The AIM Summit, set to take place on May 2-3 at the Rosewood Hotel, is held under the title “The Shifting Paradigm of Alternative Investments” and will be offering a rare chance for those shaping the future of the industry to gather and discuss the rapidly changing sector’s challenges and opportunities.
Raha Moradi, Conference Director, AIM Summit LLC, says: “The AIM Summit presents an unrivaled opportunity to engage with key industry leaders and discuss real-time issues and market conditions. This year’s second day will be focusing on digital assets as a new asset class for institutional investors, while the first day will examine the current hedge funds, private equity, and private debt markets. We are delighted to once again welcome a host of regional and global experts in the field, and as ever, we expect some lively debate around the conference.”
The Summit is organized under the support of AIMA (the Alternative Investment Management Association) and is supported by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) as a strategic partner and with Dalma Capital as the platinum sponsor. It will bring regional investors and managers in alternatives (hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, private debt) together with global industry leaders.
Now in its fourth year, the highly-anticipated event brings one of the region’s first opportunities to examine the emerging world of digital assets and cryptocurrencies as alternative asset classes.
The line-up of confirmed speakers includes representatives PWC, EY, Dalma Capital, Wamda Capital, Jeneration Capital, Preqin, Chancery London, Al Tayer, and Emirates Wealth and many more.
Zachary Cefaratti, Senior Executive Office of Dalma Capital, explains: “In private debt, everyone is facing similar challenges: tightening private credit markets, the re-entry of banks into the middle market, and an overall squeeze on the risk premium private debt typically offers in most markets. Hedge funds seem to be making a comeback or reinvesting themselves with some strategies facing greater challenges than others. In Private Equity and Venture Capital, deals aren’t getting any easier – we have a record-breaking dry powder and precarious valuations.”
With more than 1,000 – and growing – crypto assets available as investment vehicles, institutional investors are working to understand the potential opportunities and risks.
That’s why the second day of the AIM Summit focuses entirely on crypto, ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings), Digital Ledger Technology and Blockchain. Topics under the microscope include institutionalizing digital assets, understanding ICO platforms and tokenizations, Central Bank Digital Currencies, legal and regulatory insights, the future of distributed ledger technology, and anti-money laundering on the blockchain.
“We are pleased to welcome and support AIM summit in their efforts to bolstering the investment landscape in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. As a world’s leading IFC and global FinTech hub, ADGM recognizes the benefits of industry collaborations and continues with its role in connecting businesses to investments and investors to new opportunities via the ADGM platform and offerings. The refreshed AIM Summit agenda reflects the current hot topics in the market and the importance of ADGM as an innovative, open and strategic business partner. We will continue to work with like-minded stakeholders to cement ADGM’s position as the preferred investment platform,” said Steve Barnett, Financial Centre Development Director, Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM.
AIM’s audience is predominately composed of buy-side C-Suite executives at leading institutions and recent conferences have had an estimated US$10 trillion in AUM represented. The conference is organized on a not-for-profit basis to advance the industry in the region.
Key sponsors of the event include Dalma Capital Management Limited, ADS Securities, Barclays, Apex Funds and many more.