Featuring Special Guest Cass McCrory

Cass McCrory is a sought after marketing strategist, speaker, and trainer advising large enterprises and start-ups as they take their message and products to their target audience. Cass is passionate about doing work and life with great intention and that intentionality leads to success for projects and most importantly for people.

Clients include Accenture, Microsoft, Accumen, Avanade, and solo entrepreneurs making their mark on the world. She has been featured in Oprah Magazine, a guest on The Lively Show and Creative Superhero and is host of her own podcast Real Women in Business. Based in Rochester, NY Cass has 4 ridiculously cute kids and 2 dogs with her husband George and a love of photography and the moon.

Follow along in business: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cass-mccrory/

Follow along personally: https://www.instagram.com/cassmccrory/

Real Women in Business Podcast: http://realwomeninbusiness.com/

Daily Dose of Intention: https://cassmccrory.com/

With the recent increase to $75mm, Reg A is finally finding a place in the real estate alternatives space. Hear why bond products are working and what the current structures are. How do they help investors and sponsors fulfill their current needs. Why are equity programs still an issue and will they come?

Moderator: Rhys James, Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank
Participants: Ray Davis, Red Oak Capital Management; Matt Leiter, Trilogy Real Estate Group; Myra Nicholson, International Assets Advisors

Not all BDCs are the same! There are numerous structures and types of assets found in today's BDCs. This panel will discuss all of the different ways that your client can invest in the credit markets available in today's world.

Moderator: Larry Goff, S2K Financial
Participants: Joseph Roth, Prospect Capital Management; Glenn Duffy, Steele Creek Capital; Daniel Wolfe, Snyder Kearney; Sherri Cooke, iCapital Network

This session will identify detailed aspects of alternative investments. We will examine typical varieties of offering structures and corresponding related potential benefits and risks associate with investments in alts. Examples of topics covered will be the investment process of sales, suitability and required disclosures. Panelists will identify how certain rules and regulations apply to the various types of offerings and why due diligence is an absolute critical part of the process to identify potential risks. Alternative investments cover a wide variety of industry sectors including, but not limited to, real estate, energy, equipment and commercial debt. Because they have a low correlation to traditional asset classes, they provide an excellent diversification to a portfolio heavy in stocks when positioned correctly. Generally speaking, alts are traditionally illiquid and difficult to value; thus, considered a riskier proposition, but they absolutely have their place in an investment portfolio. This session will also address the legal, tax and regulatory issues surrounding alt offerings with some of the best minds in the industry!

Facilitator: Greg Mausz, Preferred Capital Securities
Presenters: Mike Bendix, DFPG Investments; Angela Barbera, NexPoint Securities; Colin Cosgrove, Inland Securities Corporation

Alternative investments have been popular in the broker-dealer community for many years, but are now gaining traction with advisors in the RIA channel as well. This panel will discuss which investment types are most appropriate for fee-based advisors, as well as addressing the challenges created by Reg BI. Join this panel of experts from four different product types as they debate these important issues for an expanding distribution channel.

Moderator: David Johan, Doceo Wealth
Participants: Greg Mausz, Preferred Capital Securities; Merriah Harkins, GWG; Zach Forman, Griffin Capital Company

In this session, we will examine prior cases involving fraud that occurred in certain alternative investments products and the common facts/themes within these cases. This session will also discuss due diligence best practices that can be used by ADISA's members to identify companies and/or product structures that present higher levels of misconduct risk. This session is a "must see" for due diligence personnel and those that sit on investment committees that approve platform products.

Facilitator: Brad Updike, Mick | Law
Presenters: Dana Woodbury, Buttonwood Financial Services; Daniel Wolfe, Snyder Kearney

This session will be educating and updating the attendees on the progress of a true digital account on-boarding experience. More than five years ago, the discussion began of how a true digital experience would advance the alternative investment space. The benefits around reduction of NIGOs, the speed of transaction, creating the latest dynamically generated document and the raw data used by other systems. That discussion went from an idea, to a prototype, and now live platforms currently supporting business today. The challenges associated with moving paper documents during 2020 reinforced the need for this technology to conduct business.

Moderator: Mike Huisman, UMB Bank
Participants: Ned Montenecourt, Phoenix American Financial Services; Joseph Ujobai, Alternative Investment Exchange; Tom Fortin, iCapital Network; Mat Dellorso, WealthForge

Protecting Retail Investors: Common Goals Between Regulators and Alts Industry

Facilitator: Thomas Rosenfield, HillStaffer
Speaker: Joseph Borg, Alabama Securities Commission; Former Chair and President, NASAA

In this session, we will talk about the content rules that apply to the marketing and advertising of alternative investment products. The session will examine FINRA Conduct Rule 2210 and the provisions that "most affect" the sales of alternative investments. We will also closely examine the common mistakes that have been made in relation to the marketing of alternative investments, as well as practices that ADISA's broker-dealer members can use to achieve full compliance with these rules. This session is targeted for advisors and reps that sell alternative investments and compliance personnel that review and approval of retail communications.

Moderator: Jason Kjellson, Versity Investments
Participants: Howard Hirsch, Griffin Capital Company; Carrie Wisniewski, B/D Compliance Associates; 

A live tax return walk through of a 1031 exchange from start to finish! We will show the various forms, what actually gets reported, what doesn't get reported, how to calculate new basis, and explore the implications of a full cycle program. The session will end looking at "rolling" from one DST into a new DST, particularly when it involves multiple properties. The session is not meant to make you a tax preparer but designed to give you basic knowledge of the process and tax reporting of a 1031 exchange.

Speaker: Mark Kosanke, Concorde Financial Services
Presenter: Bill Winn, Starboard Realty Advisors

Learn about how development offerings can provide a unique opportunity for investors by positioning a piece of their portfolio in a growth investment. We'll examine opportunities in real estate with respect to developing in a few different asset classes, product structure and how they can benefit investors from a growth, income and tax perspective.

Moderator: Cecil Phillips, Place Properties
Participant: Bill Shopoff, Shopoff Realty Investments; William Leitner, Leitbox Storage

It's been almost a year since highly anticipated Regulation Best Interest became effective. Come hear how industry participants have fared in the first year of implementation. Get some tricks of the trade for you and your associated persons and answers to your most pressing questions.

Moderator: Tom Voekler, Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank
Participants: Kyle Kadish, Advantage Wealth Solutions; Nick Duren, Crescent Securities; Walt Parker, Titan Securities

• In-depth analysis of the preferred stock structure and how it benefits investors
• Due diligence best practices for selling firms and financial representatives
• Diversification benefits in an investor's portfolio
• Why would investors want to own preferred stock?
• What are the potential pitfalls of preferred stock?
• How does the underlying real estate affect preferred stock?

Moderator: Jacob Heidkamp, FactRight
Participants: Eric Graber, Preferred Capital Securities; John Sabey, Gladstone Companies; Dustin Zachmeyer, Bluerock

For the past year, the entire business world has been functioning very differently than at any other time in history. The challenges with employees working from home, buildings locked down and the overall disruption in business, many companies had to quickly adapt to the challenges they faced to continue to conduct business. During that time, several new practices were put in place that replaced how business was run and procedures were handled. The group will share some of the challenges, solutions and what this experience will do for the future working model.

Moderator: Angie Fisher, CIM Group
Participant: Mike Huisman, UMB Bank; Dan Breen, Great Lakes Fund Solutions; Ned Montenecourt, Phoenix American Financial Services

National Political Correspondent, NPR
Contributor & Panelist, Fox News Channel

"The Changing Face of American Politics"

Read more here

This session will discuss current macro- and micro-level issues, trends, risks and opportunities in private equity/debt. A particular focus will be on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected sourcing and underwriting opportunities, changes to investment structure, and how due diligence has adapted to the new investment landscape.

Presenters: Grant Mathey, Mick | Law; Tony Alexander, Great Oak Funding

The new wave of '40 Act Alternative Investments have promised greater transparency, higher liquidity profiles, lower fees, lower minimums, wider investment mandates and greater share-class flexibility among other benefits. This panel of '40 Act sponsors and broker-dealers discuss if the industry is delivering on these promises and examine areas for continued improvement. The panel will also debate what investment strategies and asset classes are ideal for a '40 Act structure when compared to purely open-ended and non-traded structures. Looking to the future, panelists will offer their opinion on how these funds are positioned to navigate a potential economic recession in the future.

Moderator: Micah Jordan, NexPoint Securities
Participants: Randy Anderson, PhD, Griffin Capital Company; Colin McGinnis, Prospect Capital; Chris Shepherdson, Liberty Street Advisors

This session discusses challenges and concerns that an RIA must consider when working with alternative products and how the appropriate disclosures and fees may be required and possibly different from a broker-dealer or an augmentation if one is a hybrid RIA. Additional discussion will be around various fees structures for alternative products and how an RIA could handle them.

Participants: Rajeev Kotyan, Innovative Advisory Group; David Johan, Doceo Wealth

A discussion on marketing alternative investments to retail clients and how to communicate effectively while keeping in step with FINRA's ever-changing guidance. We'll examine some best practices, as well as lessons learned, and dig into why it is important for all parties to be invested in compliant advertising material.

Presenters: Nate Romero, Clir Capital; Lynn Lawson, Advertising Regulatory Consulting; Myra Nicholson, International Assets Advisory; Lori DeLuna, Concorde Investment Services; Rob Kaplan, Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank

In this session, we will examine the importance of understanding how prior performance should fit into the evaluations of sponsors and products. This session will take a close look at certain sponsors within the alternative investment sector that have performed well and the common attributes among those sponsors. This session will also look at common facts and themes that have been observed among sponsors/products that have fallen short of performance expectations. This session is targeted to many groups of attendees, including those that sell alternative investments to retail investors and those that review and approve products for sale to such investors.

Moderator: Mike Kell, iCapital Network
Participants: Daniel Oschin, Shopoff Realty Investments; Tom Hille, JRL Capital Corporation; David Sengstock, Mick | Law

The panel will go in-depth as to the opportunities and headwinds facing cannibis, crypto and ESG funds and investing. What are the current trends and opportunities? Where are the pitfalls and reuglatory issues? The panel will go in depth to cover all aspects of importance to sponsors and distributors.

Moderator: Rick Chess, Crescent Securities
Participants: Adam Dooley, Alliance160; James Richmond, e2comply; Christian Heyer, IGF Partners

Are you ready to answer questions from your clients about what impacting investing is and is not? What's the difference between ESG and impact investing? Can you actually make money and do good? What are some impact themes that are being invested in today? Come hear the current trends and why impact investments are gaining such momentum with an active dialogue from two different perspectives: 1) sourcing and structuring successful funds, and 2) building an infrastructure to support efficient, responsible and sustainable growth. This trend is here to stay and we hope to introduce what will be an ongoing series of discussions on impact investing.

Presenters: Jeff Shafer, CommonGood Capital; Nick Veronis, iCapital Network

As broker-dealers and RIAs expand their alternatives platforms with new products to meet their clients' various needs, the choices between the different offering structures, Reg A, Reg D 506(b) and 506(c) can seem complex. In this session, you will learn the benefits to the broker-dealer and RIA of each offering structures, and how the permissible marketing associated with each can expand your business as well as the supervisory and compliance hot buttons that need to be kept in mind. We will examine how to market to prospects efficiently and effectively within the regulatory guidelines. Can you attract a new prospect via Reg A+, then sell?

Moderator: Nick Duren, Crescent Securities
Participants: Ray Davis, Red Oak Capital Management; Rob Kaplan, Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank; Karlton Kleis, Arete Wealth Management

What can opportunity zone investors expect from post-COVID market conditions? And how have qualified opportunity funds evolved since program inception? Discussion of post-COVID market conditions and the overall investment environment for opportunity zone investors.

Moderator: Jimmy Atkinson, OpportunityDB
Participants: Matthew Iak, U.S. Energy Development Corporation; Erik Hayden, Urban Catalyst; Greg Genovese, USG Realty Capital

Sponsored by Trilogy Real Estate Group

Overview on energy topics to be covered: What does the current landscape look like? Costs have/are bottoming out, so can we generate returns as they start to reflect increased activity? We feature discussion about a paradigm shift by the majors and other publicly traded independents, and what this means for competition? What are the best investment strategies going forward amid such factors as regulatory risk, etc.? Is there still good opportunity to be had?

Moderator: Michelle Galeski, Mewbourne Energy
Participants: Matthew Iak, U.S. Energy Development Corporation; Craig Merkt, Calton & Associates; Chris Spence, Mewbourne Oil Company

We are over a year into the pandemic and subsequent event-driven recession, and a lot has changed. One thing that has not changed is that alternative investments are uniquely structured to potentially benefit and stabilize client portfolios during a major market disruption. This panel will have a dual focus. First, we will discuss best practices for managing communications with clients invested through the pandemic. During the primary focus of the panel, we will share ideas for positioning alternative investment programs in client portfolios going forward.

Moderator: Dustin Zachmeyer, Bluerock
Participants: Corey Maple, Legendary Capital; Rick Murphy, Berthel Fisher & Company; Scott Street, Griffin Capital Company

Due diligence, marketing and distribution of investment products to RIAs have different characteristics than traditional IBD distribution. This session will explore the process RIAs typically follow in product evaluation and what best practices are for introducing and placing product solution with RIAs.

Moderator: John Oldham, Concierge for Advisors
Participants: Steve Blum, Strategic Wealth Planning; Rob Woomer, Peachtree Hotel Group; Fred Baerenz, AOG Wealth Management; Mike Mahoney, Bonaventure

Discussion of the primary categories that impact RIAs looking to allocate to Alts – operations, technology, and due diligence/investment sourcing.

Coordinator: Craig Covington, DAI Securities

ADISA’s grassroots broker-dealer group engages in important peer discussion. This session will feature Lynn Lawson, recently retired from FINRA, for Q&A, along with discussion with Ann Moore and other experts on topics important to the group.

Coordinator: Ann Moore, International Assets Advisory

Hot topics affecting sponsors discussed from the sponsor perspective.

Coordinator: Linda Cobelo, Preferred Capital Securities