The PWA practice, EisnerAmper Wealth Management and Corporate Benefits, along with professionals from a number of other practices including Accounting Services (plus a team of hard working marketers) successfully put on three major events in New Jersey, New York City and Philadelphia.

Building on the momentum of the Private Wealth and Family Office Summit, which held its third annual event November 8th at the beautiful Pratt House in New York City, the firm also planned and produced the two new Closely Held Business Summits for business owners, executives and high net-worth individuals. The New Jersey event was held October 26 at the fascinating Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center on the campus of Montclair State University; while the Philadelphia event was held November 15 at the impressive Union League Club of Philadelphia.

The 2011 EisnerAmper Summit for Closely Held Business Owners, Executives and High Net Worth Individuals, in New Jersey, was a great success the first time out, thanks in large part to the efforts of Event Chair, Barbara Taibi and her Organizing Committee. More than 100 New Jersey business leaders, including some of the state’s most prominent entrepreneurs and owners of closely-held businesses, attended.

As Barbara tells The Pulse, “Executives and business owners face not only uncertain economic conditions but are also confronted by increased regulatory and compliance requirements. Added to these burdens is the imperative to stay current with the fast moving advances of technology, especially the opportunities presented by cloud computing and the Internet. The Closely Held Business Summit was designed to address these concerns.”

The event featured two workshops: “Exit Strategies for Business Owners,” which outlined best practices in mergers and acquisitions; and “Strategies to Improve Your Business and Personal Balance Sheet,” which provided actionable advice on protecting assets.

The main conference featured a fast-paced and information rich panel, “The Changing Dynamics of Business Operations”. Four of New Jersey’s leading business owners presented candid overviews of the challenges they faced and overcame in order to grow and thrive in the state’s current economic environment. 

• Allen Greenwald, President, Prudent Publishing, spoke about the importance of a quality workforce; and the impact of Internet marketing 
• Michael Thompson, President and CEO of Sleep Innovations, spoke about how his company came back from bankruptcy lean and hungry and the uses of controls over revenue and expense 
• Jacquie Cleary, CEO and founder of Atlas Data Systems, spoke eloquently on how her challenges of scale led to her re-think her entire corporate model 
• Nick Chasinov, President of Teknicks, delivered a clarion call to all businesses to understand and deploy the power of social media and to work towards enhancing search engine optimization

Completing the panel was Thomas Bracken, President of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, who complimented the four panelists on being role models for New Jersey business. He then gave a strong message that the state is very much open for business – and that under the current administration there is a business-friendly environment in Trenton.

Attendees toured the Museum’s displays and, as a highlight and a thrill, got to meet and talk with Yogi himself, who graced the event with his inimitable presence.

The 2011 EisnerAmper Private Wealth and Family Office Summit, in New York, brought together more than 130 clients and prospects served by the firm’s Personal Wealth Advisory practice. This was the third annual event, always held in extraordinary locales. The lovely Pratt House is a former mansion and now the headquarters of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Summit Chair, Marie Arrigo, and her Organizing Committee, planned an extensive program including pre-conference workshops on Family Offices and Financial Services, The ABCs of Fine Art and Collectibles and Building Wealth through Real Estate.

Charly Weinstein welcomed the attendees; and then Marie began the Main Session which kicked off with a thoughtful address from Dr. Jeffrey Solomon, President of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, entitled Leaving a Legacy: Philanthropy across Multiple Generations. Two panel discussions followed that highlighted the firm’s though leadership.

 

• Risk Management: Focus on Privacy and Cyberspace Issues zeroed in on what families must do to mitigate risk and protect privacy. The session was chaired by PWA partner-in-charge, Tim Speiss and featured John Fodera, partner, Consulting Services and Keith Hochheiser, an eminent attorney.
• Emerging Markets and the Next Frontier was a unique exploration of the opportunities investors should consider both in emerging markets but also the more exotic markets such as Chile and Kazakhstan. Navigating these waters was Dan Yu, as moderator; joined by Brent Lipschultz, partner, PWA, and two renowned investment counselors, Edward Bozaan and Jonathan Hochberg.

The event’s Keynote from Mark Kristoff of Traxys, Inc., delivered a remarkable talk called Global Eco-Sensitive Alternative Energy Resources which covered the remarkable opportunities for investors considering rare earth minerals.

The 2011 EisnerAmper Closely Held Business Summit, in Philadelphia, attracted a near SRO-gathering of more than 140 executives, entrepreneurs and business owners. Thanks go to Event Chair, Tom Earley and Host, Jay Weinstein who both welcomed the attendees. The Summit featured three workshops: Buying a Business - Financing and Capital Sources; Financial Issues in Selling a Business; and Financing an Internal Transition.

Tom introduced the main session featuring a lively panel of business owners and venture capitalists who gave candid and detailed commentaries on best practices concerning issues such as operations, staffing, capital-raising, re-structuring and liquidity events.

• Wayne Kimmel, Founder of Artists and Instigators, moderated and provided a market and investment opportunity overview along with some trenchant remarks about the current economic environment. 
• Michael Pearson, President of Union Packaging, urged attendees to concentrate on the fundamentals of audit, legal and banking relations and not be unprepared when a liquidity event comes along. 
• Stu Siegel, CEO of Siegel Enterprises, a serial entrepreneur, emphasized the need for executives to be always current with market conditions and nimble when opportunities present themselves. 
• Ross Rieder, Chairman of ReMed Recovery Care Centers, spoke about how a niche investment opportunity can flourish with close attention paid to sustainable growth 
• Harold Earley, CFO of FXI, Inc., commented on the requirement for resource staffing and how key players can help drive success.

The concluding Keynote was a highly entertaining presentation by Nick Sakiewicz, CEO & Operating Partner of the newest team to join Major League Soccer, The Philadelphia Union. Nick, a former professional player and one of the seminal figures in the organization of MLS, delivered a passionate and amusing account of what it took, as a business executive, to start a team from scratch during the worst recession in recent memory.

Private Wealth & Family Office Summit Video - New York
Private Wealth & Family Office Summit Video - New Jersey
Private Wealth & Family Office Summit Video - Pennsylvania 

For more information contact:: 

Richard Shippee
212 891 8757

Kristen Lewis
215 881 8849