ETF Awards Honor Industry's Top Players Around the World

The 4th Annual Global ETF Awards took place in New York on April 17, where the best, brightest and most innovative in the exchange traded fund marketplace were honored.

The winners were chosen from more than 400 voting forms sent to ETF industry entities worldwide. Awards were given in 18 categories, such as "Most Innovative ETF" and "Best Service Provider."

A complete list of all the award winners can be found here.

U.S. World Series of ETFs in Miami

On March 26-27 in Miami, the longest-running and best-attended exchange traded fund (ETF) conference will kick off: the U.S World Series of ETFs. The conference is designed to educate financial advisors and planners about ETFs, how they can be used and what they can do for a portfolio.

A wide range of topics will be discussed by some of the biggest names in the ETF industry, including Christian Magoon, president of Claymore, Joseph F. Keenan, managing director of Bank of New York Mellon Corp., and Michael Krause, president of Altavista Independent Research, Inc.

Some of the most timely issues and questions that will be debated over the course of the two-day conference are:

• Revolution in the ETF Marketplace: How have current market conditions affected ETFs and their usage? What lies ahead? Active management is here - what competitive moves will we see in the industry? How would the proposed SEC rule further affect the marketplace?
• Are Commodities the Key to Protecting Your Clients' Assets?: What are the pros and cons of commodities? Will the bull market continue? Which product structure gives the best exposure?
• The anticipated launch of the first actively managed ETF. Will the Bear Stearns mess impact the acceptance of these funds into the market? Will investors embrace them?

Active ETFs - Is There Enough Demand?

The exchange traded fund (ETF) industry is raving about the actively managed fund premiering, but it appears most of the raving is from potential issuers.

A conference sponsored by Index Publications and Financial Advisor Magazine previewed the enthusiasm and it was on behalf of most providers. Many of the financial planners in attendance indicated an actively managed ETF would be a product that still needs a market, reports Lawrence Carrel for TheStreet.

Until this point, all of the products available in the United States have passively tracked an index much like a traditional mutual fund does. Active management has been a new way to bank on new investors and compete with the mutual fund industry.

Most insiders feel that an actively managed ETF is the next step for the business and that they are inevitable. The good side for investors is that they will carry lower expenses than a mutual fund, and traditional indexes will remain the core. Time is the key so that many can judge by performance.

A Roundup of the 2008 ETF Conferences

The interest and demand for information on exchange traded funds (ETFs) continues to grow at an ever-quickening pace. This year, 2007, was no exception. It was the biggest and best year yet for ETFs. In the last year alone, the number of ETFs grew from 359 to nearly 600. Assets in them shot up from $422 billion to within earshot of $600 billion in the U.S. alone.

The trend shows no signs of slowing. To satisfy the desire investors and advisors have for a continuous stream of the latest information on ETFs, the industry has a whole slew of conferences and workshops lined up for 2008.

Finally! An ETF Conference Aimed Squarely at Advisors

As the word about exchange traded funds (ETFs) spreads, financial advisors are jumping in with both feet. More and more of them are educating clients on the benefits of ETFs and incorporating them into their clients' porfolios. That's why there couldn't be a better time for a conference adressing these specific issues. Inside ETFs: A Guide to Better Portfolio Management for Your Clients is aimed directly at advisors. The event, taking place at The PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, FL on January 10-11, 2008, is sponsored by Financial Advisor magazine and Index Universe.

I'll be leading a couple panels, and we'll be covering a number of topics at the conference. They've all been created with one goal in mind: getting financial advisors as well-informed as they can possibly be when it comes to ETFs so they can turn around and use them to benefit their clients. Discussions include:

• Incorporating ETFs into your practice
• Effectively utilizing trading tools and order execution technologies
• Maximizing your clients' after-tax rate of return
• Actively budgeting investment risk
• Customizing model ETF portfolios for your clients

Several industry heavyweights will be there, too, including Jeremy Siegel, senior investment strategy advisor at WisdomTree and Robert Arnott, chairman at Research Affiliates.

If you're an advisor and interested in ETFs, this conference is worth a look. Register here and let them know you heard about it at ETF Trends.