SME Forum Events
Complete detailed SME Forum exclusive events as well as industry events that could be of interest to our community is available exclusively to members in the Members Site (username and password required). Please Contact Us at smeforum@thesmeforum.net or call us at 1+917-561-9553 to request access and your credentials.
Upcoming Forum Events in 2024
Please check back often for additional information about these events and updates on when registrations open.
2024 Fall SME Forum: Innovation as Art: How we Evolve to Improve
Kansas City, MO, Oct 21-23, 2024
About this Forum
We are kicking off a multi-forum topic that we will pursue into 2025. While we don’t want to make these about “Artificial Intelligence”, unlike at our April 2023 Forum in Scottsdale, there was a significant change in receptiveness from the membership to explore AI (and we will use this term VERY broadly to be as inclusive and thoughtful about the domain) in November, 2024. So we built programming that infuses, takes into consideration and deliberates HOW artificial intelligence can be effectively applied to our businesses in practical and realistic ways. This, of course, will supplement our many staple topics that broadly include Marketing, Distribution, Institutional and Wealth, Data, Practices, etc.
For the Fall 2024 SME Forum, we continue our exploration of this theme under the title of “Innovation as Art: How we Evolve to Improve”. It is an idea that likens artists to asset managers. Each is different and unique in many ways from all the others. Yet many use the same tools, techniques, materials, etc. to produce their results. We have a defining belief at the SME Forum that we do not offer “answers” or “solutions” to our members. What we do is share and learn from one another so that each firm can adopt and choose the best ways they assess will meet their needs successfully. We try to apply proven processes to thoughtful and unique ways in which we each work to address our needs and opportunities.
This Forum will have tracks dedicated to Track 1, Track 2, Track 3 and Track 4 in ways that allow the differences in how we are each structured to open different thinking, approaches and ways in which we can pursue our goals. Our dinner at the Kemper Museum of Fine Art is part of the inspiration for our theme and we will see how artists can produce very different results from the same materials and elements at hand.
Travel Considerations & Venue
Preparations for the Fall Forum in Kansas City are well under way and here are a few key items to help you plan:
- Arrive by Monday, October 21stfor the kick-off reception that evening
- The Forum is all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday
- The Leadership Council meeting will be on Thursday morning
- If you are not planning to also attend the SS&C Conference, you can book returns starting late Wednesday afternoon.
We are well aware that many will combine the trip to KC to attend both the SME Forum as well as SS&C Client Conference later the same week and coordinating to minimize overlap and scheduling conflicts.
Budget Considerations:
- Travel and transportations to/from Kansas City
- The event venue is all at the Marriott Country Club Plaza. SME Forum room rate is $175/night(Group reservation link forthcoming)
- There is no limit to the number of participants from any Asset Management member firm. Registration Fee per Asset Management attendee is $595(Registration link opening August)
- Beside any personal incidentals, all meals, breaks, and receptions are all included in your registration fee and you should have minimal additional expenses.
Please mark your calendar to join us and check back later this summer for more details and to register.
If you would like to get a sense of what attending an SME Forum is like, please watch this video with highlights from a prior Forum.
Global Forum
June 18-19, 2024
London, UK
2024 Global SME Forum
First Things First
About this Global SME Forum:
We are kicking off a multi-forum topic that we will pursue into 2025. While we don’t want to make these about “Artificial Intelligence”, unlike at our April 2023 Forum in Scottsdale, there was a significant change in receptiveness from the membership to explore AI (and we will use this term VERY broadly to be as inclusive and thoughtful about the domain) in November, 2024. So we built programming that infuses, takes into consideration and deliberates HOW artificial intelligence can be effectively applied to our businesses in practical and realistic ways. This, of course, will supplement our many staple topics that broadly include Marketing, Distribution, Institutional and Wealth, Data, Practices, etc.
The summer 2024 Global Forum in London is entitled “First Things First” because we have curated a selection of working breakout sessions, guest speakers and discussions that revolve around exploring what it takes and how best to consider your existing resources, tools and tech in consideration of any AI efforts you may be thinking about undertaking. The consequences of getting ahead of ourselves are worse than being properly prepared first. Join your peers from the UK, European, APAC and US for this annual intimate and deep gathering of industry colleagues to share, explore and consider your own situations and how best to move forward.
As we concluded in November at The Forum, “AI will be a topic and feature of almost every conversation we have going forward just as data has become so ubiquitous. BUT, it is never really about the data or AI, we are always working to ensure that we keep our eye on the ball which is HOW does data (and now increasingly AI) play into our efforts to deliver business value and address our various business goals and objectives.
Location:
DoubleTree by Hilton London – Tower of London
7 Pepys St, London EC3N 4AF, United Kingdom
Forum
November 13-15, 2023
Short Hills, NJ
2023 Fall SME Forum
Institutionalized Asset Management: Bridging the Gaps
November 13 - 15, 2023, Short Hills, NJ
Although the SME Forum was originally founded by mostly intermediary sold retail asset managers, most of them also had Institutional divisions or have since developed them into formidable branches of their businesses. Simultaneously, the number of Institutional-only firms joining the community has been increasing over the years. While we always include topics and sessions geared toward this growing sector of our industry, the Fall 2023 SME Forum is dedicating itself towards our community members who are part of and support the Institutional aspects of their businesses across our typical topics of discussion across Operations, Technology and especially Marketing.
Begins on Monday evening, November 13 at 6pm with a welcome reception hosted by Kyloe Digital and carries through the end of the day Wednesday, November 15. The Leadership Council breakfast and roundtable are Thursday morning and ends by 11am.
- Forums are open to any and all employees of a member firm – no restrictions
- Non-member participants in the Asset Management industry are also encouraged to participate at your invitation
- Attendees are typically drawn from team leads to C-Suite leadership executives in both Retail and Institutional Asset Management
- Our topics focus on global Marketing, Sales/Distribution, Operations and Technology interests with emphasis on best practices and application.
Anyone that has been to one of our Forums knows the enduring value of attending SME in-person meetings, roundtables and conferences. All are intimate affairs (limited to a total of 120 participants) that help you Learn, Connect, Grown and Solve your needs through peer to peer engagement and subject matter expertise. Whether it is an Interactive Session, Client Showcase, Forum Workshop, a Member Social you will be able to engage with the session leaders, fellow participants, and the broader SME Forum community before, during, and after each session. This proven approach is designed to help ensure you are getting the most out of the event and your continued membership with The Forum. Our sessions promise to deliver on the core tenets of our in-person conferences that you’ve come to expect: new learning, introductions to peers to build your networks of help, and insights that you can share with your teams and across your organization to support your goals and objectives.
Webcast
May 23, 2023, 1:00 PM (ET)
How Asset Managers Can Modernize Their Distribution Using AI
Many of our SME Forum members have been reaching out to learn more about Tifin with their AI and machine learning solutions that are helping Asset Managers to position their products much more efficiently and effectively in front of the right advisors. Now this is no magic bullet, but Tifin has been working in this space for a long time and more recently working directly with asset managers. We will spend time with their chief Data Scientist, Nikhil Nawathe, to get under the hood of what makes this platform so intriguing to asset managers. In this webcast learn more about Tifin’s background and accomplishments, focus in on the most appropriate solution for SME Forum members (Tifin AMP), and hear from current users of the solution about their experiences.
– Over the hour, we will discover how asset managers can modernize their distribution using AI
– We will be joined by three industry leaders – John Halaby, Head of Distribution at Harbor Capital, Sam Browning, Director of Growth Partnerships at TIFIN, and Nikhil Nawathe, Head of Data Science at TIFIN AMP.
– As key partners for the past 2 years, John, Sam, and Nikhil will share how TIFIN works with asset managers like Harbor to modernize distribution with data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
– Part of the discussion will include a demo of TIFIN’s Asset Manager Platform
Recommended for Distribution, Product and Marketing. Please feel free to share this with others in your organization that may find value from attending.
Guests and Speakers
Nikhil Nawathe, Head of Data Science, TIFIN
Nikhil Nawathe is the Head of Data Science at TIFIN AMP. He joins from Meta, where he spent the last eight years at Meta building and leading a team focused on marketing science research and driving impact to end clients.
Nikhil oversees the development of intelligent algorithms within TIFIN AMP to address the modern data and distribution frictions in the asset management industry.
He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Cornell University.
Sam Browning, Director of Growth Partnerships, TIFIN
Sam is responsible for partnering with Tifin's Asset Manager clients to optimize their Distribution efforts, powered by AI.
Prior to joining TIFIN, Sam was a Senior Partner and Executive Director at a global asset and wealth management consulting organization, Alpha FMC. Sam is an industry thought-leader in data-driven distribution and sales enablement, and has extensive experience supporting global asset managers.
In his decade of experience in the industry, Sam has worked with over 50 investment managers, leading strategic and operational transformation across Sales & Marketing Strategy, Data Science, Machine Learning, Analytics, Enterprise Data, CRM, Distribution Technology, Front Office and Enterprise IT.
Sam holds an economics degree from the University of Bristol, where he focused on systems thinking, game theory and behavioral economics.
John Halaby, EVP, Head of Distribution, Harbor Capital
John Halaby joined Harbor in 2018 as executive vice president and head of distribution. He is accountable for developing and implementing overall business strategy for distribution and leads the key account, sales, and marketing organizations. Prior to joining Harbor, John was the Head of Financial Institutions Group – U.S. Intermediaries at T. Rowe Price. He earned a B.A. from Cornell University. John is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute.
Spring Forum
April 18-19, 2023
2023 Spring SME Forum: Rethinking Sales and Marketing Collaboration
April 18-19, 2023, Scottsdale AZ
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This forum was the last of the three-part series we launched last year focusing on the inter-connectedness of the Distribution and Marketing organizations at asset management firms. The closing theme for this topic in Scottsdale centered around Rethinking Sales & Marketing Collaboration for Results. By this, we focused on how the balance between an increasingly interdependent sales and distribution relationship can (and more recently broadly proven) that both organizations must play a part in the entire client journey and lifecycle to help deliver the kinds of results that they are looking for.
Anyone that has been to one of our Forums knows the enduring value of attending SME in-person meetings, roundtables and conferences. All are intimate affairs (limited to 60 participants in London) that help you Learn, Connect, Grown and Solve your needs through peer to peer engagement and subject matter expertise. Whether it is an Interactive Session, Client Showcase, Forum Workshop, a Member Social you will be able to engage with the session leaders, fellow participants, and the broader SME Forum community before, during, and after each session. This proven approach is designed to help ensure you are getting the most out of the event and your continued membership with The Forum. Our sessions promise to deliver on the core tenets of our in-person conferences that you’ve come to expect: new learning, introductions to peers to build your networks of help, and insights that you can share with your teams and across your organization to support your goals and objectives.
If you would like to know what it’s like to attend a Forum, check out this video from our 2022 Spring Forum.
Fall Forum
October 24 - 26, 2022
2022 Fall SME Forum: Marketing Innovation as a Digital Multiplier
October 24 - 26th, 2022, Atlanta, GA
One of the areas that we are focusing on with our Forums is to deepen the breakout sessions with more case, situation and outcome focus so that attendees can apply more of what they learn. Atlanta, each of the Breakout Periods will feature a working session focused on solutioning. If you have any use cases or other situations that you would like us to consider for these sessions please let us know what it is so that we can organize a session around it. We are continuing our three part series started in Newport Beach (Latent Leverage) this Spring around extracting value from the resources you already have within your organizations. With the state of the market, budgets for programs will get scrutinized even more in the coming few years, so our second part of the series is focused on Marketing Innovation as a Digital Multiplier.
- Monday afternoon, October 24 through the end of the day Wednesday, October 26
- Forums are open to any employee of a member firm. There is also limited access for non-members (feel free to invite)
- While we typically reserve two seats for each firm, this forum will not have those restrictions in Atlanta
- Attendees are typically drawn from team leads to C-Suite leadership executives
- Our topics focus on global Marketing, Sales/Distribution, Operations and Technology
Anyone that has been to one of our Forums knows the enduring value of attending SME in-person meetings, roundtables and conferences. All are intimate affairs (limited to 60 participants in London) that help you Learn, Connect, Grown and Solve your needs through peer to peer engagement and subject matter expertise. Whether it is an Interactive Session, Client Showcase, Forum Workshop, a Member Social you will be able to engage with the session leaders, fellow participants, and the broader SME Forum community before, during, and after each session. This proven approach is designed to help ensure you are getting the most out of the event and your continued membership with The Forum. Our sessions promise to deliver on the core tenets of our in-person conferences that you’ve come to expect: new learning, introductions to peers to build your networks of help, and insights that you can share with your teams and across your organization to support your goals and objectives.
If you would like to know what it’s like to attend a Forum, check out this video from our 2022 Spring Forum.
Webinar
September 13, 2022
2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Winning Advisor Mindshare:
How wholesaler access and share of voice inform sales strategy, management, and results
Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest from across the Asset Management industry to better understand how effective and efficient sales personnel are, especially in relation to their peers at other like firms. Learn about a growing consortium that aggregates wholesaler activity across thousands of advisors to better understand sales productivity, effectiveness, and share of voice. Jason Brown, Principal at ZS, will review macro trends in advisor accessibility and wholesaler engagement and hear from your industry peers who look to these data to inform performance management and sales strategy. Discuss how the consortium can grow and improve going forward. This topic is also featured as a working session at the upcoming Fall 2022 SME Forum in Atlanta. Join this informative webinar with fellow industry participants to learn more and share your own perspectives on the subject.
Learn From These Experienced Professionals
Jeff Mehi
Director, Distribution Intelligence, Franklin Templeton
Jeff joined Franklin Templeton in February of 2022 as Director of Distribution Intelligence focusing on strategy and business analytics across the global distribution team. Previously, he spent 13.5 years at PIMCO Investments working in various operating and strategy roles. Jeff specializes in industry and third-party data packs alongside data, sales coverage, and segmentation models. Overall, he has 17 years of experience in the asset management space, lives in Austin, TX with his wife and baby daughter. Jeff has his undergraduate degree in Finance from the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University
Mike Colligan
Head of Sales Coverage Strategy, Vanguard
Mike joined Vanguard in 2013 and currently oversees the company’s sales coverage strategy in the financial advisor space. Mike’s prior experience includes corporate finance, distribution strategy, and global expansion efforts across Europe and North America. Prior to Vanguard, Mike was a consultant in the insurance industry and currently lives with his wife in Conshohocken, PA.
Jason Brown
Principal, ZS
ZS is a global consulting, analytics, and technology firm focused on marketing and sales effectiveness and efficiency, with more than 13,000 employees worldwide. Jason joined ZS in 1997; he leads ZS’s financial services practice and has worked with asset management and insurers for more than a decade. Jason is also an adjunct professor of marketing at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.
7th Annual Global SME Forum
June 13 and 14, 2022
7th Annual Global SME Forum: Connecting the Data
DoubleTree by Hilton London – Tower of London
Building on the success of nearly 20 years of events in the US for our Asset Management membership, this represented the seventh year that we hosted an annual conference in London focused on topics and issues of import to our EMEA and APAC community. While data is a fundamental and increasingly critical element of every Asset Management firm's strategies (all of them!). This was not just about data, but connecting the data, the dots, and with one another.
The Forum organizes one of the most engaging and valuable exchanges because it is participant driven and oriented to your needs across Sales, Marketing, Operations and the common technologies and practices that asset managers with global footprints all share and contend with. This is an opportunity to reconnect with your peers and colleagues to share what is working, what isn’t, how others are addressing and solving for the same issues and opportunities we all face.
Forums are not like other conferences you may have been to. They are designed to foster the free exchange of experiences and interests amongst its member participants in a balanced way. We do this by ensuring select participation and cultivating high degrees of trust among our attendees so that you can maximize the value of your time together. You will find three types of engagement options in three different ways:
- General Sessions with everyone together in a more formal, directed conversation through show cases, panels and speakers
- Breakout Session are a selection of topics that are participant-driven discussions and working sessions to delve deep in small groups
- Social Settings such as receptions, breaks, and meals to allow more self-directed interaction and networking in a relaxed manner
We have perfected the art of balancing these events with formal group sessions that are punctuated with more intense breakout sessions to dig deeper into your particular areas of interest. Not forgetting that all business is fundamentally human, we ensure that there is plenty of informal time to meet one another and build lasting networks of support and help as well. These represent the three key mechanics we use to help you and your organizations learn and grow at our Forums and perhaps more importantly, between our events. Every breakout session at the Forum is a dynamic conversation and discussion between members in which to share best practices and successes along with learning from one another about beginning, implementing, and improving on your own efforts.
Forum events are of interest to Sales Operations personnel (CRM, Training, Reporting), Marketing Operations personnel (Automation, Campaign Management, Segmentation), Data Management (Analytics, Data Science, Strategy) as well as Technology personnel who support the Sales, Marketing and Operations of their respective asset management firms outside of the US market. Come prepared to share, learn, connect and grow through a decidedly fresh approach!
Spring Forum
April 5-7, 2022
2022 Spring SME Forum: Latent Leverage
Every organization has under- or unused resources that are either already known to them or can be discovered that would help further their objectives.
While the pandemic has certainly shifted priorities and focus to meet the changing landscape for organizations both internally and externally with their advisors and investors, there remains a tremendous pool of resources and capabilities yet untapped to meet our many challenges. Through our research, virtual events, and at our upcoming Spring 2022 SME Forum, we are working with the community to help discover and highlight those tools, technologies, subscriptions, data, skill sets, and the many other resources that are often readily available to be leveraged on behalf of your needs and objectives.
Forum events are unique in that they are member-driven focuses on the needs of the community through a combination of general sessions and an emphasis on working breakouts with other industry and solutions leaders who help bring fresh perspectives on how you can improve the effectiveness of your businesses efficiently. A good balance of social and informal options is worked into the schedule to allow everyone the freedom to engage with those of interest.
Represented by over 60 member firms from trillion-dollar asset managers to independent wealth management firms, we share in common goals by learning from one another, avoiding unnecessary pitfalls, and building networks of support that we can reach out to whenever you need. Although seemingly counter-intuitive that competitors would share what they are struggling with or have succeeded in solving, the depth of trust and reciprocity that we pointedly foster among our members, regardless of firm size or niche in the asset management marketplace, is a trait of how participants extract enduring value from their membership and engagement for their organizations– but you must show up and participate!
Our core audiences range from senior managers to team leads in Marketing and Sales/Distribution Operations, Key/National Account Servicing and the Technologists who support these business lines from our Institutional and Retail Asset Management member firms.
We strive to help you gain clarity, learn about potential solutions to your needs, see opportunities and meet others who can be sources of help to you and your organizations – based on what is important to you.
7th Annual Global SME Forum
June 13 and 14, 2022
7th Annual Global SME Forum: Connecting the Data
DoubleTree by Hilton London – Tower of London
Building on the success of nearly 20 years of events in the US for our Asset Management membership, this will be the seventh year that we host an annual conference in London focused on topics and issues of import to our EMEA and APAC community. While data is a fundamental and increasingly critical element of every Asset Management firm's strategies (all of them!). This will not be just about data. It is about connecting the data, the dots, and with one another.
The Forum organizes one of the most engaging and valuable exchanges because it is participant driven and oriented to your needs across Sales, Marketing, Operations and the common technologies and practices that asset managers with global footprints all share and contend with. This is an opportunity to reconnect with your peers and colleagues to share what is working, what isn’t, how others are addressing and solving for the same issues and opportunities we all face.
Forums are not like other conferences you may have been to. They are designed to foster the free exchange of experiences and interests amongst its member participants in a balanced way. We do this by ensuring select participation and cultivating high degrees of trust among our attendees so that you can maximize the value of your time together. You will find three types of engagement options in three different ways:
General Sessions with everyone together in a more formal, directed conversation through show cases, panels and speakers
Breakout Session are a selection of topics that are participant-driven discussions and working sessions to delve deep in small groups
Social Settings such as receptions, breaks, and meals to allow more self-directed interaction and networking in a relaxed manner
We have perfected the art of balancing these events with formal group sessions that are punctuated with more intense breakout sessions to dig deeper into your particular areas of interest. Not forgetting that all business is fundamentally human, we ensure that there is plenty of informal time to meet one another and build lasting networks of support and help as well. These represent the three key mechanics we use to help you and your organizations learn and grow at our Forums and perhaps more importantly, between our events. Every breakout session at the Forum is a dynamic conversation and discussion between members in which to share best practices and successes along with learning from one another about beginning, implementing, and improving on your own efforts.
This Forum will be of interest to Sales Operations personnel (CRM, Training, Reporting), Marketing Operations personnel (Automation, Campaign Management, Segmentation), Data Management (Analytics, Data Science, Strategy) as well as Technology personnel who support the Sales, Marketing and Operations of their respective asset management firms outside of the US market. Come prepared to share, learn, connect and grow through a decidedly fresh approach!
Fall Forum
November 9-10, 2021
2021 Fall SME Forum: Return to a New World
While the pandemic has made our in-person events schedule feel like a series for cancelled and delayed flights, we are on for Boston in November! Return we will and it is a New World in which we live and work. This Forum is the third in our series that began in the Fall of 2020 with our 20-session virtual Forum, Engaging for Growth, in which we focused on the digital acceleration of our industry. We continued this exploration at our Spring 2021 three-day virtual Forum, Forever Changed?, with insights into what is likely to return, what we have been able to stop or end, and speculate about what is likely to change. Return to a New World is focused on the lessons learned, best practices developed, and strategies being adopted in our industry across our many roles, responsibilities, and business lines.
Forum events are unique in that they are member-driven focuses on the needs of the community through a combination of general sessions and an emphasis on working breakouts with other industry and solutions leaders who help bring fresh perspectives on how you can improve the effectiveness of your businesses efficiently. A good balance of social and informal options is worked into the schedule to allow everyone the freedom to engage with those of interest.
Represented by over 60 member firms from trillion-dollar asset managers to independent wealth management firms, we share in common goals by learning from one another, avoiding unnecessary pitfalls, and building networks of support that we can reach out to whenever you need. Although seemingly counter-intuitive that competitors would share what they are struggling with or have succeeded in solving, the depth of trust and reciprocity that we pointedly foster among our members, regardless of firm size or niche in the asset management marketplace, is a trait of how participants extract enduring value from their membership and engagement for their organizations– but you must show up and participate!
Our core audiences range from senior managers to team leads in Marketing and Sales/Distribution Operations, Key/National Account Servicing and the Technologists who support these business lines from our Institutional and Retail Asset Management member firms.
We strive to help you gain clarity, learn about potential solutions to your needs, see opportunities and meet others who can be sources of help to you and your organizations – based on what is important to you. Join us in Boston for an informative, engaging, and fun couple of days together.
Still not sure? Write or call us for help thinking through who best to attend based on content, opportunity and what is happening at your firm. Let’s get the right people to participate.
Health and Safety Precautions
As with all SME Forum in-person events going forward, enhanced safety precautions for all attendees will apply:
- ONLY vaccinated members can register for the event. No exceptions.
- Upon arrival, ALL attendees will complete a current “State of Health” questionnaire.
- Masking will be required (per City of Boston) and enhanced hygiene protocols in place by the Hyatt and our staff.
- A follow-up “State of Health” questionnaire will be collected a week after the event.
These steps will help us both prevent any potential issues and greatly facilitate any notifications necessary should there be any concern. We expect to have these precautions in place for all future in-person events until conditions warrant otherwise. All information will be kept in confidence and permanently destroyed three months after each event.
Webinar
October 5, 2021
Webinar: In-Depth Findings Review: Next-Generation Distribution Enablement
New findings on how changing market dynamics are accelerating the evolution of sales, marketing, and distribution effectiveness.
As a follow-up to the Spring SME Forum event, MarketBridge was back Tuesday, October 5th at 1:00PM ET and shared the results of their comprehensive report, “Next-Generation Distribution Enablement: An Outlook for 2022.” Based on surveys with 35+ asset management firms (including a number of SME Forum members), and over 100 financial advisors, Bill Sheldon, SVP leading MarketBridge’s Financial Services practice, shared research and insights on how changing market dynamics are evolving Sales, Marketing and Distribution effectiveness. Most importantly, the research identifies what asset managers must do to transition to next-generation distribution—or risk falling further behind.
Listen to this 30-minute webinar, as we dive into the data:
- Biggest challenges firms face in this transition to next-gen distribution enablement
- Three top priorities for market leaders going into 2022
- 11 go forward actions to improve business agility, customer experience, and data-driven enablement programs
A replay is available exclusively to members in our Members Area.
Webinar
September 29, 2021
Increasing Distribution Impact through Sales Optimization
Asset Managers’ clients have changed and their expectations have risen significantly: they are better prepared, more digitally-savvy, and more knowledgeable than ever before and they expect - they demand! - informed, insightful, hyper-personalized engagement at every meeting. Sales teams need to have better insights at their disposal at all times so that they can go further with their clients and deliver asset growth for their firm.
This means that in today’s increasingly digital and competitive arena, distribution teams need the best tools at their fingertips to optimize sales effectiveness, exceed their client expectations, and deliver at speed and scale. In this webinar Patrick Murphy founder of UK-based FinTech PureGroup shared learnings from implementations of their industry-awarded Sales Optimization platform, XALT, with global asset managers, highlighting key lessons learned. Introduced to us by member firms, PureGroup was founded in 2013 and is now focused on improving asset manager client engagement in 15 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific via its industry-leading sales optimization application XALT, with global customers including Invesco, BNY Mellon, and Pictet among many others. XALT won “Best Use of Data” at the Investment Week Innovation Awards 2020 and “FinTech start-up” award at the Digital Client Engagement Summit in 2019.
A replay is available exclusively to members in our Members Area.
2021 Virtual Spring Forum
May 3-5, 2021
Forever Changed?
We are approaching a full year of various states of remote working and engagement with our clients as a result of the pandemic. But has this really changed everything in the way we work and interact with one another forever? In many ways yes. But in many others the fundamentals of human interaction and running complex organizations has not. The Spring 2021 SME Forum focused on ways we have and have not changed as a result. Building on the very successful Engaging for Growth virtual event in October, 2020, Forever Changed? took place on May 3-5, 2021.
With Interactive Sessions, Client Showcases, Forum Workshops, a Member Social and Open Lounge Discussion, participants engaged with the session leaders, fellow participants, and the broader SME Forum community before, during, and after each session. This proven approach is designed to help ensure you are getting the most out of this event and your continued membership with The Forum.
Our sessions delivered on the core tenets of our in-person conferences that you’ve come to expect: new learning, introductions to peers to build your networks of help, and insights that you can share with your teams and across your organization to support your goals and objectives.
Throughout the Forever Changed? conference, we keyed in on:
- Sharing best practices and lessons learned
- Introduction of and deep dives into real use cases
- Exploration of emerging topics in various ways
Sessions covered subjects relevant to our Marketing, Sales, Service, Operations and Technology members and beyond. Full session replays and other event materials are available in our Members Area (login credentials required)
Webinar
December 3, 2020
SME Member Inventory Overview
Due to popular demand, this is a repeat of an earlier webinar.
Did you know that The Forum collects a very comprehensive inventory of the tools, technologies, systems, subscriptions and many other attributes of each firm’s Sales, Marketing and Data Management capabilities? Ever wonder who else might be thinking about using a new service that you have been introduced to? Which of your peers is successfully using the same technology as you? Where do others go to get the information you need to meet business requirements? What are the most common tools used by Forum members? Who else could you quickly speak with about their experiences with something of interest to your organization?
Every couple of years we update a comprehensive spreadsheet of capabilities that each of our member firms use to help us provide you with the type of support, guidance and introductions you need to more quickly and effectively learn what others are doing and experiencing. When you call or write to us about the many situations that you want to explore or get a sense of, we turn to this valuable resource on your behalf. On this webcast we will be sharing this third version of the inventory:
What exactly is included in this inventory assessment | Which firms have participated and have access to this information | How can your firm participate and gain access as well | Where are there opportunities to improve it going forward Not sure if your firm participated? Email Julian Edelman
Webinar
November 24, 2020
Best Practices in Managing Complex Content
Save Time and Money with a Data-Driven Approach
Most Asset Management firms have made progress in automating elements of content management. However, one challenge remains – how to efficiently align shared content. Learn how to get out of Word, Excel and manual processes with a more structured, data-driven approach to content management.
This Webinar discusses challenges and solutions on the following topics:
- Challenges of managing disclosures, bios, product descriptions and other shared content
- Version control and brand/compliance risk
- Content workflow and approvals
- Content Taxonomies and Metadata
- Integrating across the Marketing and Regulatory Tech stack
- Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Speakers:
Patrice Trichon | Managing Director, Head of Marketing | 1919 Investment Counsel, LLC
Patrice is a Financial Services Executive with deep experience adept at marketing strategy, reporting, client experience and business transformation, to drive revenue growth and sales enablement. Patrice previously held senior-level positions at Goldman Sachs including Vice President and Global Head of Fund Reporting and Global Head of Marketing Services.
Ed Hrybenko | Vice President, Marketing and Regulatory Solutions | Broadridge
Ed has extensive expertise in marketing operations, campaign management, analytics, sales enablement technology and digital marketing. Prior to joining Broadridge, he spent over 25 years in the asset management industry, most recently as Senior Vice President of Marketing Operations at OppenheimerFunds.
John Closson | Senior Director | Business Development, Broadridge
John's focus is on marketing and regulatory content automation. Prior to joining Broadridge, he served as Chief Strategy Officer with Appatura (acquired by Broadridge in 2019) and its predecessor firm Data Communique. With more than 20 years of experience helping asset managers optimize their marketing and regulatory platforms, John has helped clients across financial services drive transformation, reduce cost and improve the accuracy of their communications.
Webinar
November 11, 2020
Get a Grip! Taming Your Data for Insights that Actually Deliver Results
You’re in a race to uncover and capitalize on opportunities. The only thing standing in your way is data—not the lack of data, but taming it so you can increase the value of CRM for LOBs and deliver actionable insights that can use to achieve faster, more lucrative results. Smart firms have discovered they don’t need to rip out existing technology, which is costly, time consuming, and unnecessary. Instead, they turn to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights.
Attend this session to discover how Customer Insights taps into data from any source you already use – including SALESFORCE and your data warehouse—to help you zero in on opportunities, armed with what you need to win them.
You’ll discover how Customer Insights can help you…
- Eliminate dependence on tribal knowledge and guesswork by taking advantage of AI for solid, targeted insights
- Effectively prioritize your time and energy by focusing on the right people, with the right action, at the right time
- Tackle common challenges—watch as we demonstrate 3 business cases:
- Determining next best action for surfacing big tickets and more
- Deciding on which financial advisors to target for the highest returns
- Winning more deals with effective RFP management
Host: Hazem Gamal, COO, The SME Forum
About the Presenters:
Tom Berger | Vice President, Financial Services | AKA, an HSO Company. With more than 20 years of experience, Tom strategically leads the Financial Services practice by providing tangible, high-return enterprise cloud solutions.
Michael Quattlebaum | Vice President, CRM Practice | AKA, an HSO Company. A financial services veteran, Michael has implemented more than 70 CRM systems, crediting their success to taking a business-centric approach to problem solving with technology.
Mike Hammons | Director, Business Intelligence and Analytics | AKA, an HSO Company. A leader and subject matter expert in business intelligence and analytics, Mike helps firms build BI solutions by translating requirements into feasible designs that deliver results.
Webinar
November 5, 2020
SME Member Inventory Overview
Did you know that The Forum collects a very comprehensive inventory of the tools, technologies, systems, subscriptions and many other attributes of each firm’s Sales, Marketing and Data Management capabilities? Ever wonder who else might be thinking about using a new service that you have been introduced to? Which of your peers is successfully using the same technology as you? Where do others go to get the information you need to meet business requirements? What are the most common tools used by Forum members? Who else could you quickly speak with about their experiences with something of interest to your organization?
Every couple of years we update a comprehensive spreadsheet of capabilities that each of our member firms use to help us provide you with the type of support, guidance and introductions you need to more quickly and effectively learn what others are doing and experiencing. When you call or write to us about the many situations that you want to explore or get a sense of, we turn to this valuable resource on your behalf. On this webcast we will be sharing this third version of the inventory:
What exactly is included in this inventory assessment | Which firms have participated and have access to this information | How can your firm participate and gain access as well | Where are there opportunities to improve it going forward Not sure if your firm participated? Email Julian Edelman
Virtual Conference
October 19-21, 2020
Fall Forum 2020: Engaging for Growth
At a time of social distancing, our need to learn, connect and share with one another has never been more pronounced. The global pandemic has abruptly changed the very ways in which we engage with our internal shareholders and in turn, how our Sales, Marketers and Servicing teams engage with their customers.
This is why the SME Forum’s Engaging for Growth virtual fall conference that was run over three days October 19-21, was designed to enable you to engage your organizations with new ideas, a sharpened focus, and at speed.
Whether it was a Client Showcase, Forum Workshop, Member Socials, or an Open Lounge, participants engaged with the session leaders, fellow participants, and the broader community before, during, and after each session.
Sessions delivered on the core tenets of our in-person conferences that you’ve come to expect: new learning, introductions to peers to build your networks of help, and insights that you can share with your teams and across your organization to support your goals and objectives.
Engaging for Growth focused on:
- Sharing best practices and lessons learned
- Introduction of and deep dives into real use cases
- Exploration of emerging topics in various ways
- Helping you and your colleagues build stronger networks of help
Sessions covered subjects relevant to our Marketing, Sales, Service, Operations and Technology members for both Institutional and Retail firms.
Information from the event will be made available to members and participants in the very near future so check your email and look back here for updates.
Webinar
August 12, 2020
Distribution Trends 2020: Broadridge
Tim Kresl and Matt Schiffman from Broadridge share their updated perspectives on trends affecting the asset management industry during COVID through Q2, 2020.
Among many timely topics, in this webcast you will learn more about trends in terms of the changing advisor business model and how that’s affecting asset manager distribution and then finally we’re going to be talking about trends in data and analytics and specifically how innovative firms are using data and analytics to be able to get a leg up on the competition essentially.
Replay available in restricted Members Area. To receive your password, please email SME.Forum@on-course-advisors.com
Webinar
July 14, 2020
SME Forum Member Inventory Overview
Did you know that The Forum collects a very comprehensive inventory of the tools, technologies, systems, subscriptions and many other attributes of each firm’s Sales, Marketing and Data Management capabilities? Ever wonder who else might be thinking about using a new service that you have been introduced to? Which of your peers is successfully using the same technology as you? Where do others go to get the information you need to meet business requirements? What are the most common tools used by Forum members? Who else could you quickly speak with about their experiences with something of interest to your organization?
Every couple of years we update a comprehensive spreadsheet of capabilities that each of our member firms use to help us provide you with the type of support, guidance and introductions you need to more quickly and effectively learn what others are doing and experiencing. When you call or write to us about the many situations that you want to explore or get a sense of, we turn to this valuable resource on your behalf. On this webcast we will be sharing this third version of the inventory:
What exactly is included in this inventory assessment | Which firms have participated and have access to this information | How can your firm participate and gain access as well | Where are there opportunities to improve it going forward (Not sure if your firm participated? Email Julian Edelman
Replay available in restricted Members Area. To receive your password, please email SME.Forum@on-course-advisors.com
Webinar
July 14, 2020
SME Forum Member Inventory Overview
Did you know that The Forum collects a very comprehensive inventory of the tools, technologies, systems, subscriptions and many other attributes of each firm’s Sales, Marketing and Data Management capabilities? Ever wonder who else might be thinking about using a new service that you have been introduced to? Which of your peers is successfully using the same technology as you? Where do others go to get the information you need to meet business requirements? What are the most common tools used by Forum members? Who else could you quickly speak with about their experiences with something of interest to your organization?
Every couple of years we update a comprehensive spreadsheet of capabilities that each of our member firms use to help us provide you with the type of support, guidance and introductions you need to more quickly and effectively learn what others are doing and experiencing. When you call or write to us about the many situations that you want to explore or get a sense of, we turn to this valuable resource on your behalf. On this webcast we will be sharing this third version of the inventory:
What exactly is included in this inventory assessment | Which firms have participated and have access to this information | How can your firm participate and gain access as well | Where are there opportunities to improve it going forward (Not sure if your firm participated? Email Julian Edelman
Replay available in restricted Members Area. To receive your password, please email SME.Forum@on-course-advisors.com
Webinar
July 9, 2020
Building Trust With Clients in a Digital World
Today, most of us have to learn new ways of working in order to adapt to a primarily virtual environment. That is not by choice. Still, the saying goes: every crisis brings opportunity. The immediate shift to remote client engagements by many sales teams can be an opportunity for asset managers to lean into the digital transformation they were already undergoing. Digital interactions always make up a piece of communications with advisors, but with more and more companies declaring their plans to continue remote work in the near-term, it’s the perfect time to focus on revamping how your firm’s marketing and sales teams operate to survive these challenging times, and thrive in the new normal.
In this webcast discussion with our panelists you will learn more about:
- Creating meaningful connections when working remotely
- The most effective types of content to share with advisors
- Leveraging technology to create a more engaging client experience
- The services advisors find to be most valuable in the current environment
Replay available in restricted Members Area. To receive your password, please email SME.Forum@on-course-advisors.com
Webinar
June 25, 2020
Avoiding the Shiny Object Syndrome to Improve Distribution Architecture ROI
As asset managers prioritize optimizing the journey for both clients and internal business partners, investment in technology and the processes that impact the client experience have increased. Technology has evolved to better solve for the challenges that Marketing and Sales experience, primarily in marketing automation, sales enablement, CRM, and business / distribution intelligence.
After an evaluation and selection process, the onboarding of a new vendor or tool is an exciting proposition, as it can enhance the future state architecture, once implementation is complete. The key word being complete. However, these implementations are often complex and can result in project fatigue, minimum viable product implementations of the tool, not utilizing key functionality, and ultimately a muted ROI.
Because organizations have traditionally tended to be operationally siloed, decisions are made within these silos about which tools are needed to solve their specific teams’ challenges. We refer to this as the “shiny object syndrome”; implementing tools to tactically solve the problem at hand, losing the context of how these tools will integrate across the organization, ultimately creating a heavy tax on those that support these tools.
Asset managers are now attempting to better coordinate across the traditional silos and look more strategically across the distribution architecture. Firms are realizing that they need to bend their cost curve by improving organizational efficiency, maximizing the ROI of their collective tool suite and reducing redundancy. Concurrently, firms are trying to increase revenue opportunities by improving communication effectiveness, and focusing on how the suite of these tools can work together to connect the overall client journey from a their perspective.
- In this event, members engaged with our panelists and learned about:
- Navigating the technology landscape and deciding the right time to invest
- Determining what a “successful” implementation really means
- Avoiding the “shiny object syndrome” and a muted ROI
- Examples of distribution tools and the challenges they have solved to improve the client journey
Replay available in restricted Members Area. To receive your password, please email SME.Forum@on-course-advisors.com
Webinar
May 20, 2020
Information Privacy - Navigating an increasingly Digital World
In this pandemic age, digital engagement channels in Distribution and Marketing are taking even more precedence and prominence as firms accelerate their online and virtual outreach to advisors and investors alike. But the intersection of increasing regulations and data control rights are a real threat if you are not proactively pursuing strategies that help you gather, store and employ that information in meaningful and desired ways by your target audiences.
- What does “good” look like - strategies and tactics for data privacy
- Business risk and value approach to data privacy in your industry
- Issues with identifying, classifying, and protecting information
- Trends in data privacy regulation and common data privacy rights
- Why data privacy matters and common myths debunked
Replay available in restricted Members Area. To receive your password, please email SME.Forum@on-course-advisors.com
Webinar
April 23, 2020
From Source to CRM: Ingesting and Leveraging Advisor Team Data for Intelligent Distribution
Today more advisors are members of a functional team than just a year ago. What you don’t know about these teams can lead to ineffective and inaccurate reporting, sales, marketing, and targeting strategies.
- Can you tie sales and activity back to relevant teams? Is that data accurate?
- Does your internal/external know who’s the analyst, scheduler, and leader on every team in their territory?
- Is marketing able to reach the right person with the right message, quickly?
- How effective is your BI team if they can’t see the entire buying unit as a whole?
From establishing a good source of advisor team data to bringing that data into your CRM system, this webinar will share how asset managers are using Advisor Atlas team data in applications like SalesPage and SalesStation CRM managed app for Salesforce to improve accuracy, effectiveness, and decision-making.
Replay available in restricted Members Area. To receive your password, please email SME.Forum@on-course-advisors.com
Webinar
April 23, 2020
Solving ETF Data Reporting Challenges Webcast
The SalesFocus team delivered a webcast on April 7th about Solving ETF Data Reporting Challenges as a follow-up to the Survey and Call on ETF Commissions Calculations held last month. The conversation and discussion on this topic which will include:
- Aggregating, reconciling, and normalizing multiple data sources to ensure the data is useful and relevant
- Share best practices and expertise related to data cleansing, including team data
- Review options to leverage the data through reporting tools and CRM platforms
- Discuss use case scenarios based on our experience and expertise
- Leverage various data points for various commission model
Conference Call
March 25, 2020
Salesforce High Velocity Sales Conference Call
At the request of a member firm interested in Salesforce.com High Velocity Sales (HVS) module, a Member-Only conference call on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 was arranged with those who have, are, or involved in reviewing SFDC’s HVS as a possibility for their organizations. Seven firms with 21 members participated on the call. Download notes and references from the call.