AFA Conference: Firmly focused on consumers

Brad Fox – CEO – AFA

In line with its Age of Consumers 2013 focus, the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) is currently preparing a consumer-centric program for its national Conference in October.

AFA CEO, Brad Fox, said the one constant theme underlying the significant regulatory change the industry has confronted over the last few years, has been a focus on consumers and acting in their best interests. “The objectives of the conference are to build a bridge between the pre-FoFA world and a new way of operating in the post-FoFA world,” he said.

Steve Crawford, Chair of the AFA Conference Committee, said the conference will provide advisers with the tailored information they require in order to meet the needs of increasingly savvy consumers, at each stage of their lives.

“This year we are framing the conference from a fresh perspective,” Mr Crawford said. “In the past, conference stream sessions have been designed around providing education to advisers based upon particular types of advice or products. This year, we are focusing conference streams on the types of consumers and their specific needs and then providing education to advisers that will help them meet those needs. It’s a subtle, but very important distinction.”

The conference program will therefore feature four client-centric streams – Generations X and Y, pre-retirees, retirees and small business owners. As in previous years, there will also be a stream specifically for licensees.

“Our speakers this year will tailor their presentations to address how advisers can service the unique sets of goals, objectives and challenges of each stream,” Mr Crawford said. “It is primarily about placing the client at the centre of the discussion.”

Each stream will run sessions around traditional topics such as investment and insurance strategy but these will be targeted to each demographic.

“This means advisers will know that if they are going to a Generations X and Y investment session, for example, there is no risk they will have to listen to strategies built around retirement products,” Mr Crawford said. “Presenters will take a deep view of the demographic and construct the presentation around the specific set of goals, objectives and challenges that are unique to that client segment.”

The conference will also feature a best practice component. “That’s about having the AFA’s best and brightest advisers, those who have a history in leading the industry in a particular demographic, get up and talk about how they attract, retain and service that demographic,” Mr Crawford said.

Mr Fox said the AFA’s approach this year is all about being true to label.

“We are making sure that the content of everything we put on the table, whether it’s a main plenary session, workshop, breakfast or stream break out, is helping advisers understand their target market and what it takes to provide that market with an outstanding advice experience, including appropriate strategy,” he said.

Mr Fox said the AFA is committed to working hard to retain the AFA Conference’s reputation as the leading Australian conference for financial advice professionals by successfully combining a cutting edge education programme with the unique sense of community enjoyed at all AFA conferences.

“One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we have had about AFA conferences is that they offer delegates a powerful community experience,” he said. “In the post-FOFA environment this sense of community is more important than it has ever been and with just 180 days to go, advisers should be reserving the dates in their calendars now.”
 
The AFA expects good growth on the 800 plus delegates and 80 exhibitors who attended the 2012 conference. The 2013 AFA national Conference will be held at Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast from 12-15 October.