As someone who will speak at more than 60 conferences this year, I've participated in nearly every major conference available for financial planners. Given that there are so many conferences, though, it can be incredibly difficult for most advisors to select the right conference for themselves each year, and I am often asked for recommendations about what I think the "best conferences" are to attend.
Accordingly, I've started to craft my own annual list of what I would view as the best-in-class conferences for financial planners (in the US, at least!). Of course the reality is that what constitutes "the best" depends on the kind of content you're looking for, so I break down this year's list into several key categories: Best Technical Content, Best for Advisor Technology, Best Investment Management, Best for Advanced Practitioners, Best Overall Value, Best Virtual Conference, Best Practice Management, and Best Overall Financial Planning Conference.
Of course, the reality is that the conference season isn't even over yet for 2013; nonetheless, as we head into the fall, it's time to start planning for next year. So I hope you find this list (and some of the details it includes for getting discounts!) useful for you to use as your own guide in setting your conference budget and selecting events to attend for yourself and/or your staff for 2014!