While fun might not be the first word that comes to mind when thinking about a technology conference, it is among the adjectives applicable to the recent Technology Tools for Today (T3) conference in Miami, Florida. Hosted by industry expects David Drucker and Joel Bruckenstein, the conference opened to roars of laughter with an animated video of the pair hula dancing in grass skirts and not much else.

Now in its eighth year, T3 provided attendees with general sessions that strategically balanced the focus between technology and practice management, along with an expansive offering of topic-specific sessions suited to a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines. Of further note was the impressive list of speakers and thought leaders, including Zywave’s own Cory Olson and Linda Strachan.

Importance of security

Included within the recent article The 15 Smartest Things Heard (and Tweeted) at Technology Tools for Today was Bill Winterberg’s comment suggesting that advisors need a “healthy dose of suspicion to enhance security.” This discussion concluded with a key takeaway suggesting that advisors need to plan for the worst, whether that comes in the form of a cyberattack or a natural disaster. For years now, Zywave has recognized this important need and been a leader in providing advisors with secure and reliable hosted solutions that are ISO27001 certified, and which weathered the Superstorm Sandy crisis without downtime.

Zywave’s new technology tool

Included among the technology tools presented at T3 was Zywave’s newest product, Advisor Briefcase. A session hosted by Product Director Cory Olson highlighted how advisors can elevate themselves to elite status through frequent, high-quality client communications. Combining a content library and campaign automation, Advisor Briefcase enables advisors to meet the recommended benchmark of 28 contacts per client per year and grow their business by driving more referrals, improving client retention, and increasing assets under management.

Shortage of financial advisors

In the area of practice management and related succession planning, T3 highlighted the need for financial advisors as an industry concern. As discussed by Jim Dario from TD Ameritrade Institutional, over the next number of years there will be a need for as many as 250,000 financial advisors. While overcoming this deficit may seem insurmountable, financial planning education programs are helping to fill some of the need.

In attendance at the conference were the students from one such program at Texas Tech University, who hosted a session focused on the partnership between software providers and educational programs designed to improve access to and use of financial advisor software in the financial planning programs. For many years now, Zywave has proudly partnered with many schools, including Texas Tech University, providing thousands of students with access to our software as well as training and support.

What did you think of this year’s T3 conference? What were your major takeaways? I’d love to hear your thoughts!