Asset managers' "Thought Leadership" series winds up in Chicago next month. State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) has hit the road with a series of shows that are meant to address the practice-management and portfolio-building needs of investment advisors of all stripes.

The Boston-based asset manager's "Thought Leadership" series comes in two forms.

Competitive marketplace

The first of its half-day "Mid Cap SPDR Precision Thinkers" events was held in New York late last month and there was another in Washington, D.C., earlier this week. Next up are sessions in Houston on 23 October and in Chicago on 13 November. These events feature keynote talks by people like former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell, Freakonomics authors Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner, and Blue Ocean Strategy authors Rene Mauborgne and Chan Kim.

In addition to the "Precision Thinkers" events SSgA is hosting "regional thought leadership segments" called "Global Trends in Institutional Investing," but these events have already taken place (San Francisco on 18 September, Los Angeles the following day, Boston on 4 October and Chicago on 10 October). As you may have guessed from the name, they provided SSgA's take on the latest trends in institutional investment management and asset allocation.

"Designed to provide financial professionals with better access to practical practice management intelligence and portfolio building insight, [SSgA's] 'Thought Leadership' series underscores the firm's commitment to providing unmatched resources to its growing client base," says SSgA senior managing director Tony Rochte. "In addition to addressing techniques for advisors in overcoming the challenges of today's competitive marketplace, the thought leadership series also provides an invaluable networking opportunity."

SSgA, the investment-management arm of State Street Corporation, managed $1.9 trillion on 30 June 2007. -FWR

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