Advisers Big Day Out - Regional

Advisers Big Day Out (ABDO) 2026 - Regional

July 21 - August 7, 2026

The Advisers Big Day Out (ABDO), has been designed to give advisers an insight into the latest topics from a select group of fund managers in a time effective manner. The ABDO program is delivered to regional & capital city locations across Australia.

The program is Financial Standard's professional development roadshow, attended by financial advisers around the country each year.

ABDO gives you the chance to network with your peers and hear from Australia's leading fund managers and be kept up-to-date with the diverse range of investment opportunities while gaining CPD hours.

Dates and Locations

Cairns

Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Crystalbrook Bailey, Room: Aria

Ground Floor A/163 Abbott St, Cairns City QLD 4870

Sunshine Coast

Thursday, 23 July 2026
Altitude Nine, Room: Level 9

Corner First Ave And, South Sea Islander Way, Maroochydore QLD 4558

Gold Coast

Friday, 24 July 2026
RACV Royal Pines Resort Gold Coast, Room: 2 & 3 Norfolk Hall

Ross St, Benowa QLD 4217

Hobart

Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Vibe Hotel, Room: Alonnah & Bruny

36 Argyle St, Hobart TAS 7000

Geelong

Thursday, 30 July 2026
Rydges Geelong, Room: Kardinia

Myers St &, Gheringhap St, Geelong VIC 3220

Frankston

Friday, 31 July 2026
Frankston Arts Centre, Room: Rotary

27-37 Davey St, Frankston VIC 3199

Canberra

Tuesday, 4 August 2026
National Museum of Australia, Room: Peninsula

Lawson Cres, Acton ACT 2601

Wollongong

Wednesday, 5 August 2026
Novotel Wollongong Northbeach, Room: Admirals

2/14 Cliff Rd, North Wollongong NSW 2500

Central Coast

Thursday, 6 August 2026
voco Gosford, Room: Kingfisher & Sandpiper

108 Donnison St, Gosford NSW 2250

Newcastle

Friday, 7 August 2026
Rydges Newcastle, Room: Macquarie/Hannell

Wharf Rd &, Merewether St, Newcastle NSW 2300

ADVISERS BIG DAY OUT (ABDO) - REGIONAL ROADSHOW 2026

8:30am

Registrations open
Barista coffee is on us

8:55am

Welcome from Financial Standard

9:00am

Risk, rates & real: Navigating the now

• Commercial & residential property markets
• Credit markets
• REITs
• Economy (rates and productivity)

James Waterworth (Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Hobart, Geelong, Frankston, Central Coast, Newcastle)
director - head of distribution, La Trobe Financial

Michael Watson (Cairns, Canberra, Wollongong)
director - wealth solutions, La Trobe Financial

Find out more about James and Michael

James has over 20 years' experience in distribution across multiple asset classes and markets. A recognised industry thought leader, James leads the national distribution of La Trobe Financial's investment products. James is known for his unwavering commitment to client outcomes, deep market insight, and extensive network across Australia and internationally. Michael is a well-respected distribution executive and a regular commentator in the asset management industry. With over 32 years' experience across markets, Michael plays a key role in the distribution of the firm's retirement-focused investment solutions.

9:40am

Using model portfolios to navigate volatility

• BlackRock's market outlook
• Translating macro views into client portfolio positioning
• How BlackRock can support you and your business

Uwe Helmes (Cairns)
lead strategist - model portfolio solutions, BlackRock Australia

Tim Diemer (Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast)
investment strategist - model portfolio solutions, BlackRock Australia

Beatrice Yeo (Hobart, Geelong, Frankston, Canberra)
senior investment strategist - model portfolio solutions, BlackRock Australia

Tatiana Bernard (Wollongong, Central Coast, Newcastle)
lead portfolio manager - model portfolio solutions, BlackRock Australia

Find out more about Uwe, Tim, Beatrice and Tatiana

Uwe Helmes, Director, CFA, is the Lead Strategist for BlackRock's Model Portfolio Solutions business in Australia and a member of BlackRock's Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions Group. Uwe's team is at the heart of BlackRock's portfolio construction, asset allocation, and active management ecosystem. The team draws on the full toolkit of BlackRock's index, factor, and alpha-seeking investment capabilities to deliver precise investment outcomes and cutting-edge trading insights. The team constructs whole portfolio solutions in the form of managed accounts, commingled funds and model portfolios across the wealth and institutional channels. Uwe joined BlackRock in August 2016. Prior to joining BlackRock he worked as a senior market researcher at Investment Trends. He holds a Bachelor of Economics (Econometrics and Finance) and an Honours in Finance (First Class) from the University of New South Wales, Australia. He is a CFA Charterholder and member of the CFA Institute. Tim Diemer, Associate, is an Investment Strategist for BlackRock's Model Portfolio Solutions business in Australia and a member of BlackRock's Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions Group. The multi-asset team is at the heart of BlackRock's portfolio construction, asset allocation, and active management ecosystem. The team draws on the full toolkit of BlackRock's index, factor, and alpha-seeking investment capabilities to deliver precise investment outcomes and cutting-edge alpha insights. The team constructs active asset allocation strategies and whole portfolio solutions across a wide spectrum of managed accounts, commingled funds, and model portfolios across the wealth and institutional channels. Tim joined BlackRock in September 2022. Prior to joining BlackRock, he worked for Square Peg, a leading Australian venture capital manager and was previously employed at PIMCO within Institutional Account Management. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Liberal Studies), majoring in Finance and Marketing, from the University of Sydney and a Master of Finance, specializing in Funds Management, from the University of New South Wales. He has also passed his CFA Level 2 exam. Beatrice Yeo, CFA, Vice President, is a Senior Investment Strategist for BlackRock's Model Portfolio Solutions business in Australia and a member of BlackRock's Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions Group.  Beatrice's team is at the heart of BlackRock's portfolio construction, asset allocation, and active management ecosystem. The team draws on the full toolkit of BlackRock's index, factor, and alpha-seeking investment capabilities to deliver precise investment outcomes and cutting-edge trading insights. The team constructs whole portfolio solutions in the form of managed accounts, commingled funds and model portfolios across the wealth and institutional channels. Prior to this, Beatrice has held roles as an economist and investment strategist across Australia and Hong Kong, focusing on delivering thought leadership on markets and asset allocation. Her research has been published in top-tier academic journals including the Journal of Financial Data Science. Beatrice holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Finance) from the University of Melbourne, Australia. She is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute. Tatiana Bernard, CFA, is the lead Portfolio Manager for BlackRock's Model Portfolio Solutions (MPS) models in Australia and a member of BlackRock's Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions Group (MASS). The MPS team is responsible for the research, development, and management of tactical and strategic asset-allocation models for application in model portfolio solutions (e.g., SMAs). The Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions (MASS) team is the investment group at the heart of BlackRock's portfolio construction, asset allocation, and active management ecosystem. The team constructs whole portfolio solutions in the form of managed accounts, commingled funds and model portfolios across the wealth and institutional channels. Tatiana joined BlackRock in February 2017. Prior to joining BlackRock she worked as Quantitative Analyst at the ASX. Ms. Bernard has a Bachelors degree in Economics and a Masters degree in Econometrics, both from the University of Sydney. She is a CFA Charterholder and member of the CFA Institute.

10:20am

The world of opportunities within active ETFs

• Active ETF trends
• Building blocks for improved portfolio solutions
• The opportunity for income

Stefania Vivarini
ETF specialist, J.P Morgan Asset Management

Find out more about Stefania

Stefania Vivarini is the ETF Specialist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, based in Australia. She joined the business in 2025 to promote the full range of active ETF solutions and working closely with clients to deliver tailored investment strategies. Prior to this role, Stefania most recently served as a National Key Account Manager at Vanguard Investments Australia, looking after National Dealer Groups and Platform clients.  Collaborating with internal teams and external stakeholders, she successfully launched ETF based SMAs in her platform role.  She has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, with a strong focus on investment product distribution and client relationship management.

11:00am

Morning Tea

11:30am

Optimising retirement income

• Why guaranteed lifestyle income solutions matter in today's market
• Comparing traditional vs modern annuity structures using real client scenarios
• How product design can materially improve retirement solutions

Lauren Matthews
Senior retirement income specialist VIC/TAS, Allianz Retire+

Bernadette Circosta
Business development manager VIC, Allianz Retire+

Chris Borg
State Manager NSW, Allianz Retire+

12:10pm

The new 60/40 portfolio: A modern playbook for retirement income

• The shifting risk picture for retirees
• Why the traditional 60/40 portfolio need recalibrating
• The role of private credit in modern retirement portfolios

Rhys Leitch (Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast)
distribution director, Real Asset Management

Marcus Huynh (Hobart, Geelong, Canberra)
distribution director, Real Asset Management

Scott Kelly (Frankston)
group chief executive officer, Real Asset Management

Michael Frearson (Wollongong)
executive director - head of fixed income, Real Asset Management

James Chapman (Central Coast, Newcastle)
associate director - portfolio manager, Real Asset Management

Find out more about Rhys, Marcus, Scott, Michael and James

Rhys holds the position of Distribution Director. Rhys has over 8, years of experience in Financial Services. Prior to joining Real Asset Management Group, he worked for FIIG Securities as an Associate Director for Fixed Income. Rhys holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from Macquarie University. Marcus holds the position of Distribution Director. Marcus has over 7 years of experience in the Wealth and Financial Services Industry. Prior to joining Real Asset Management Group, he worked for Morningstar Investment Management as a Business Development Manager. Previously, he worked for AMP and AMP Capital. Marcus holds a Bachelor of Business from University of Technology, Sydney. Scott has over 30 years' experience in global wealth and asset management, working with leading financial institutions in Australia and the UK. Before joining Real Asset Management Group, he was Managing Director and Head of Investment Products and Services at UBS Wealth Management Australia, overseeing a $24bn platform. He previously served as National Sales Director at Macquarie Private Wealth and co-founded Corazon Capital in Jersey. Scott was also Joint Head of Private Clients at Kleinwort Benson and began his career at Mercury Asset Management in London. He holds a BA (Hons) in Business Management from the University of Leeds and is a Chartered Member of the CISI. Michael has over 25 years' experience in global wealth and asset management with leading Australian financial institutions. Prior to joining Real Asset Management Group, he was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Macquarie Bank within the Discretionary Managed Accounts business, managing over $1bn in client funds and directly overseeing $440m in fixed interest and credit investments. He brings experience across equities, A-REITs, and asset allocation, with a background in trading, derivatives, and advisory. Michael began his career as a stock exchange operator and has also worked at Westpac. He holds Commerce and Finance degrees from Adelaide University, is a CFA Charterholder, and a Fellow of FINSIA. James has 8+ years experience in credit and investment management, specialising in originating, underwriting, structuring and managing private credit securitisation facilities for Australian non-bank lenders. As an inaugural hire in the Aura Private Credit business, James helped grow the business to over $1bn in FUMA and five investment strategies.

12:50pm

End of event. Lunch and post networking drinks

CPD Information

ABDO is accredited by the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) for CPD hours alighted to Legislated learning areas. The Advisers Big Day Out Regional was accredited in 2025 for 6.00 learning hours, divided into the following categories:

Additional professional development content and content from previous forums can be accessed via Financial Standard's CPD program FS Aspire CPD. FS Aspire CPD users also have access to gaining CPD hours for this event via logging in to FS Aspire CPD.

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