American Portfolios Connections 2015 National Conference an Overwhelming Success

HOLBROOK, NY--(Marketwired - November 05, 2015) - From Oct. 14 - 16, American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS), a privately-held, independent broker/dealer, capped off its year-long Liberty Tour series of regional meetings by hosting its annual national conference, Connections 2015, and garnering overwhelming positive feedback from attendees.

Held at the upscale Philadelphia Downtown Marriott, the venue served as an ideal backdrop for the conference's theme of independence. With a banner turnout, Connections 2015 was attended by more than 600 registrants comprised of affiliated and prospective advisors; OSJ managers; advisor support staff; partners; sponsors; select members of APFS' senior management team and staff; and its advisory board members.

Said APFS President of Sales and New Business Development Tim O'Grady, "While it takes almost an entire year to plan out three days of value, the planning committee this year outdid themselves in creating a truly memorable experience for our customers -- our affiliated advisors; it's the kind of event that has them registering for Connections year after year."

The event was jam-packed with multi-faceted break-out sessions of professional and personal benefit, with topics ranging from retirement and succession planning, to DOL regulation of ERISA plans, digital marketing and social media, the robo advisor phenomenon, cybersecurity and human wellness, to name a few. Throughout these value-added sessions, crowd-pleasing keynote presentations were held, featuring performances from such individuals as famed investor and television personality Kevin O'Leary, who shared his secrets of success and participated as a panel judge for an AP mock Shark Tank competition with two of APFS' affiliated practices; renowned business author and TED Talk speaker Dr. Srikumar Rao on making a quantum leap in your business and your life through mind shifting; U.S. Army Specialist and veteran Hugo Gonzales, who shared his heartfelt experiences while serving in Iraq and the importance of support to returning veterans by family, friends and the community; and AP's charismatic leader, CEO and President Lon T. Dolber, who talked about providing value to our advisors through a well-crafted, robust growth plan that is understood by all, creating a sustainable business that is built to last.

APFS affiliated financial advisor Richard Gerepka came away with a great deal of useful information, stating that he learned how succession planning "is a key concern for a lot of folks in our business nowadays. I function predominately as a recruiting OSJ and I can see this [information] being a very powerful tool to use in my recruiting efforts in the future."

Mixed in with these valuable sessions and presentations were a number of fun and worthwhile activities, as well, offering colleagues in attendance the opportunity to relax from their travels and the rigors of the day, in addition to time for networking. Closing out the first day, AP hosted a dinner cruise aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia, where home office employees, advisors and support staff mingled together to breathtaking views of Philadelphia while floating the Delaware River; the event featured a delectable meal and music from advisor Anthony Tripi's band. The following night culminated in the firm's annual banquet awards dinner, with a delicious meal served prior to the witty banter of emcees COO Dean Bruno and Dolber, after which they recognized the top producers and managers for the company, and the overall business achievements of all advisors, lending to American Portfolios' recognition as Broker/Dealer of the Year for 2015.* Following the banquet, A Night at the Races derby-style fundraising event was help, with all proceeds benefitting World T.E.A.M. Sports. At this event, colleagues joined together to bet on jockeys and horses, with races played out on screens throughout the room, for winnings that were collected in the form of a Chinese raffle; the event was punctuated by the music of Hot Peaz & Butter, Dolber's Motown, rhythm and blues band.

Said American Portfolios' Director of Sales Ken Aulbach about the conference, "It is amazing to see the energy and excitement generated by our advisors who attend Connections. With great speakers and all of the practice development sessions available to assist in growing and creating efficiencies in advisors' practices, combined with all of the networking opportunities I see around me, it is great to be a part of hosting an event like this each and every year. I'm looking forward to Connections 2016!"

Connections 2016 is already scheduled, and was announced for Sept. 14 - 16, 2016, at the Marriott Waterfront at Baltimore's beautiful Inner Harbor. With feedback gained and its commitment to creating a valuable event that attendees can bring back with them to finish out the year and kick off the New Year, this venue was chosen due to the high demand of advisors, who so enjoyed Connections 2014 in the same location.

About American Portfolios

Headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., APFS is a full-service, independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Both entities, along with technology division American Outsources, LLC (AO,) collectively reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently serves 805 independent investment professionals located in 360 branch locations throughout the nation, and was named Broker-Dealer of the Year* (Division III) by Investment Advisor magazine in 2015.

*Based on a poll of registered representatives conducted by Investment Advisor magazine. Broker/dealers rated highest by their representatives are awarded "Broker/Dealer (B/D) of the Year."

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