·         Eliminating confusion about what absolute return is and isn’t – how is absolute return achieved?

·         Absolute return expectations – what can I get from my investments?

·         Examining how absolute return can diversify your existing investment portfolio

·         Will investor expectations change in the future leading to a new investment pattern?

• How do absolute return approaches affect strategic asset allocation?
• Examining challenges and advantages of strategic asset allocation
• Identifying the underlying factors of strategic asset allocation
• What asset classes are most likely to be the winners over the next couple of years?

• What is liability-driven investing?
• Exploring the role of derivatives in an LDI approach
• Identifying the role of alternative assets in an LDI approach
• Determining the optimal asset allocation
• Will LDI prevent another perfect pension storm?

• Assessing the size of the liability deficit challenge
• Is the liability deficit a problem?
• Exploring alternative approaches to liability driven investments
• Examining the role of absolute return in LDI

• Will LDI be a fundamental principle of asset allocation or is it a flash in the pan?
• Identifying challenges of LDI when investing into short term strategies
• What trends are likely to shape LDI strategies?
• What effect will the future investment landscape have on LDI?

·         Attractiveness of alternative beta

·         Exploring the difference between alpha and beta and which effect they will have on trustee investment portfolios

·         Extracting alternative beta as a way to replicate hedge fund returns cost efficiently

·         Examining beta strategies in real trading

·         Choosing beta over alpha? Challenges and advantages

• Are hedge funds ‘the best’ alpha source for a portable alpha approach?

• Most hedge funds are beta-dependent: finding the ‘alpha’ hedge funds
• Advantages of using investable hedge fund indices as an underlying
• Implementation: some hurdles are easier to jump than others

Exciting, revolutionary and fast. These brief meetings are the starting point for conversation and networking throughout the conference. This is the exciting, quick and non-pressured way to meet fellow conference delegates and industry peers in one 30min session, where long-lasting and profitable business relationships begin.

• How risk averse family offices design their investment portfolios
• Challenges family offices face in investment strategies
• Achieving absolute return – challenges and solutions

• Are trustee structures too rigid for swift decision making to improve investments?
• Examining possible ways to make trustee structures more flexible
• Identifying challenges and advantages of flexible structures
• Will trustees invest differently with more flexible structures?

• What to consider when designing your multi-strategy portfolio
• Examining the importance of choosing the correct strategies for your portfolio
• How to design the best portfolio that will meet your needs

• Can asset allocation plug deficits?
• Is LDI a solution or just a gimmick?
• What is likely to happen?

• What are the due diligence requirements
• How key is operational due diligence
• Are niche opportunities the way forward?

·         Are all alternative asset classes suitable investments for pension portfolios?

·         The importance of choosing the correct asset classes

·         Identifying the pitfalls and how to avoid them

·         Are fund of funds the appropriate way forward?

• How does multi strategy investing fit into my asset allocation strategy?
• Similarities and differences between fund of fund and multi strategy investments
• Determining which strategy is best for your pension plan

• Investing into LBO debt
• What will pension funds achieve through investing into the LBO market
• What are the risks associated with LBO?
• Performance of LBO – is it worth the risk?

• Achieving absolute return by purchasing undervalued companies
• Can little sophisticated systems deliver expected returns?
• Focusing on the fundamentals

• What are the main risks that pension schemes face?
• How do risks differ for scheme sponsors and trustees?
• Which risks should schemes mitigate and what are the options for doing this?
• Which risks are worth taking?

• How to achieve a flexible portfolio structure
• Challenges by alpha/beta separation
• How  to choose the right risk measures
• Incorporating costs in risk budgeting

• Diversifying risks – how is it done?
• Methods of achieving and implementing real diversification of risks
• Assessing impact on risk reduction
• How will this affect my LDI?