CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment insights, today announced the agenda for its 36th annual Morningstar Investment Conference, set to convene Wednesday, June 26, through Thursday, June 27, 2024, exclusively in-person at a new venue, Chicago’s Navy Pier.
“We are reimagining our conference this year to coincide with Morningstar’s 40th anniversary,” said Kunal Kapoor, chief executive officer at Morningstar. “The event is coming to Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier, introducing new connections for advisors and sponsors, and featuring a standout agenda of the industry’s most thoughtful and contrarian thinkers so advisors can keep pace with today’s evolving investor.”
After 17 years at McCormick Place, the Morningstar Investment Conference’s move to Navy Pier will offer attendees an energizing new experience.
“Holding the conference at Navy Pier in the summer will allow participants an opportunity to experience the best of Chicago along with the best of Morningstar,” said Caroline DeCamp, senior director of experiential marketing. “We’ve designed this conference experience to give attendees a true sense of community and connection. Breakout sessions will occur right in the exhibit hall with dedicated stages; the podcast stage invites free-flowing dialogue; and we’re debuting a space for advisor-sponsor appointments to provide an environment ripe for meaningful conversations and networking opportunities.”
New this year, Morningstar is offering a “Hosted Advisor” pass, allowing registered investment advisors to attend the conference for free. The pass aims to help advisors stay on top of industry trends and network with peers while removing the cost as a barrier for attendance. Hosted Advisor passes are limited and include an opportunity to engage in four appointments with service providers of their choice.
Morningstar’s conference brings together top industry leaders and investing experts as they share research and insights for investors. This year's speakers include:
- Michele Aghassi, principal and portfolio manager, AQR Capital Management
- Christine Benz, director of personal finance and retirement planning, Morningstar
- Ian Bremmer, president and founder, Eurasia Group
- Zeke Faux, investigative reporter, Bloomberg Businessweek
- Kevin Franklin, managing director and portfolio manager, BlackRock
- Kathryn Kaminski, chief research strategist and portfolio manager, AlphaSimplex
- Kunal Kapoor, chief executive officer, Morningstar
- Zack Kass, former head of go-to-market, OpenAI
- Michael Kitces, industry speaker and financial planner, kitces.com
- Katie Koch, chief executive officer, TCW Group
- Keith Lee, chief executive officer and senior portfolio manager, Brown Capital Management
- Bethany McLean, contributing editor, Vanity Fair
- Bob Oros, chief executive officer, Hightower
- Savita Subramanian, managing director, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Conference attendees will have a unique opportunity to engage on a range of relevant themes, such as the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing advisory practices. Zack Kass, former head of GTM at OpenAI, will discuss the path forward for advisors to incorporate AI in their workstreams in a keynote session on the main stage. Additionally, portfolio managers Kathryn Kaminski, Kevin Franklin, and Michele Aghassi will discuss how evolving AI and machine learning technologies impact their investment processes and what to expect next.
Among the conference keynote speakers is Ian Bremmer, geopolitical strategist, author, and entrepreneur. Bremmer is the president and founder of the Eurasia Group, a leading global political risk research and consulting firm. In the session, hosted by Morningstar Wealth President Daniel Needham, Bremmer will share his perspective on how financial advisors can capitalize on opportunities and manage risk in a rapidly changing global landscape.
The first day of the Morningstar Investment Conference will conclude with a main-stage panel focusing on the most notable financial frauds of the 21st century. Award-winning journalists Zeke Faux and Bethany McClean, well-known for their coverage of Enron, FTX, and Theranos, will discuss the shared traits of these fraudsters alongside insights into how investors should navigate future scandals.
The final day of the conference will feature “The Evolution of Asset and Wealth Management: The Past 40 Years and the Next 40,” a keynote panel moderated by Kunal Kapoor with Hightower CEO Bob Oros and TCW Group CEO Katie Koch. The panelists will discuss issues critical to both advisors and asset managers, including consolidation, regulation, fee pressure, the evolving advisor tech stack, and the rise of exchange-traded funds, model portfolios, and direct indexing.
At the conclusion of Day One, conference attendees will have the opportunity to transition the day’s conversation into a more relaxed setting. Morningstar will host a reception on Wednesday, June 26, from 7-10 p.m. CT featuring dueling pianos. To cap off the night, attendees will be treated to Navy Pier’s weekly Wednesday evening fireworks show.
More information about the Morningstar Investment Conference, including the full agenda, hotel accommodations, continuing-education credits, and an FAQ is available here. Please note the agenda is subject to change. Join the conversation on LinkedIn or X with #MICUS or by following www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar and @MorningstarInc.
Media Registration
Full-time, credentialed members of the news media may receive complimentary registration to the Morningstar Investment Conference, in addition to speaker access, press-only programming, and a media reception the evening of June 26. For media registration, please visit this link.
General Attendee Registration
There are three pass types available for the Morningstar Investment Conference, which is exclusively in-person. The Hosted Advisor pass is free for registered investment advisors holding a valid CRD number and has limited availability. The Advisor pass costs $399 through Wednesday, May 15, and $499 thereafter. The General Attendee pass costs $999 through Wednesday, May 15, and $1,199 thereafter.
Morningstar is pleased to implement several accessibility measures at the Morningstar Investment Conference. Sensory rooms will be positioned away from the exhibit hall and designed as safe spaces for neurodivergent attendees and those who need to decompress. Sensory kits will be available at the registration desk and will include resources to help manage potential situations regarding sensory overload. Additionally, closed captioning will be provided during all keynote sessions. For questions regarding accessibility measures for attendees, please contact MorningstarEventsUs@morningstar.com.
About Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment insights in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The Company offers an extensive line of products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers and owners, retirement plan providers and sponsors, and institutional investors in the debt and private capital markets. Morningstar provides data and research insights on a wide range of investment offerings, including managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with approximately $286 billion in assets under advisement and management as of Dec. 31, 2023. The Company operates through wholly- or majority-owned subsidiaries in 32 countries. For more information, visit www.morningstar.com/company. Follow Morningstar on X @MorningstarInc.
