Between welcoming old friends, networking with new ones and sightings of the US Women’s National Soccer Team in the elevator, this year’s Uncommon Knowledge Conference was an overwhelming success. One comment overheard frequently was regarding all the new faces. NAAIM welcomed forty-one new members into the association by the end of 2014 and more than half of those attended this year’s conference in Newport Beach, California. Of course, along with welcoming in new members, one of the main reasons to attend the annual Uncommon Knowledge conference is to say hello to old friends and business partners. Business is done here, as partnerships are formed, deals are forged, strategies are analyzed, etc., etc.
Education and innovation are emphasized as well. Nationally recognized speakers such as Anne Mathias (presented by Guggenheim), Frank Barbera of Sierra Mutual Funds, and Shahira Knight (presented by CEROS/Advisor Preferred) talked about the global outlook, global deflation and the impact of the government legislative agenda, respectively. A new innovative workshop designed an investment model (as a group!) from start to finish, including back-testing, led by 2014 NAAIM Wagner Award winner Dave Walton of StatisTrade. Marketing in 30 days, presented by Kristin Harad, helped attendees get motivated to start getting leads in today. And of course, NAAIM Shark Tank showed the diversity and creativity of NAAIM Members when it comes to various investing strategies. Other sessions helped attendees develop business plans and learn about succession planning.
What would a NAAIM Conference be without lots of networking and FUN! A great time was held at the Monday dinner and “Casino de Mayo” event, presented by 2015 National Sponsor Guggenheim. All attendees were given $500 in play money and could either purchase a raffle ticket or parlay their initial bets into “big money” by winning at blackjack, craps, poker, or roulette. At the end of the evening, you bought raffle tickets with your winnings. Raffle winners were treated to a selection of prizes from Guggenheim, such as golf umbrellas and nice tote bags, plus prizes from NAAIM that included noise-reducing headphones, a fitbit, and a “Selfie” stick.
Be sure to mark your calendars now for the 2016 NAAIM Uncommon Knowledge Conference which will be held May 1-4, 2016 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida!