Success Forum 2002: It’s all about balance

At Success Forum Australia 2002, delegates will discover the laid-back style of previousFPAconventions is now a thing of the past.

The convention format has been reshuffled into a shorter and more focused two-day program instead of the more relaxed three-day format delegates are accustomed to.

FPA convention chair Peeyush Gupta says that although the actual face-to-face time of the convention hasn’t changed, the more intense two-day format will direct the convention back to a more business oriented event.

“Over the years it has alternated from a more relaxed, social convention to a business convention and this will be more back to business,” Gupta says.

The FPA’s decision to reformat the convention was based on feedback from delegates, as well as consideration of the organising committee’s practical needs.

It was decided a more efficient format would free up the weekend for delegates and mean that interstate visitors would not have to book an extra night’s accommodation.

“The biggest thing that financial planners and fund managers are lacking is time, so we are giving some time back to them,” Gupta says.

The main theme of the convention this year will be balance, with organisers trying to integrate elements of both business and self-development into the two-day program.

“There will be elements of professional, personal, business and social development,” Gupta says.

He says the professional development of delegates will be covered by technical instruction in areas such as tax, risk and portfolio structuring, while business development will be delivered through insights into practice management and business marketing.

To this end, a series of specialised workshops for individuals such as risk writers and paraplanners were held the day before the convention, for those unable to attend the convention itself.

Gupta adds that the personal development of delegates will be achieved through motivational and goal-oriented speakers, while social development aims will be met through social events — such as the gala dinner — running over the two days.

This year’s convention also focuses on networking. Apart from the expected social functions, organisers have created a meeting place at the venue where over 10 of the most influential speakers will congregate after their presentations to meet other people from the industry.

Gupta says there will be representatives from all sections of the industry at the convention, with only 60 per cent of the 2,200 delegates expected to be financial planners.

“That is the majority of delegates, but the industry has lots of participants, so we want to see them all involved,” he says.

Though there are similarities between the FPA’s annual convention and its Certified Financial Planner (CFP) conference, which is traditionally held in May, Gupta says each caters for a different market. The annual convention has a distinctly broader mandate.

“At the end of the day, the CFP conference is for senior and experienced advisers. The FPA convention is much broader, including all of the support people, compliance people, juniors and administration staff.”

Gupta expects the convention will be an effective opportunity for advisers to develop themselves and their business while being part of an increasingly important industry.

“The fact that Prime Minister John Howard will be opening the convention is a testimony to the importance of the industry today,” he says.