Strategies Conference 2023 - You can do anything, just not everything!

Strategies Conference 2023 will challenge and refresh your portfolio construction thinking, as we debate contemporary and emerging portfolio construction strategies to help you build better quality investor portfolios.

Today, as practitioners continue to navigate the structural shift to an inflationary, higher interest rate investment regime in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, it stands to reason that portfolio strategies must continue to evolve from what worked in the prior “lower for longer” regime. We must think through which portfolio construction strategies remain fit for purpose, which are no longer appropriate, and which new strategies should be adopted.

But, common wisdom also warns us against throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Prioritising the most important changes to make to investment objectives, asset allocation, currency management, manager selection and blending, and risk management is key – because you can do anything, just not everything!

We’d welcome you joining us - at our live studio in Sydney, at a live site around Australia and NZ, or via live stream from your desk. Early bird registration is just A$395+GST for Practitioners.   Register now!

Graham Rich
Dean, Portfolio Construction Forum
P.S. An interactive, in-person, post-program Implementation Workshop will once again be led by consulting firm, InvestSense, immediately following Strategies Conference 2023 to further draw together the key takeouts from the program, and the practical implications for client portfolios. Complimentary to all Practitioners who attend Strategies Conference, a separate registration link will be provided.

Overview  Where; When; Aim; Most suited to; CE/CPD; Cost

About the program  Introduction;  Theme;  Program Structure

Register now  Registration options; Terms and conditions

Where:   Join us in our live studio, at a live site, or via live stream

Strategies Conference 2023 is a full live “hybrid” program - so you can attend in one or more of four ways: at our live studio in Sydney; at a live site with a group hosted by one of our Faculty Partners; via live stream from wherever you wish; or, on demand afterwards.

1. at our live studio in Sydney with 200+ peers
Attend the full program in person - mix and network face-to-face with Faculty and fellow delegates at our Live Studio at the University of New South Wales campus (Sydney).

2. as part of a group at an off-site live site with a group
Organise a group of your colleagues, or accept an invitation to join a group organised by one of our Faculty Partners, and attend the live broadcast together at an offsite location (e.g. boardroom or hotel meeting room). We have many groups do this around Australia and NZ and it works really well - you can enjoy the continuing education, camaraderie and networking without having to travel.

• If you’d like to get together with others near you at a live site and enjoy the continuing education along with camaraderie and networking, please contact us and we’ll put you in contact with a group near you.

3. via live stream at your desk - this is a very popular option with many of our members (and the backup for any live studio or live site delegate who at the last minute has to isolate or deal with a personal emergency and can no longer attend in person).

4. on demand during and/or after the live program - as a registered delegate you get access to the on demand video within a few hours of a session being live streamed, so you can catch up anytime if you miss a session.

When:   AEST Wednesday 23 August & Thursday 24 August 2023

Joining us in the live studio?

• Come to:  Roundhouse, University of New South Wales, Anzac Parade, Kensington, Sydney. Comprehensive instructions are available at https://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/roundhouse/about/getting-here
• Arrive Wednesday:  AEST 7.15am-8.00am to check-in (come early to avoid the queue and grab a coffee)

• Take your seat:  AEST 8.10am and enjoy the pre-opening from 8.15am
• Starts:  AEST 8.30am sharp
• Ends:  AEST 5.45pm sharp
• Followed by:  An informal Networking Reception to AEST 6.45pm

• Arrive Thursday:  AEST 8.00am and grab a coffee

• Take your seat:  AEST 8.10am and enjoy the pre-opening from 8.15am
• Starts:  AEST 8.30am sharp
• Ends:  AEST 3.00pm sharp
• Followed by:  An optional, complimentary, in-person Implementation Workshop led by consulting firm, InvestSense, that is complimentary to all Practitioners who attend Strategies Conference. A separate registration link will be provided.

Attending at a live site or via live stream?

• Come to:  Right here on portfolioconstructionforum.edu.au - whether you’re attending at a live site with a group or via live stream at your desk, we’ll send you a link that’s unique to you. (If you’re attending at a live site, you’ll still need this link to join the elective sessions, and also to use Frankie, our program App, ask questions of our Faculty, chat with delegates, and complete polls to earn CE/CPD hours) to ensure strong interaction.
• Arrive online (both days):  AEST 8.00am-8.10am and enjoy the pre-opening scene setter
• Starts (both days):  AEST 8.30am sharp
• Ends:  Wednesday AEST 5.30m sharp, Thursday AEST 3.00pm sharp

Aim:   Debate portfolio construction strategies

Strategies Conference will challenge and refresh your portfolio construction thinking by debating contemporary and emerging portfolio construction strategies, to help you build better quality portfolios.

Most suited to:   All Institutional and wholesale portfolio construction practitioners

Strategies Conference is relevant to all institutional and wholesale investment and wealth management practitioners involved in designing, building and/or advising on multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios, using (but not necessarily limited to) managed funds from a range of firms, and who work in a financial advisory, fund research, investment consulting, family office, funds management, superannuation, private fund, endowment fund or investment platform business including:

• investment advisers giving investment advice on multi-manager, multi-asset funds to individual investors;
• fund researchers;
• investment consultants consulting on multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios;
• portfolio managers designing, building and managing multi-manager investment portfolios; and/or,
• members of investment committees that oversee multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios and/or funds.

We also recognise and respect the invaluable role of Advocates and welcome them attending, too.

CE/CPD Accreditation:   12+ hours

By attending the program in full (at our live studio, a live site or via live stream), you will earn 12.00 CE hours that can be used to help meet the CE/CPD requirements of 20+ governing bodies (regulators, associations and institutes) - including ASIC, APRA, Legislated, FAAA, FMA, and CIMA^® CE/CPD requirements, to name just a few.

After the live program, you can earn further CE hours by “attending” (online on demand) the Special Interests Forum (elective) sessions you didn’t get to attend at the live program.

Cost (Practitioners):   Early Bird A$395+GST

Strategies Conference is exceptional value for money for Practitioners, as defined below.

• Live studio:  Early Bird A$395+GST - save A$100+GST, ends Monday 31 July 2023  Register below
  Attend the full program in person - mix and network face-to-face with Faculty and fellow delegates at our live studio at the University of New South Wales campus (Sydney) - for the same cost as attending via live stream. “Late Bird” registration is A$495+GST from 01 August 2023.
• Live stream:  A$395+GST, ends Friday 18 August 2023  Register below
  Attend the program via live stream at your desk from wherever you wish.

We also welcome Advocates attending and have a range of registration options available. For more information, please contact us.

Established in 2002, Strategies Conference has earned a reputation as THE portfolio construction strategies conference of the year. The program is designed and curated by our specialist, experienced and independent team and features an exceptional Faculty of 40+ leading investment thinkers - portfolio managers, CIOs, senior investment analysts, investment strategists, economists, independent consultants and practitioners - from around the world. Each offers their best, high conviction ideas around contemporary and emerging portfolio constructions issues and strategies, in the context of the program theme.

Knowledge Domain:   Strategies

The Forum’s subject matter focus is on our five Knowledge Domains – Strategies, Markets, Investing, Finology and Philosophy. As its name implies, Strategies Conference is focused primarily on our “Strategies” knowledge domain.

Strategies - designing quality investment portfolios to meet defined objectives
Robust contemporary strategies are at the heart of quality investment portfolios capable of meeting investors’ long-term objectives, in both accumulation and decumulation. Strategies encompasses investment objectives and constraints, asset allocation, currency management, selecting and blending specific investments, portfolio risk management, the implementation framework and the evaluation framework, all documented in an Investment Policy Statement.

This year’s theme:   You can do anything, just not everything!

Strategies Conference 2023 will challenge and refresh your portfolio construction thinking, as we debate investment strategies to help you build better quality investor portfolios.

Today, as practitioners continue to navigate the structural shift to an inflationary, higher interest rate investment regime in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, it stands to reason that portfolio strategies must continue to evolve from what worked in the prior “lower for longer” regime. We must think through which portfolio construction strategies remain fit for purpose, which are no longer appropriate, and which new strategies should be adopted.

But, common wisdom also warns us against throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Prioritising the most important changes to make to investment objectives, asset allocation, currency management, manager selection and blending, and risk management is key – because you can do anything, just not everything!

Program structure

Like all our continuing education programs, Strategies Conference is an integrated learning program with preparation, participation and review.

Before - Prepare

To maximise learning, you are provided with pre-reading aimed at boosting your knowledge and getting you thinking about the issues to be addressed in the program. The preparation is assumed prior knowledge.

During - Participate

The program is designed and curated by our specialist, experienced and independent team, to connect directly with the aim, the Strategies Knowledge, Domain and this year’s theme. It is comprised of the 9.5-hour Critical Issues Forum (plenary) program and 2.5-hour Special Interests Forum (elective) program. In these, our Faculty of 40+ leading investment thinkers from around the world - portfolio managers, CIOs, senior investment analysts, investment strategists, economists, independent consultants and practitioners - offer their best high conviction ideas on contemporary and emerging portfolio construction issues and strategies, in the context of the program theme.

It’s not just a talk-fest. You are challenged to decide whether you agree or disagree with each high conviction thesis presented, which ones you’ll investigate further, and which you’ll put into practice when building investor portfolios. And, Practitioners have the option of attending a complimentary, interactive, in-person, post-program Implementation Workshop led by consulting firm, InvestSense, immediately following Strategies Conference 2023 to further draw together the key takeouts from the program, and the practical implications for client portfolios. Complimentary to all Practitioners who attend Strategies Conference, a separate registration link will be provided.

The full program will be available in late. Meanwhile, check out Strategies Conference 2022 on demand.

After - Review

After the live program, your learning continues. Videos of all presentations are available within a few hours of them live streaming for delegates to view on demand. The full microsite for each session - a page per presentation featuring sync’d video and slides, podcast, presentation slides and paper(s) and CE quiz - are available within four weeks. So you can revisit the sessions you attended, “attend” the sessions you didn’t catch at the live program (and earn further CE hours), and review your key takeouts and implications to determine actions to take to build better quality investor portfolios.

By registering for Portfolio Construction Forum Strategies Conference 2023 (the “Program”), you agree you have read, understood and agree to be bound by our Portfolio Construction Forum Program Terms and Conditions and the registration inclusions described below.

Practitioner registration

Before registering using these links, please check whether you meet our Practitioner definition below.

• Live studio:   A$395+GST   Register now
  Mix and network face-to-face with Faculty and fellow delegates by joining us at our studio at the University of New South Wales campus. Live studio registration includes:  one individual attending the Program on Wednesday 23 August and Thursday 24 August 2023 as part of the main studio audience at UNSW including: on Wednesday 23 August, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and networking drinks in the Cafe with all delegates; on Thursday 24 August, and morning tea and lunch in the Cafe with all delegates; and, online on demand access to the Program webcasts published after the program. Any costs related to attending the program including but not limited to travel, accommodation, and parking are not included. The registration fee is A$ ex-GST per person.
• Live stream:   A$395+GST   Register now
  Attend at your desk via live stream, from wherever you wish. Live stream registration includes one individual attending the Program live online on Wednesday 23 August and Thursday 24 August 2023 via the live stream broadcast, as well as online on demand access to the Program webcasts published after the program. Any costs related to attending the Program, including but not limited to an adequate internet connection to watch the live stream are not included. The registration fee is A$ ex-GST per person.

Advocate registration options

We also welcome Advocates attending and have a range of registration options available. For more information, please contact us.

Are you a Practitioner or Advocate?

Practitioners

Practitioners are those whose primary day-to-day role is focused within the spectrum of issues involved in designing and building multi-asset, multi-manager investment portfolios (i.e. using but not necessarily limited to managed funds from a range of firms), AND who work a financial advisory, fund research, investment consulting, family office, funds management, superannuation, private fund, endowment fund or investment platform business including:

• investment advisers giving investment advice on multi-manager, multi-asset funds to individual investors;
• fund researchers;
• investment consultants consulting on multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios;
• portfolio managers designing, building and managing multi-manager investment portfolios; and/or,
• members of investment committees that oversee multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios and/or funds.

Advocates

If our Practitioner definition (above) doesn’t describe your primary day-to-day role, then you’re an Advocate. Advocates include business and non-investment professionals from any firm. We recognise and respect the invaluable role of Advocates and welcome them attending, too. However to retain a primary focus on Practitioners, we tightly manage to a 5:1 ratio of Practitioners to Advocates attending the program.