Ritholtz, Advisor Circle Execs Plan ‘SXSW-Like’ Wealth Festival
It includes no pay-to-play presentations and involves four hotels and outdoor space in Huntington Beach, California.
Josh Brown and Barry Ritholtz of Ritholtz Wealth Management, together with Advisor Circle co-founders Matt Middleton, John Swolfs and Matt Hougan — all three former executives of InsideETFs — are launching a new type of in-person event for the wealth industry.
Future Proof is “a festival on the future of wealth” to be held Sept. 11-14, 2022, in Huntington Beach, California, according to the founders. “Think of it as a SXSW-like experience for the wealth industry,” said Middleton, CEO of Advisor Circle, in a statement. “Our goal for Future Proof is to connect and inspire a diverse community building a vision of wealth that is more exciting, inclusive, tech-enabled and forward thinking.”
“The wealth ecosystem is changing,” said Josh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, in a statement. “If you want to stay relevant, you have to be tech-forward and ready to leverage evolving cultural trends.”
The event will bring together financial advisors, institutional and individual investors, asset managers and fintech startups as well as activists, artists and musicians at a venue involving four hotels in downtown Huntington Beach as well as half-mile long outdoor space on the coast that will include exhibits as well as built-out stages for presentations, discussions and entertainment, according to Middleton.
“It’s a first-of-a-kind immersive city-wide experience” covering “everything from networking to the experience of differentiated content,” Middleton tells ThinkAdvisor. “It’s built to push companies and people past their comfort zone, to be creative, collaborative and leading to action afterward.” In contrast, after most traditional industry conferences you “go home and don’t remember anything,” added Middleton.
Also unlike most industry conferences, there will be no “pay-to-play” speaking opportunities.
The cost to attend is $150 for advisors and investors, but Brown on Wednesday announced on Twitter that Future Proof was giving away 300 free registrations for financial advisors, first come, first serve. (They were all claimed that day.)
Tickets for attendees from broker-dealers, family offices, startup companies, asset managers and others range from nearly $700 to nearly $3,000.