Got FOMO? What you missed at the 2023 Annual Advisor Conference
AgencyONE wrapped up an amazing Annual Advisor Conference, April 30 – May 2 at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, DC. We are pleased to say that this year was our largest and most well-attended meeting to date. We welcomed existing AgencyONE 100 Advisors and many new advisors who recently joined our AgencyONE 100 community. We heard leading speakers and industry experts discuss topics important to you, your clients, and your business.
This year’s gathering was further proof that face-to-face meetings are still very relevant and far superior to virtual for imparting information, fostering networking, and encouraging collaboration!
High Praise for the Theme, Speakers & Content
We missed those of you who could not attend our Annual Conference. The advisors that did attend commented that the theme of the meeting – Adapt, Change, or Disappear – really highlighted the post-COVID era in which we now do business. Furthermore, they reported that the speakers were top notch and the sessions were relevant, valuable, and reinforced the necessity to stay abreast of changes in the industry, technology, economics, regulation, AND demographics.
Early Bird Session
As in years past, the conference kicked off with an Early Bird session. This year we focused on important developments in technology and featured speakers discussing new platforms designed to change an advisor’s practice by helping clients track their financial future (Currence), connect purpose with planning (Corenology), and purchase term insurance through their advisor’s website (The Vive Client Portal). All of these technologies help you meet your clients “where they are”.
The Theme of the Conference – Adapt, Change, or Disappear
AgencyONE Managing Partner Gonzalo Garcia officially opened the conference with a WELCOME and discussed the industry’s current inflection point and the ongoing change that must happen for our businesses to continue to thrive and grow. AgencyONE is embracing change. We were pleased to announce new production credits for our AgencyONE 100 Advisors. For more info about this please contact AgencyONE. We look forward to offering and facilitating Study Groups, participation in High Performance Collaborative Teams, and Business Owner Exit Planning events – all designed to offer you more business opportunities.
A Variety of Speakers & Topics to Support the Theme
Our annual conference focused on important information our advisors can use NOW to help them adapt to the ongoing changes in the industry, technology, and their client base. The speakers and presentations provided an in-depth look at all aspects of the industry. We heard from experts on cutting-edge industry technologies; the CEO of an IMO, leadership in distribution for a carrier, and an industry watchdog; fellow AgencyONE 100 advisors; experts in advanced, specialty, and business owner markets; a well-known estate planner; industry and product analysts; and underwriters. Linked here is a copy of the 2023 conference agenda and following is a list of the meeting sessions and speakers. The speaker presentations are available ONLY to AgencyONE 100 advisors via your Advisor Dashboard on the AgencyONE website (if available for distribution).
Early Bird Session: New Technologies Poised to Change Your Practice: Currence, Corenology, & the Vive Client Portal
Vince D’Addona, MSFS, ChFC, CExP, RICP, AEP, Strategies for Wealth
David York, JD, CPA, Managing Partner, York Howell
Luke Bava, Vive Specialist, Broker’s Service Marketing Group
Adapt, Change or Disappear: New Tools & a New Mindset for A Changing Marketplace
David York, JD, CPA, Managing Partner, York Howell
State of the Financial Services Profession: A Panel Discussion
Bill Shelow, CLU, ChFC, CPCU, LLIF, President & CEO, LIBRA
Lisa Todd, Head of Life & DI Distribution, Mass Mutual Strategic Distributors
Jeff Ricchetti, JD, President, Ricchetti, Inc., FINSECA
Changing the Way You Work with Centers of Influence – An Advisor Playbook
Ralph Adamo, ChFC, CLU, President & CEO, Integrity Wealth Management
Selling to Promote Efficiency, Not to Solve for the Deficiency
Lucian Ioja, Financial Advisor & Founder, ORIS Wealth
The Life Income Plan for Professionals, Business Owners, & Higher Income Wage Earners
Christian Kaplan, CFA, Head of Specialty Markets, Equitable
Bobby Samuelson Like You Have Never Heard Him Before
Bobby Samuelson, Executive Editor, Life Product Review, President & CEO, Life Innovators
Underwriting in the Age of COVID, AI, & Disruptive Industry Change
Dennis Bartos, PA, Partner & Chief Underwriter, AgencyONE
Julie Melendez, Director of Underwriting, AgencyONE
Breakfast Session: Opportunities with Annuities, DI, & Life Settlements
Craig Baumgartner, RICP, Annuities Specialist, AgencyONE
Paul Mercado, The Eugene Cohen Insurance Agency
Drew Grifo & Stephen Ruggieri, Co-Founders & Principals, Commonwealth Capital Brokerage
The Booming Qualified Plan Market
Lucas Benson, EA, ACA, MSEA, VP Operations & Seior Enrolled Actuary, SAI Retirement, Security Mutual Life
The Business Owner Market: Turning Hard Assets into Investable Assets & Insurance Opportunities
Fletcher Brown, President, Kalamath Consulting Group
Mark Householder, SVP Business Solutions, Principal Financial Group
Sunrise or Sunset? Estate Planning as we Approach 2026
Alan Brown, JD, Partner, Hunter Maclean
An Advanced Markets Potpourri
Carly Brooks, JD, CFP, CLU, Head of Advanced Markets Individual Life Operations, John Hancock Insurance
Brett Berg, JD, LL.M., ClU, ChFC, VP Advanced Planning, Individual Solutions Group, Prudential Financial
We Had Fun Too!
Besides the fabulous meeting sessions, we also had some fun! We enjoyed a Welcome Reception at the hotel followed by carrier dine-arounds at a variety of local Dupont Circle restaurants (thank you to all of our carrier sponsors for hosting our AgencyONE 100 advisors). We hosted an excellent conference reception and dinner at Teddy & the Bully Bar not far from the hotel where we enjoyed the Cocktails with Case Managers event! Each of our Case Managers had a designated table sponsored by a Carrier Partner. The event also featured a “Guess Who” game – centered around our Case Managers – which was a hit! Our advisors enjoyed the focused time with and opportunity to meet their Case Manager in person. During dinner, we shared ideas, talked and collaborated, and afterward even had some late-night cocktails in the Doyle Bar at the Dupont Circle Hotel.
If you missed this meeting and would like to learn more about what was presented, please let us know. If you have questions about how to access the presentations or any of the speakers, please let us know. And if you are not working with AgencyONE and either want to learn more, have a case you would like to discuss, or want to be included in future AgencyONE events, please let us know.
Contact AgencyONE’s Marketing Department at 301.803.7500 for more information or to discuss a case.
