Looking Back at the 2022 BEI National Conference
Overview
The 2022 BEI National Exit Planning Conference welcomed 145 Exit Planning professionals to Denver, CO last week. During the three-day conference at the Four Seasons Hotel Denver, attendees engaged with peers and thought leaders, learning from experts in business and financial planning, leadership, and marketing through sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities.
Attendees came from around the globe, representing the financial and business advisory, accounting, banking, consulting, mergers & acquisitions, and legal spaces. With over 30 sessions by 36 speakers and in the spirit of the conference theme, Growth Through Engagement, attendees left inspired to take their Exit Planning work to the next level.
Powerful Partnerships
The BEI National Conference would not have been a success without the incredible support of our 13 industry partners. Each sponsor offers tools and services that enhance an advisor’s Exit Planning services. The exhibit hall was filled both days of the main event for attendees to connect and discover new elements to implement in their work.
We encourage you to check out their sites linked below to see how their offerings can help in the Exit Planning work you do with your clients.
A special thanks again to the following sponsors:
- Capitaliz
- American Institute of Certified Tax Planners
- BizEquity
- Cash Flow Mapping
- Cornerstone Business Services
- Executive Financial Services
- First Heartland
- Footprint Capital
- Independent Life
- MetLife
- The Alternative Board
- The Exit Map
- MarksNelson
Inspirational & Informative Speakers & Sessions
Tuesday –
After a kickoff session by Mark Thomas (Capstone Wealth) on the Exit Planning Discovery meeting, a variety of sessions were offered for attendees to enjoy. Some of mention include:
- Stuart Sorkin (Business and Legal Advisors) led a session on increasing net sales proceeds through employee retention and tax planning. A highly attended session, the presentation discussed the primary issues in developing a personal plan for the owner(s) and a corporate plan for the business.
- Another popular session was put on by Greg Banner of Asset Preservation Strategies, Inc., titled Creative Solutions for Staged Transitions. Greg shared a current client case with attendees and broke down the different tax and investment planning recommendations used in the first stage of a successful ownership transition.
- An interactive Advisor Panel including BEI Members Terry Staley, Robert DePalo, Todd Feldman, and Nick Niemann discussed how each profession approaches getting involved in the Exit Planning Process, attracting clients, and differentiating their practice.
- Keynote Speaker Sean Flaherty (ITX Corp) concluded the day with a session titled Leadership, Creativity & Relationship Building at Scale. He shared the fundamentals of a proven leadership framework that amplifies each advisor’s strengths.
Wednesday -
Momentum from day one carried into Wednesday, where another impressive lineup of speakers gave impactful presentations, including:
- Kickstarting the day with Keynote, Natalie McVeigh (EisnerAmper LLP), attendees engaged in a presentation about family transfers and how to use neuroscience to tackle resistance. This dynamic workshop shared the cause and effect of behaviors that alter communication and cohesion in family transitions.
- Dominique Molina with American Institute of Certified Tax Planners gave a morning session on tax reduction strategies and how these can attract Exit Planning engagements. She shared the main differences between Exit Planning and Tax Planning and how to use it to create demand as an Exit Planning Advisor.
- Jeff Palmer with The Prudential Insurance Company of America led another case-study presentation about a key-employee group sale. This program shared Jeff’s step-by-step approach to selling a company to key employees who lack the capital to purchase.
- Wrapping up the Exit Planning conference content was BEI’s CEO, Jared Johnson, who shared the latest results of the 2022 Business Owner Survey. Through a partnership with Market Research Company, Newton X, Jared discussed key takeaways noticed in the responses. BEI is excited to share the full results, coming next month!
Interactive Workshops
Those attendees who opted into the optional workshops on Monday had two paths:
- Reboot Your Client Relationships
The first half of this client-engagement workshop entailed creating an effective “brand script” led by StoryBrand experts, Keith Lauver and Susi Milligan. The session focused on finding a new way to pique prospect interest and effectively tell your brand’s story. The afternoon session, led by Sean Flaherty, guided attendees through the measurable Momentum Framework, centered on building a culture of Trust, Loyalty, and Ambassadorship.
- CExP Workshop
The second workshop option was provided for those attendees with the Certified Exit Planner (CExP) designation. Led by BEI Founder, John Brown, attendees were placed in groups of their peers, tasked with creating their own Exit Planning recommendations after receiving case study details to work through collectively.
Relationship Building, Networking & More!
Between the exhibitor hall, lunch hours, and evening receptions, the opportunities to network were ample. Many attendees note that the biggest benefit of attending the BEI Exit Planning Conference is the collaborative atmosphere and the ability to connect with peers. After all, sharing stories, swapping ideas, and discovering new systems and processes to implement in their practices is the main purpose of the conference.
Whether you were in attendance or couldn’t make it this year, we invite you to join us next year. Get ahead of the game and register early at the following link:
2023 BEI National Conference: Dates and location pending!
We also welcome and encourage feedback so we can make next year our best event yet. To give us your suggestions, visit the following link: www.exitplaning.com/welcome-bei-online-suggestion-box
In the meantime…
Another 2022 BEI National Conference presenter and owner of The Alternative Board Pittsburgh, Sigi Loya, will be hosting a BEI webinar coming soon. Register at the link below and join us September 14 at 12:00pm ET.
