Almost 600 delegates attended the inaugural Financial Advice New Zealand National Advisers Conference in Rotorua last week.
The Conference delivered a raft of messages and updates to the mainly adviser audience, including:
- Reflections on exactly what constitutes adviser value for clients in 2018 and beyond, and how to stand out
- Updates on the current round of regulatory reforms set to impact the New Zealand financial services and financial advice sectors
- Political updates and reflections from Government ministers and representatives
- Global economic updates and how New Zealand fits into the bigger picture
- Perspectives on the potential impact the Banking Royal Commission in Australia may have on the New Zealand financial services sector
- Projections about how the consumer and business worlds will be impacted by the emerging age of Artificial Intelligence and other technological advancements
- Personal stories of inspiration and achievement
These messages were delivered at plenary sessions attended by all delegates, while break-out sessions offered a broad selection of more specific topics ranging from risk to investments to philanthropy, soft skills, detecting deception, lending and other specialist areas.
This Conference served as a changing of the guard, as a new Board of a new Association, together with its new Chief Executive Officer, paid tribute to the associations that came together to form a single and stronger voice for advisers.
Financial Advice NZ Chair, Sue Brown, told delegates the new Association now has 1,670 members, which represents a 90 percent take-up rate of advisers who were formerly members of the PAA, IFA and NZFAA Associations.
Various speakers at the Conference recognised the critical role that financial advisers in New Zealand have always played in the lives of the New Zealand public, while also acknowledging the need to raise standards in a changing consumer world and to achieve the status of a profession in the mind of the clients whose interests advisers seek to serve.
While numerous networking opportunities were available for all conference attendees, the social highlight was the 2018 Financial Advice NZ Excellence in Advice Awards Dinner, which saw three Kiwi advisers recognised for their outstanding contributions to the advice sector and their clients (see: 2018 Excellence in Advice Award Winners…).
The second annual Financial Advice New Zealand National Advisers Conference will be held at SkyCity in Auckland from 21 – 23 August 2019.