In our first face-to-face gathering in more than a year, the ADISA 2021 Spring Conference was marked by sold-out registration, high energy, and enthusiastic participants and speakers.

The 500 attendees took advantage of 27 breakout sessions that bookended important general sessions, fascinating round tables and keynote speeches and, of course, ongoing, active  -- and very welcome -- in-person networking.

Thanks to our attendees, exhibitors and conference planners for making this gathering at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Arizona such a resounding success!

Here’s who attended . . .

35% Broker-Dealers, Registered Investment Advisors, Family Offices, Financial Advisors
40% Sponsors
25% Industry Affiliates

And here are the highlights . . .

Keynote Speaker

Mara Liasson, national political correspondent for NPR and Fox News Channel contributor, took the microphone as keynote speaker on Tuesday, May 11,. Her talk on “The Changing Face of American Politics” provided a candid, enlightening view of what’s going on in Washington D.C. -- and its impact on alt investments.

ADISA’s Women’s Initiative Lunch

Cass McCrory, a sought-after marketing specialist, kicked off the conference during the Women’s Initiative Lunch. She spoke about personal brand, connection, and the importance of aligning your values to your career.

General Sessions

• The Industry & Sector Updates provided an in-depth discussion about alternative investment sectors, especially within the past year. Kevin Gannon (Robert A. Stranger & Co.), Taylor Garrett (Mountain Dell Consulting), Mike Kell (iCapital Network) and Michael Andrews (SS&C Technologies) shared their expertise and commentary.
• During the Legislative & Regulatory Updates, Thomas Rosenfield (HillStaffer) and Joseph Borg (Alabama Securities Commission and NASAA Former Chair and President) shared in-depth commentary and up-to-date state and national news directly impacting the alternative investment industry.

Breakout Sessions: A Sampler

• Fundamentals and Best Practices of Alts. Ranging from due diligence, to diversification, to disclosures, to legislation and beyond, panelists offered advice and insights pertaining to proper handling and offerings of alternative investments. Greg Mausz with Preferred Capital Securities moderated the panel, which consisted of Mike Bendix (DFPG Investments), Angela Barbera (NexPoint Securities) and Colin Cosgrove (Inland Securities Corp.).
• Pandemic Workaround to Mainstream. Over the past year, the business world has operated much differently than in the past. Moderated by Angie Fisher with the CIM Group, the session focused on challenges, solutions and potential future of the remote working model. Additional speakers were Mike Huisman (UMB Bank), Dan Breen (Great Lakes Fund Solutions) and Ned Montencourt (Phoenix American Financial Services).
• What’s Hot: Cannabis, Crypto, ESG, etc. Led by Crescent Securities’ Rick Chess, the session pinpointed challenges, benefits and opportunities of these investments. The panel, consisting of Adam Dooley (Alliance160), James Richmond (e2comply) and Christian Heyer (IGF Partners) also discussed the pitfalls and regulatory issues involved with the marijuana and cryptocurrency industries.
• Impact Investing and Alts: Starting the Conversation. Impact investing is becoming a hot topic, leading to questions as to whether doing good can mean good returns. Jeff Shafer with CommonGood Capital and Nick Veronis with the iCapital Network discussed current trends in the impact assets space, while focusing on examples of successful environmental and societal investments.
• The Emergence Finally of Reg A. With the recent increase to $75mm, Reg A is finally finding a place in the real estate alternatives space. Rhys James of Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank moderated a discussion with Ray Davis (Red Oak Capital Management), Matt Leiter (Trilogy Real Estate Group) and Myra Nicholson (International Assets Advisory) on why bond products are working and what the current structures are.

If you want to see more . . .

• Click here to access conference photos. 
• Click here to access session presentations.