PAA

Don’t miss the adviser event of the year

Last year's joint IFA/PAA conference was well-attended.

Together Towards Tomorrow, the National Advisers Conference 2016, will be held at Sky City in Auckland, July 28 and 29. We spoke to CEO of the Professional Advisers Association, Rod Severn, about the event and what advisers can expect.

Q: This is the first year that the conference has been run as an annual event. Why the change?

A: Two years is a long time, and a lot is changing in the adviser space at a rapid pace. The environment advisers operate in today is already different from June 2015 when we held the last conference. Sometimes the change is subtle, sometimes it is loud. Conference is an opportunity to take stock of your business and goals; a breather to prioritise the next big moves.

Q: What in your view is one of the key reasons for attending the conference?

A: Networking, learning, connecting with providers – there are a multitude of reasons to attend Conference. But one of the most valuable things about the conference is the opportunity to step outside of your business. It’s a chance to put the doing down; to glean insights from expert speakers and from other advisers; and then apply those to your business to take the next step – whatever your goals might be.

Q: Who are the keynote speakers?

A: Conference this year will be MC’d by Mike King, and early confirmation of keynote speakers includes Karen Schaeffer, Mai Chen, Dr Oliver Hartwich, Steven Bradbury and Julia Hartley-Moore. It’s a great line-up of business and advice experts, as well as leaders with truly inspiring experiences to share with attendees. There is a lot more information about our international and New Zealand keynote speakers on the Conference website – nationaladvisersconference.co.nz.

Q: You’ve mentioned that the conference programme is a bit different this year...

A: We took a good look at the feedback from the conference last year to inform what we would offer in 2016. A key insight from attendees was that they wanted some sessions to be longer, and more in-depth on specific advice specialties. There is also a range of business skills sessions (technology, relationship development, brand and more), and sessions that delve into personal productivity. It’s a great mix of expertise, business and life.

Q: How can advisers find out more about Conference?

A: Advisers can visit www. nationaladvisersconference.co.nz or call either the PAA or IFA for more information.

Together Towards Tomorrow – Registration dates

Super Early Bird: $575 plus GST - closes March 31, 2016.

Early Bird: $650 plus GST - April 1 to May 31, 2016.

Standard: $725 plus GST - from June 1, 2016.