Monday, September 28
| 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. | Registration |
| 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. | Welcome and View From the IAA
This discussion among IAA staff and board leadership will set the stage for the Forum, including an update on the IAA’s member-driven policy priorities.
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| 4:15 – 4:45 p.m. | Break |
| 4:45 – 5:45 p.m. | The Retirement Puzzle: How the Pieces Fit for Advisers and Their Clients
At nearly $50 trillion as of 12/31/25, U.S. retirement assets are no small matter. Advisers’ pivotal, trusted role in helping their clients grow and preserve their nest eggs is made increasingly challenging as they must
… all while gracefully managing clients’ expectations and accommodating widely varying personalities and preferences. Our panelists will examine these and other elements shaping the retirement industry and share essential insights for firm leaders operating in a highly dynamic environment.
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| 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Reception |
Tuesday, September 29
| 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Registration and Exhibits |
| 7:30 – 8:00 a.m. | Continental Breakfast |
| 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | What’s Right for Our Firm? Strategic Ownership Options for RIAs
Along with the exigencies of running sophisticated businesses in a complex and dynamic industry, advisory firm leaders are responsible for shaping the long-term vision for their organizations, including the well-being of both their clients and their teams. This panel of executives will take a 360-degree look at the variety of paths available – from remaining 100% employee-owned to entering into a minority or greater partnership with an investor – including the roles of culture, scale, and ownership in the calculus.
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| 9:00 – 9:15 a.m. | Break |
| 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. | Portfolio Construction for a “New Regime” – And What That Actually Means
The current market and global environment are making the already complex task of advisers’ core competency – achieving successful investment outcomes for clients – ever more challenging. We explore the thesis that economies and markets are entering a new investment regime that has important implications for investment returns, cross asset-class relationships, and portfolio construction. In this fireside chat, our speaker will bring a historical context to examine the forces influencing portfolio construction today, including global trade relationships, monetary policy and interest rates, the impact of artificial intelligence on markets, and their implications for investment professionals.
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| 10:15 – 10:30 a.m. | Break |
| 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Peer-Led Breakout Sessions
These sessions provide a forum for executives from similarly-sized firms to engage in discussions about strategic, executive, operational, and management issues facing the investment adviser industry.
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| 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. | Lunch: The AI Operating System: Why Strategy Matters More than Technology
The firms that win over the next decade won’t be defined by the AI capabilities they acquire, but by how effectively they integrate AI into the way their business operates. The greatest opportunity isn’t simply adopting new technology. It’s combining your firm’s institutional knowledge with the world’s best AI capabilities. AI isn’t another application in your technology portfolio. It’s becoming the operating system that enhances how every team works, every workflow executes, and every decision is made. In this fireside chat, our featured speaker will introduce a practical three-layer framework for developing an AI strategy tailored to the way your firm operates. Attendees will learn how to distinguish between capabilities they should borrow, buy, or build, while moving beyond deploying AI tools toward creating an AI-enabled operating model that improves efficiency, strengthens decision-making, and positions their firms for long-term competitive advantage.
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| 1:15 – 2:00 p.m. | Breakout Sessions Note: The two breakout sessions will be held consecutively, allowing attendees to participate in both. 1. Modernizing the Firm from the Inside Out: The Why, How, and What of Data, Technology, and AI Readiness In today’s drive to evaluate, implement, and harness the power of AI and other “transformative technologies”, collaboration between advisory firms’ front and back offices is more critical than ever. This panel of practitioners will share insights about why they’ve chosen to embrace the innovations they’ve put in place, how they’re preparing their data, systems, and people for change, and what they’re learning as they manage both the human and technical elements of firm-wide transformation, while weighing risks, pursuing practical benefits, and improving the experience of both clients and staff.
2. Building and Leading Resilient Teams Through Turbulent Times Most advisory firm executives are highly technical, deeply capable, and successful in their field, yet are now being asked to lead through a new level of human complexity.This session frames the changing leadership landscape for advisory firms and gives participants a practical way to respond. It will connect growth, succession, generational change, hybrid communication, AI pressure, and talent retention to the everyday leadership conversations that help firms operate more effectively.
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| 2:00 – 2:15 p.m. | Transition |
| 2:15 – 3:00 p.m. | Breakout Sessions
1. Modernizing the Firm from the Inside Out: The Why, How, and What of Data, Technology, and AI Readiness 2. Building and Leading Resilient Teams Through Turbulent Times |
| 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. | Afternoon Break |
| 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | General Session: Congress Speaks
Join us for a candid conversation with a key Member of Congress as they share their perspective on the policy landscape shaping the financial services industry. In this wide-ranging fireside chat, we’ll explore the legislative outlook for the year ahead, priorities for key committees, and how Congress is approaching issues like tax reform, financial regulation, innovation, and global competitiveness. Hear firsthand how lawmakers are thinking about the role of investment advisers. This is your opportunity to gain unfiltered insights from the source – and better understand what’s driving decisions in Washington that affect your business. |
| 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | The Inside Scoop: The Latest on Key Policy Developments Affecting Advisers and Clients
What’s happening on Capitol Hill, and how might recent banking, economic, and political developments affect the policy environment for investment advisers and their clients? This panel of Washington experts will unpack the latest developments that are critical to the adviser community and discuss the prospect for relevant legislation and congressional oversight of the SEC and other regulators.
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| 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. | Break |
| 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. | Reception |
| 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. | Dinner: Road Map to the 2026 & 2028 Elections
The 2024 elections ushered in full GOP control of the White House and Congress, but will there be a backlash in 2026 or 2028? In an engaging and strictly nonpartisan presentation, David Wasserman will take us on a tour of key Senate, House and gubernatorial contests that will shape policymaking in Washington and politics for years to come. How will Democrats survive the wilderness, and what’s next for Republicans after Trump? Drawing on his extensive interactions with candidates and strategists on both sides of the aisle, David previews the road ahead and identifies the campaign trends and electoral mood swings that will define the next chapter of American politics.
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Wednesday, September 30
| 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. | Registration and Exhibits |
| 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. | Breakfast Briefing: Visiting the Hill With Confidence: Everything You Need to Know!
Whether you’re new to Adviser Advocacy Day or a seasoned pro, this session will help you get ready for a productive – and enjoyable – day on Capitol Hill. Building on our briefing webinar, IAA staff will review our policy priorities and provide detailed talking points and background materials to support meaningful conversations with lawmakers and their staff. Most importantly, remember that you are the most important person in the room. They want to hear from their constituents and learn about your business. Be yourself, speak from experience, and have fun. |
| 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Meetings on Capitol Hill
Attendees will be grouped with other advisers from their region and head to the Hill accompanied by IAA staff, equipped with their prep packages and precise directions. |
| 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Post-Meetings Reception
Head back to the hotel to unwind and recount the day’s adventures. |