On 16 October, the professional funds world gathered at the Fund Insiders Forum (FIF) in Brussels. Funds experts of AXA IM, BlackRock, DWS, Lyxor ETF and PIMCO where there to discuss the challenges, product developments and trends on the financial market. Thanks to the big success, the 2019 edition is already being planned.
With the Fund Insiders Forum, Mediafin, the publisher of De Tijd/ L’Echo, wants to create extra visibility for the financial sector, and to offer fund houses and institutional investors an opportunity for dialogue. The event is the organic extension of the annual Fund Awards, which aims to celebrate the best performing fund son the Belgian market.
Exclusively for the first edition of the event, the Belgian B2C and B2B funds markets were researched. The B2C study, led by UMons, the University of Mons, zooms in on the private investor. The expectations and evolutions of the B2B market were mapped together with EY and BEAMA.
Inspiring debate
The more than 150 participants of the FIF event, guided by specialists, discussed questions, such as: what is the impact of new technology on the market? And how about the Brexit, disruption, stewardship, robot advice, and other trending topics? During a debate moderated by Serge Mampaey, journalist Financial Markets at De Tijd, fund experts discussed the results of the B2B study, and shared their view on the current and future market. Stricter rules, higher cost models, and profits under pressure, all have an influence on the investment climate.
To inform Belgian investors about how to contribute to a sustainable economy, that is our job.
Marnix Arickx
PRESIDENT BEAMA
According to the specialists, companies like Google and Amazon don’t pose competition. Those technology companies will rather conceive innovative investment models, which later, the fund industry can use as an additional channel.
6x keynotes
Also, the keynote speakers received a very positive response. AXA IM talked about our changing world – with the rise of Asia, the importance of e-commerce and the economic potential of the ageing population. BlackRock discussed the need for new risk management strategies in an investment environment where return is becoming harder to find. DWS zoomed in on SRI/ESG, which is becoming mainstream and doesn’t have a negative impact on financial performance. Lyxor ETF discussed the ideal portfolio composition of active versus passive management. PIMCO put the focus on fixed income and how the industry can prepare itself for a recession.
Successful first edition
The first FIF edition was a big success. During the network lunch and drink, fund insiders discussed insights and made contacts that may lead to new collaborations. The following edition of the Fund Insiders Forum is planned for 15 October 2019.
