We look forward to 2023 and reflect on all that we accomplished together in 2022.
Persistently high inflation, continuing supply chain issues, the war in Ukraine and other external factors created pressures on the financial markets and our industry. Despite growing headwinds, 2022 was a year full of successes for the SME Forum:
2022 in Review
- Membership numbers remained strong and we experienced growth over 2021 while also seeing increased interest in joining. Our online members forum has over 700 active members representing more than 60 asset managers and supported by a dozen vendor partners. In 2022, 4 Asset Managers saw compelling value and joined as new member firms and we also added 3 new carefully vetted vendor partners and strategic knowledge providers.
- We cautiously returned to in-person events in November of 2021 holding a Fall Forum in Boston. Given the success of that event, we had a full slate of equally successful and well attended in-person Forums in 2022 with the Spring Forum in Newport Beach, CA, the Global Forum in London and our Fall Forum in Atlanta, GA.
Writing about the 2022 Fall Forum, Bill Hortz, Founder of the Institute for Innovation and Development stated that “This positions the SME Forum, in my mind, as taking its place among other top asset management conferences like the Investment Company Institute, the Money Management Institute, NICSA, and the MFEA, but with an intensely practical execution focus on marketing, sales/distribution, operations, and technology.”
- We saw a significant amount of talent activity in 2022. At most points throughout the year there were >20 active job requisitions posted on the member portal displaying the level of engagement and the confidence members of our community have in one another. In response we commenced a development project adding filters and other functionality to the jobs area of the portal so that members could more easily navigate and help to find and fill opportunities.
Watch Highlights from the 2022 Spring Forum
Did You Know?
SME Forum members have access to session notes, video replays and a host of other valuable materials from our signature SME Forum events in our Members Site.
We are grateful for the participation and involvement of our members in helping to sustain and grow the Forum. However, we do face some challenges going into 2023 due to the broader economic climate, including increased competition for budget dollars and scrutiny of firm membership and travel and expenses for Forum participation. We have been through these cycles before and will keep focused on our mission without distraction.
Looking Ahead
Despite these challenges, our commitment to providing our members with trustworthy and direct support for their decision-making needs remains unchanged. These include:
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- Organizing in-person Forums in the US and UK
- Updating comprehensive member inventory
- Hosting webinars and webcasts on relevant subjects
- Conducting and publishing surveys and research that help decision making
- Organizing on-demand engagements to meet specific member needs
- Supporting the search and placement of talent within the community
- Providing access and support to our selected vendor partners and thought leadership
What sets the SME Forum apart is our individualized and highly accessible approach to member needs that allows us to effectively meet your expectations largely through the collective participation and commitments that members have to support one another. For that, we continue to be most appreciative of this incredible community.
Don’t hesitate to contact us below and please join our LinkedIn Group for updates.
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