RIAs with assets of less than $10 billion. Registration costs $1,999 for RIAs with over $10 billion in assets and $2,999 for non-RIA attendees. Non-RIA attendees require approval.
Thomas Lee, Senior Editor and Staff Writer for Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at thomas.lee@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
