Cetera Bolsters Plans for 2022 Advisor Education & Experiences Based on Record Success, Attendance and Advisor Satisfaction of 2021 Events

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group, one of America's largest networks of financial professionals, announced today an expansion of its 2022 advisor education and experience offerings, based on success metrics from the financial professional communities it serves. Cetera's 2022 events and experiences will be more targeted and personalized, with an increased investment in technology and production elements. In addition, Cetera's lineup will be streamlined to focus on the most successful events and experiences based on attendee input and marketplace needs. Cetera increased its conferences and events budget in 2022 with an emphasis on delivering consistent, industry-leading experiences as the firm continues strong growth and engaging even more financial professionals.

Cetera's conference strategy is informed by the results of its 2021 events, which delivered wide-ranging education and experiences and valuable business growth resources to a record number of attendees. Professional education and experiences continued to deliver practical and substantive programs for advisor growth in entertaining and on-demand formats. Through the gatherings, attendees raised funds for several worthy causes, including CeteraNext, a scholarship program that supports students from traditionally underrepresented communities in the financial profession, and grants for COVID-19 and natural disaster relief.

"Advisor education and experiences are more important today than ever before, and strategic, thoughtful delivery is key to success," said Cetera Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Michael Zuna. "Empowering our financial professionals to grow their businesses in meaningful ways is a key objective for Cetera, and we are pleased that our marketing, including our events and experiences, are activating growth for our attendees and entertaining them in unexpected ways.  Thank you to everyone who made our 2021 events such a success, especially the nearly 30,000 attendees. In 2022, we are incorporating individual attendee input and enhancing our offerings to deliver even better experiences this year."

He added, "Cetera has always inculcated its events with nascent technology and platforms, well before virtual experiences were the industry norm. Our advisors enjoyed and benefited from events, education panels and experiences more than ever before, despite a unique and rapidly shifting global backdrop."

Additional 2021 events highlights include:

• Successfully blending virtual and live formats. Cetera hosted 12 virtual events and three live events for nearly 30,000 attendees in 2021. The events delivered 367 sessions and more than 333 hours of wide-ranging content, networking, continuing education, entertainment and experiences.
• High attendee satisfaction at regional, live events. Cetera's industry only Connect2Peers experience, held in Denver and Chicago in August, posted a combined net promoter score (NPS) of 70. In addition, 97% of attendees reported they will attend next year and 95% said that Connect2Peers will help them achieve their business goals, making the event a must-attend event for advisors looking to grow their businesses.
• Record positive feedback at annual virtual event. Feedback about Cetera's flagship event – Connect21 – reached a record high. The average session rating was 4.63/5.0, and the event's NPS notched a double-digit increase over last year, while the NPS among top advisors increased tenfold over 2020. In addition, 98% of strategic partners who attended Connect21 report they are likely to attend the event in 2022. Cetera's Connect series has won three consecutive Stevie awards, which recognize the accomplishments and contributions of companies and businesspeople worldwide among 12,000 entries each year across more than 70 nations.
• Exponential attendance growth. The exclusive Connect2Advisory series, held in June and November, hosted nearly 2,000 combined attendees and posted record-high ratings. Attendance at the June event was up 456% compared to 2020.
• More newcomers experiencing the Connect conference. More than 1,600 of the nearly 6,000 Connect21 registrants signed up to experience Cetera's Connect event for the first time.
• Giving back. In 2021, Cetera conference attendees donated $200,000 to Caring Cetera, a nonprofit that provides support for communities and individuals in need, which is led by financial professionals associated with Cetera. The funds also support CeteraNext, a scholarship program created to inspire and help students interested in a financial planning career who are part of traditionally underrepresented communities in the financial profession.

Cetera continues to emphasize its commitment to elevating advisor experiences. In October, Cetera hired Peggy Jordan, SVP, Head of Experiences and Events, a newly created position that focuses on advisor experiences, loyalty, engagement and retention amid a changing environment.  

About Cetera Financial Group®

Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) is a leading financial services firm whose purpose is to enable the delivery of best-in-class financial advice to as many Americans as possible. Cetera empowers its financial professional communities to help clients achieve their version of financial wellbeing through the Advice-Centric Experience®. Cetera proudly serves independent financial professionals, tax professionals, banks and credit unions in providing wide-ranging financial planning and wealth management services. Located at: 655 W Broadway, 11^th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101.

Cetera oversees $344 billion in assets under administration and $120 billion in assets under management, as of September 30, 2021.

Visit www.cetera.com, and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

"Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, and First Allied Securities, Inc. All firms are members FINRA/SIPC.

Individuals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services.

SOURCE Cetera Financial Group