What a week! I’m finally catching my breath after three action-packed, high-energy days in Las Vegas for the Exchange ETF conference. With more than 1,500 of the brightest minds in finance descending on the Vegas Strip, the atmosphere was electric. The ETF community knows how to work hard and have some fun while doing it.
The Sunday Warm-Up
The energy was high right from the jump on Sunday afternoon. Hundreds of advisors and industry insiders gathered to “get smarter” before the main stage even opened. I found myself bouncing between tracks to soak it all in—from ethics training and deep-dive due diligence for advisors to masterclasses on communicating with the press for asset managers.
A personal Sunday highlight? Watching Chris Murphy (T. Rowe Price) and Paul Baiocchi (SS&C ALPS) join my VettaFi colleague Sebastian Jakob to break down the “then vs. now” of ETF launching. It’s a different world than it was five years ago, and the insights were gold.
Monday: Models, Markets, and... Puppies?
Monday morning kicked off with a bang. My colleague Cinthia Murphy and I took to the stage to share the advisor sentiment data we’ve been tracking at VettaFi, showing exactly how those trends shaped this year’s agenda. From there, it was a whirlwind of moderating. Cinthia tackled building model portfolios in a volatile environment with BlackRock and JPMorgan, while I had the privilege of interviewing SEC Commissioner Peirce on the future of product innovation.
I closed out my morning on stage with State Street Investment Management and Apollo Group discussing the topic of the year – private credit. But it wasn’t all markets; I made sure to squeeze in some fun in the afternoon. I hit the court to shoot free throws for World Central Kitchen (together, we raised over $15,000!) and took a much-needed mental health break at the puppy play station. Don’t worry, there were sessions going on led by my colleagues on active fixed income and thematic strategies
Tuesday: Going for Gold and Exploring Alternatives
Tuesday kept the momentum rolling. I moderated two fantastic sessions: one on the resurgence of active equity with Cohen & Steers and Davis Advisors, and another diving into the gold market with the experts at State Street Investment Management.
I also caught a fascinating session on reshaping portfolios with alternatives. Christopher Getter (Simplify) hit the nail on the head, noting that the “alternatives bucket” is really about the ability to diversify exposures. He highlighted tools like the Simplify Private Credit Strategy ETF (PCR) and the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF (CTA ) as key diversifiers in this environment.
The Grand Finale
To wrap up the content, the legendary Kara Swisher sat down with Bob Pisani for a fireside chat that could have easily gone on for hours. As word spread, the room packed out to hear them riff on AI, prediction markets, and tech icons.
Of course, we couldn’t leave Vegas without a party. The closing bash landed on St. Patrick’s Day, providing the ultimate backdrop for the community to toast to a successful week. I’m incredibly proud to work with the VettaFi team that brought this event to life.
Were you there in the crowd with us? If you have feedback or a favorite moment, I’d love to hear it. Reach out and let me know what you thought at VettaFi Contact Us.
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