Alternative Investing Summit 2014

The Alternative Investing Summit will bring together trustees and representatives of institutions as well as money managers and consultants to explore the roles of alternative opportunities and strategies. As a strategy, alternatives offer investors a method to obtain the returns they require and break the paradigm of the 60/40 rule, however not all alternatives are the same nor do they come without certain risks. Participants and delegates of this alternative investment conference will investigate a range of critical investment issues, including discussion of the risks and benefits of various asset classes and investment vehicles such as hedge funds and private equity, examining means of cutting costs associated with implementation of absolute returns strategies, reviewing the future of commodities and surveying the landscape of emerging international markets. With the current struggle of obtaining these returns, the question of fees has become of particular relevance, especially within the field of alternatives as investors measure their risks v. rewards. We will also look into impact investing as a way of obtaining returns that are socially responsible as well as many issues involved with fund management and the importance of education for trustees and other investment officers.

The label "alternative" describes a nebulous investment class to many investors, especially those in the institutional world who have strict ethical and fiduciary obligations to their organizations. However, pursuing alternative investments is essential to maximizing returns while maintaining proper asset allocation in plan portfolios of endowments, foundations, family offices, and public and corporate funds.