FPA moves annual conference online

The association joins large wealth management firms, like LPL Financial and Schwab, in hosting virtual gatherings during the pandemic

The Financial Planning Association will host its annual conference online next month, joining other financial firms and trade groups in avoiding large in-person gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FPA meeting will now take place digitally from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2. It had been scheduled for the Phoenix Convention Center.

The organization, which calls the conference “the largest annual gathering of certified financial planners,” said participants will be able to tune into an array of sessions and earn continuing education credits. Financial professionals can register online.

“It’s more imperative than ever that financial planners advance their knowledge and build connections to help them sustain and build their practices and meet the needs of clients during these uncertain times,” FPA president Martin C. Seay said in a statement. “In spite of challenges we’ve faced as a result of the pandemic, I’m excited the financial planning community will be able to come together digitally to have thought-provoking conversations, share experiences and discover new ideas so we can change the tomorrows of our members and those they serve.”

State securities regulators also have moved their annual conference online next month online. The North American Securities Administrators Association will install a new president — Lisa Hopkins, West Virginia senior deputy commissioner of securities — and offer panels on regulatory and enforcement developments on Sept. 1 and Sept. 2.

The FPA and NASAA are the latest organizations to go virtual for their annual meetings. They follow LPL Financial, Morningstar and Charles Schwab Corp., among others, who also opted for digital gatherings.