The annual ADISA (Alternative and Direct Investment Securities Association) conference took place in Las Vegas between October 23-25, 2017.

The conference has continued to grow in recent years and now attracts more than 2000 attendees. As the alternative investment space continues to evolve, we see more participants entering the market with innovative products aimed at providing investors with access to investments that were previously thought to be restricted to institutional investors.  AOG clients will be well-aware of the benefits that alternative investments (a.k.a. portfolio diversifying investments, PDIs) have brought to their portfolios and the ADISA conference once again highlighted the advantage of holding such investments in a portfolio. The spectrum of products available to the retail investor continues to grow as asset classes like Private equity and Private debt become increasingly accessible through reputable sponsors and management firms. Business Development Corporations (BDCs), Non-traded REITs, credit and real estate interval funds, and 1031 Exchange programs are just some of the vehicles that were discussed during the various panel sessions throughout the conference.

This year’s conference also listed two keynote speakers worth mentioning. Former president George W. Bush captured the audience with an entertaining Q & A session, providing a post-presidency perspective on current affairs, life in retirement and a general lookback at his term in office. Roger Ibbotson, famous Professor from Yale, also delivered an insightful presentation about research that he conducted on the popularity premium and the importance of annuities in retirement. Autographed copies of his renowned “Stocks, Bonds, Bills and Inflation” chart were available and I had the opportunity to pose with him in a photo.

All in all, the 2017 ADISA fall conference offered a great opportunity to meet the leaders in the PDI industry and gather some useful insight about the recent advances in this space. As the industry continues to expand and progress, clients of AOG can be assured that their allocations to PDIs will be well informed.