I am back home after a busy three days in Miami for the giant ETF Exchange conference. It’s a very busy industry event – I suspect a ton of business is done, deals closed, and sales made. It’s also a monster networking event, where you get to meet new people and see old friends. It’s about 40% RIAs, 60% industry — ETF providers, servicers, fintech, and other industry stalwarts.
There are far worse places to be in February than Miami.
Most of what I do at events like this is on the content side – look for my interview with Vanguard Group CEO Tim Buckley next weekend – but at this event I paid close attention to the deal-making. It’s quite fascinating to see out in the open what normally takes place in office conference rooms: Schmoozing, sales, hiring, and even acquisitions.
Coming into the lobby of the Fontainebleau hotel reminded me of walking onto a trading floor in the 1990s: a frenetic wall of sound hits you as soon as the door opens; the energy is overwhelming. (My goal is to avoid losing my voice over the din). If you’ve never experienced a live trading floor from that era, watch the pit trading scene in the last 20 minutes of Trading Places; it’s not really much of an exaggeration.
This conference was created by Advisor Circle, which is the same team we work with producing FutureProof. (Lots of this event was also outside). They have handed off this conference to Vetta Fi, and Dave Nadig did a great creating a fun and informative run of content. (I loved watching his gushing fan boi interview over skateboard legend, Rodney Mullen).
Exchange is a very different audience than FutureProof, with some overlap; this event makes me very jazzed for what we are putting together for our September 2023 event.
Some highlights over the past few days:
Super intesting discussion on where are today from @CameronDawson @StocktonKatie @LizYoungStrat
Moderate expectations for 2023 pic.twitter.com/JwOj1Ycfz2
— Barry Ritholtz (@ritholtz) February 7, 2023
“We now have $350b in advisory assets, which will grow at 20-25% a year. We want to be the Vanguard of funds and the Vanguard of advice. Engine 1 and Engine 2” – Vanguard CEO Tim Buckley on disrupting the $26T wealth mgmt industry w/ @ritholtz #EchangeETF pic.twitter.com/wn3LV1UYd8
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) February 7, 2023
Look who we bumped into at #ExchangeMiami🌴👋 It was great seeing ya @michaelbatnick! pic.twitter.com/eSSHmcYHl2
— YCharts (@ycharts) February 7, 2023
Spotted: @BobPisani of @CNBC and CEO @JanvanEck3 😎 at what might be the best interview setup at @exchangeETF 🌴☀️ pic.twitter.com/vVqASKn0N4
— VanEck (@vaneck_us) February 7, 2023
I loved watching @DaveNadig fan boi gush over skateboard legend, Rodney Mullen. pic.twitter.com/J8gkruCKPG
— Barry Ritholtz (@ritholtz) February 8, 2023
The effervescent @brianportnoy with some storytelling I am injecting directly into my veins at @exchangeETF pic.twitter.com/eFqMlFgbuH
— Tom Morgan (@tom_morganKCP) February 7, 2023
Greetings from the puppy lounge at #ExchangeETF pic.twitter.com/LSF5R9f3cV
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) February 7, 2023
Dinner at Los Fuegos @FaenaMiami with @ritholtz @michaelbatnick @awealthofcs @biancoresearch @tom_morganKCP
The food was almost as good as the conversation pic.twitter.com/eVtI8WTlLV
— Eric Golden 🍌🦇🔊 (@ericgoldenx) February 7, 2023
Pausing for a moment to admire the moon over Miami ahead of the @SusanGKomen #morethanpinkwalk at @exchangeETF.
Looking forward to getting some steps in with the @MorningstarInc squad, who is a proud sponsor of the cause. pic.twitter.com/CEAAyQWzai
— Ben Johnson, CFA (@MstarBenJohnson) February 7, 2023
