Heathcote Investment Partners principal, Clayton Coplestone, has hosted a roadshow or two but in a NZ financial services market now verging on event-overload, he argues advisers advisers want more signal, less noise…
Walk into any meeting room, scroll through your inbox, or glance at your calendar, and one thing becomes clear: the volume of industry events in New Zealand’s financial services sector has reached a crescendo.
From breakfast briefings and CPD webinars to multi-day conferences and offshore manager roadshows, the sheer number of touchpoints vying for adviser attention is unprecedented. The intent behind each is noble – education, engagement, relevance – but the effect is increasingly chaotic.
The noise is deafening.
Since the COVID close-downs, the number of industry events has grown steadily. Local fund managers, offshore entrants, research houses, platforms, and professional bodies have all ramped-up their outreach. Each is fighting for relevance in a landscape reshaped by regulatory reform, digital disruption and shifting investor expectations. The result is a calendar saturated with invitations – some compelling, others repetitive, the majority overlapping.
This proliferation is not without cause. As margins compress across the value chain – from product manufacturing to advice delivery – firms are under pressure to demonstrate their worth. Events have become a proxy for presence. If you’re not hosting, sponsoring, or speaking, are you even in the game?
But the game has changed. Advisers, once eager attendees, are now increasingly time-poor, albeit always appreciative of a chance to catch up with their peers. With mounting compliance obligations, client demands, and business pressures, many are becoming more selective about which events they support. The days of attending everything ‘just in case’ are over. Today’s adviser is discerning, strategic and often sceptical.
Talk to any adviser and you’ll hear a common refrain: ‘I’m stretched’. Between annual reviews, AML updates, DIMS reporting, and client onboarding, time is a scarce commodity.
Events that once offered a welcome reprieve now compete with core business functions. The question is no longer ‘What’s on?’ but ‘What’s worth it?’ where the answer usually hinges on the ability to network with industry colleagues.
This shift has profound implications for event hosts. The return on investment for hosting a roadshow or webinar is no longer measured by attendance alone. Engagement, follow-through and relevance are the new metrics.
Advisers want substance, not sizzle. They want unique insights that help them serve clients and manage their business better, not generic market commentary. They want to know why your fund, platform or service matters – specifically, and now.
At the heart of this shift lies a deeper industry truth – margin compression is real, and it’s forcing everyone to reevaluate their value proposition, including:
- Fund managers face who face fee pressure from normalised portfolio returns and increased scrutiny on performance net of fees;
- Platforms that are being challenged to justify their tech stacks and service layers in an increasingly commoditised environment; and,
- Advisers who are navigating fee-for-service models, client segmentation and the ever-increasing cost of compliance.
In this context, events must do more than showcase products – they must clarify purpose.
Why does this manager deserve a place in your model portfolio?
How does this platform reduce friction in your advice process?
What does this research house offer that others (inclusive of technology) don’t?
The firms that answer these questions with clarity and humility will thrive. Those that rely on legacy relationships or brand inertia may find themselves sidelined.
What we’re witnessing is a pivot from volume to precision. From ‘Products’ to ‘Solutions’. The most effective industry players are no longer trying to be everywhere – they’re trying to be in the right rooms, with the right message, at the right time in a trend leading to:
- Smaller, curated events – boardroom lunches, adviser roundtables and invite-only sessions;
- Content-led engagement – whitepapers, podcasts and targeted newsletters rather than generic slide decks; and,
- Partnership over promotion – firms are co-hosting events with advisers, tailoring content to regional needs and focusing on shared outcomes.
It’s a welcome evolution. The industry is becoming more thoughtful, more client-centric, and more aligned with the realities of modern advice delivery.
As we look ahead, the message is clear: this is a time for discernment. The New Zealand wealth management industry is maturing, and with that maturity comes a higher bar for relevance.
For fund managers, this means refining your story. What problem do you solve? What role do you play in portfolio construction? How do you support advisers beyond performance?
For platforms, it means simplifying the experience. Are you reducing admin burden? Are you enabling better client conversations? Are you evolving with adviser needs?
For advisers, it means protecting your time. Which events truly add value? Which relationships move the needle? Which providers are partners, not just presenters?
And for industry bodies, it means curating the calendar. Can we coordinate better to avoid overlap? Can we elevate the quality of discourse? Can we ensure that CPD is not just a checkbox but a catalyst?
While the noise is deafening it doesn’t have to be. By focusing on clarity, relevance, and partnership, the New Zealand financial services industry can turn down the volume and turn up the impact.
This is not a call to retreat – it’s a call to refine and potentially collaborate. To be more intentional, more strategic, and more aligned with the professionals we serve. Because in a world of shrinking margins and rising expectations, relevance is not a given. It’s earned.
And the firms that earn it will be the ones advisers choose to hear – above the noise.