Every year, the TradePMR Synergy Conference is one of our biggest, most anticipated events. To share a little more about what attendees can expect at this year’s event, taking place May 21-24 in Las Vegas, we sat down with TradePMR’s Chief Legal Officer, Charles “Chaz” Reiling. Here’s what we had to say.
Chaz, tell us a little more about this year’s Synergy Conference. What should attendees expect to find when they join us in 2024?
TradePMR Chief Legal Officer, Charles “Chaz” Reiling: The TradePMR Synergy Conference is unique among custodial conferences. It’s curated. It’s personalized. There’s not a lot of fluff. We’re selective in who we invite. We’re intentional about the environment we’re building.
Custodial conferences tend to get a bad reputation because they’re trying to be everything to everybody. They’re cavernous. It’s a lot like going to a supermarket: by the time you walk out of there, you still don’t know what you’ve seen, and you can’t figure out how anything works or goes together.
That’s not us. We’re not just throwing stuff at the wall here to see what sticks. This is not a DIY conference.
When attendees sign up for Synergy, they sign up for the same white-glove treatment we extend to all our clients. Every vendor in attendance is there for a reason. We put a lot of effort into evaluating who gets to come and why they should be invited.
We invite aggregators and buyers because we know it’s challenging for advisors to sell their practice and make their own retirement plans. Figuring out how to exit is just as important as figuring out how to get started.
Of course, Synergy is also a lot of fun. Advisors are going to run into their peers and get to trade ideas and solutions.
We like to think that every attendee is going to leave our event with a better idea of how to grow their business and how we can help them better serve their clients.
Let’s talk about that networking aspect for a minute. How does a curated conference lend itself well to stronger professional connections?
CR: We want to facilitate illuminating and mission-driven conversations at Synergy. This is an opportunity to build camaraderie. It’s like going to a club and meeting a bunch of new club members: everyone's happy to see new faces and excited to be aligned in their experiences.
Synergy is designed to create and strengthen partnerships, whether that’s between our clients and TradePMR, or between others in attendance.
What are some of the barriers that are limiting advisors today and how is TradePMR making good on its mission to be “limitless?”
CR: It’s challenging to get a foothold in our industry. Ultimately, building a “limitless” practice comes with implementing strong processes and working alongside dedicated partners.
If you look at the latest version of the Michael Kitces fintech map, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. I remember when it came out. There was a lot of white space on the page. Now I can’t read it because the text is so small.
There’s a lot of people purporting to deliver some necessary service to the RIA community. We spend a serious amount of time with these vendors, trying to understand exactly what they do, trying to understand where the overlap between offerings might be, and trying to put together a stack of vendors that can best serve advisors. We build our Synergy invite list off of that due diligence.
You won’t find 10 different portfolio reporting systems at Synergy. Or a dozen financial planning tools. Or 20 CRM providers. There's just no point, right?
You will often find two or three of, who we believe are, the best. You might even find some new ones you haven't heard of.
The same can be said of the buyers and aggregators we’re inviting to Synergy. Maybe you’ve got a firm and you’re thinking about your succession plan. Perhaps you want to hear from firms out there who are aggregating or acquiring businesses like yours. We want to facilitate conversations that will be of value to everyone who’s in attendance.
There are steep barriers to entering this industry. Today’s advisors are navigating a highly competitive environment, with increasing regulatory requirements. It’s not enough to simply manage a portfolio of assets that exceed some relative benchmark. Clients, especially high net worth clients, have higher expectations than they did in the past. Maybe one of the solutions to growth is finding a partner, or partners. We’re going to have those partners at Synergy.
It sounds like TradePMR is ready to deliver a 2024 Synergy Conference that’ll be rewarding for everyone in attendance. What’s the best way to get more information?
CR: We’re really excited to be welcoming everyone to Las Vegas on May 21st. Details on how to register for our 2024 Synergy Conference can be found on our website.
Besides getting to meet and re-meet some of the best in the business, I’ll be having a one-on-one conversation with Brian Hamburger, CEO and Founder of MarketCounsel, and moderating a panel on M&A.
All of us at TradePMR take pride in working together. It’s personal for us. We bring that same level of energy and dedication to Synergy, and I know it’s going to be apparent for every attendee from the moment they walk through the door.
Are you ready for Synergy24? The first step is registering - sign up now and start prepping for an action-packed week in Las Vegas.
For more than two decades, TradePMR has worked with growth-minded independent registered investment advisors (RIAs), providing innovative technology tools and support designed to transform their businesses. The privately-held brokerage and custodian services provider (Member FINRA/SIPC), based in Gainesville, Fla., works to streamline investment advisors' operations through comprehensive custodial, operational, and trading support. For more information, visit www.TradePMR.com.
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