Charting a Course for the Future of FPA Events
FPA Annual Conference 2025 in Las Vegas was truly memorable. It provided an incredible backdrop as we celebrated a significant milestone—the 25th anniversary of the merger between the International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP) and the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP)—which led to the creation of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) in January 2000.
This year has been a celebration of the Association’s 25 years of empowering financial planners and elevating the financial planning profession. The conference was not only an opportunity to commemorate this impressive anniversary with our attendees, but also reinforced our commitment to innovation, education, and community within the profession.
The highlight for me every year is the fact that the event brings together individuals from all corners of the profession, including practitioners, partners, academics, students, and many others. FPA Annual Conference is a time each year for the profession to come together to celebrate financial planning and how we can work together to sharpen our skills, build our competencies, and elevate the profession.
We made two significant announcements at the conference.
Congratulations to Our Newly Elected Leaders
First was our new board of directors, president-elect, and treasurer for 2026. I want to congratulate and thank Crystal Alford-Cooper, CFP®, on her election as our 2026 FPA President-elect, Juan HernandezAriano, CFP®, on his election as our 2026 FPA Treasurer, and Maria Castillo Dominguez, CFP®, Gregory Furer, CFP®, Otto Rivera, CFP®, and Carl Christie, CFP®, for their election to the FPA Board of Directors. Each of these amazing volunteer leaders will bring their dedication and commitment to elevating financial planning and making FPA the best that it can be.
Introducing the Future of FPA Events
The second announcement was our reimagined and redesigned conferences. Yes, I just finished saying how successful our FPA Annual Conference was this year, but we also know you have an abundance of event options, and we want to continue providing the utmost value to you. As your partner in planning, we’ve designed our conferences to follow your career growth from the beginning through growth, transformation, and leadership.
This reenvisioning and reengineering of our national events is not simply about branding and marketing. The experiences our members and guests have at these events will also evolve to meet their wants, needs, and preferences. Our team is focused on ensuring the experience matches the exciting new naming convention and branding we recently introduced.
The process of reenvisioning FPA’s national conferences began in January 2024 with the formation of a Conferences Task Force composed of FPA members from diverse backgrounds, career stages, and business models. The Task Force met regularly for six months, resulting in a series of formal recommendations to the FPA Board of Directors. After the FPA Board of Directors accepted the recommendations, FPA’s professional staff, in partnership with an outside marketing agency, has been working to address the operational, branding, and event experience issues outlined in the recommendations.
Our slate of national events, beginning in 2026, will be:
- FPA GATHER: Start Here—Formerly FPA NexGen Gathering, this event is the first step for newcomers to the profession or for those entering the field seeking their community. The event, designed with the FPA NexGen community in mind and seeing increased attendance over the years, focuses on exploration, mentorship, and discovering what it means to be part of the profession and something larger. FPA GATHER 2026 will take place August 18-20 in Dallas, Texas. Registration will open soon!
- FPA SUMMIT: Grow Here—Formerly FPA Annual Conference, this event is being completely reengineered to become the center of learning, innovation, and collaboration in financial planning. It's where the financial planning community—including practitioners, firm owners, academics, students, thought leaders, and partners—will broaden their skills, explore business and career paths, and examine the trends shaping the profession's future. The location and date of FPA SUMMIT 2026 will be announced soon.
- FPA SHIFT™: Transform Here—Formerly FPA Retreat, this event will focus on transforming how planners practice. The event has always been on the cutting edge of new, critical thinking in financial planning, but will evolve into a space where financial planning professionals at every career stage can step back to reflect, question assumptions, and intentionally connect with their peers. FPA SHIFTTM 2026 will be held April 20-22 in La Jolla, California, and registration is open!
- FPA LEAD: Elevate Here—Formerly FPA Chapter Leaders Conference, this is an invite-only event where FPA chapter leaders and executives come together to shape the future of the Association. The event, which has been a mainstay of FPA for many years, is focused on inspiring and empowering volunteer leaders and providing a space for them to support one another in reaching higher and leading more effectively. FPA LEAD 2026 will be held February 5-6 in Denver, Colorado, and registration is open!
This unified strategy brings clarity and cohesion to FPA’s national event portfolio, establishes a professional journey members can see themselves in, builds a consistent brand language across every touchpoint, and reinforces FPA’s role as the trusted partner in every planner’s progression. We look forward to bringing these reenvisioned, reengineered events to you next year.
In case you missed it.
- We were thrilled to announce that the Board of Directors elected D. Crystal Alford-Cooper, CFP®, as the 2026 FPA President-elect for a one-year term. Crystal’s term will begin Jan. 1, 2026, succeeding incoming 2026 FPA President Dan Galli, CFP®.
- As we conclude our commemoration of FPA’s 25th anniversary this year, we were thrilled to share a video highlighting this remarkable moment in our history. Take a walk down memory lane and hear from several FPA luminaries as they discuss how it all started in 2000 and where FPA aims to go over the next 25 years.
Thank you for making FPA your professional home and allowing us to be your partner in planning.
Thank you for the privilege of your membership. I wish you a happy holiday and a wonderful, prosperous New Year!
Sincerely,
Dennis J. Moore, MBA, CFP®
Chief Executive Officer