Agenda

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This session will offer a basic understanding of alternative investments, including a definition of the term “alternative,” a description of alternative asset classes, explanations of several alternative investment strategies (including long-short and absolute return) and a description of the various vehicles through which alternative asset classes and strategies may be accessed, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and hedge funds.

» Speaker:
Nadia Papagiannis
Alternative Investment Strategist, Morningstar Inc.

» Speaker: Suzanne Siracuse
VP/Publisher, InvestmentNews

An explanation of the theory of alternative investing, including the distinctions between alternative assets, strategies and vehicles; alternatives and risk management; what institutions have learned from their experience with alternatives; and what portfolio diversification truly entails.

» Speaker:
Gabriel Burstein
Alternative Investment Portfolio Strategist, Former Global Head of Investment Research and Fund Research, Lipper

Recent dynamics in the capital markets have caused many advisers to re-examine their asset allocations. This session will advocate that an active risk-managed approach to portfolio design — which builds on fundamental, geopolitical and macroeconomic analysis, as well as game theory — is superior to static asset allocation, and will explain how implementing such an approach provides better management of macro thematic risks and enables better portfolio design.

» Speaker:
Brian Singer, CFA
Head, Dynamic Strategies Allocation Team, William Blair & Co.

Three money management experts will discuss how various alternative strategies – including long-short, multi-alternative assets and other hedged equity strategies — are implemented in the structure of a 1940-Act mutual fund. Panelists will address the issues of fees, liquidity, how performance differs from hedge funds offering the same strategies and the ways in which mutual funds employing these strategies differ from other investment vehicles employing the same strategies.

» Panelists:
David F. Lafferty, CFA
Senior Vice President, Investment Strategist,
Natixis Global Asset Management – U.S. Distribution

Rick Lake
Founder/PM, Aston/Lake Partners LASSO Alternatives Fund

David Reichart
Head of Business Development, Principal Funds

» Moderator:
Jeff Benjamin
Senior Reporter and Investments Columnist, InvestmentNews

» Panelists:
Brian Haskin
Founder and CEO, Alternative Strategy Partners

KC Nelson

Senior Portfolio Manager, Driehaus Capital Management

Matthew Murphy
Global Fixed-Income Portfolio Specialist, Eaton Vance
Investment Managers

» Moderator:
Evan Cooper
Director of Custom Content and Programming, InvestmentNews

Simon Lack, a 23-year veteran of JPMorgan and a member of its investment committee, is the author of “The Hedge Fund Mirage: The Illusion of Big Money and Why It’s Too Good to Be True.” Now a registered investment adviser, he will debate his skeptical view of hedge fund performance with fund of funds manager and long-time financial adviser Ed Butowsky.

» Panelists:
Ed Butowsky
Managing Partner, Chapwood Capital Investment Management

Simon Lack
Principal and Founder, SL Advisors, LLC

» Moderator:
Evan Cooper
Director of Custom Content and Programming, InvestmentNews

Because commodities tend to be among assets least correlated to the price movement of traditional assets such as equities and bonds, studies have indicated that portfolios composed of traditional asset classes may be subject to less risk and greater return if they contain a broad mix of commodities and commodity-based vehicles including managed futures. This session will explore how managed futures can be used to reduce risk, as well as explain the strategies and asset types used in managed futures and how advisers may use the vehicles in portfolio construction for their clients.

» Panelists:
Ranjan Bhaduri

Chief Research Officer, AlphaMetrix Alternative Asset Advisors

Norman Mains
Managing Director, Chief Risk Officer & Senior Strategist, Forward Management LLC

» Moderator:
Frederick P. Gabriel, Jr.
Editor, InvestmentNews

A record number of non-traded real estate investment trusts have had liquidity events in 2012, some successful, some not. This session will cover the opportunities and risks in non-traded REIT investing, as well as explore the industry’s new directions.

» Panelists:
Nicholas Schorsch

Founder and CEO, American Realty Capital

Anthony Chereso

CEO, FactRight LLC

» Moderator:
Bruce Kelly

Senior Columnist, InvestmentNews

Lunch

Sponsored by:
Keating Capital

An explanation of the advantages and drawbacks of investing in illiquid alternative assets, such as non-traded REITs and oil and gas limited partnerships.

» Panelists:
Mark Goldberg
President, Carey Financial, LLC

Clint Gharib
Director of Managed Products & Insurance, J.P. Turner & Co., LLC

» Moderator:
Evan Cooper
Director of Custom Content and Programming, InvestmentNews

Specialists in portfolio construction will explain how alternatives can be incorporated in advisers’ plans.

» Panelists:
Steve Young

Senior Vice President of Asset Management and CIO, Curian Capital

Victor Zhang

Chief Investment Officer, Wilshire Funds Management

» Moderator:
Jeff Benjamin
Senior Reporter and Investments Columnist, InvestmentNews

Because of the confusion surrounding alternatives — are they an investment class, certain kinds of assets, particular vehicles or strategies? — many investors need adviser assistance to help them understand just what alternative investments are, their place in portfolios and to what degree they should be included in an investment/financial plan. This session will feature three advisers who incorporate alternative investments into their plans and who will discuss how they educate investors about alternative investing.

» Panelists:

Jim Ball

Principal, Ball Financial Services Co.

Carrie Coghill
President/CEO, Coghill Investment Strategies, LLC

Thomas C. Meyer
Chief Executive Officer, Meyer Capital Group

» Moderator:
Jim Pavia
Editorial Director, InvestmentNews