With strategy, community and momentum, Connect2Peers 2025 cements Cetera's role as the forever home for growth-minded financial professionals
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera today announced record-breaking attendance at its 2025 Connect2Peers event, held recently in Orlando. Nearly 2,000 attendees gathered to engage in immersive, peer-led sessions, strategic insights, and community-building. The event underscored Cetera's commitment to advisor-first growth and marked a high point in a year of continued momentum.
Financial professionals and prospective affiliates participated in dozens of sessions, focused on growth, technology, business planning, and succession, along with opportunities to connect directly with peers and Home Office employee specialists. New additions in 2025, such as expanded Expert Bars and the IntelligenceEngine experience lounges, gave financial professionals hands-on exposure to Cetera's latest strategic initiatives.
Attendees also heard about concepts for bold thinking and exponential growth from keynote speaker Peter Diamandis, MD, founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation. Connect2Peers 2025 closed with a celebration of community and Cetera's deep, ongoing commitment to supporting financial professionals, as they run their businesses in the manner they choose through their unique growth journey.
"This event is about more than content. It's about fueling momentum through community," said Cetera Wealth Management President Todd Mackay. "When our financial professionals grow, Cetera grows. And when that momentum aligns, it's not just growth, it's acceleration. Connect2Peers is where that alignment happens."
Historically, Cetera financial professionals who attend Connect2Peers experienced more than twice as much growth in AUA year-over-year compared with peers who didn't attend.
Throughout the three-day experience, Cetera spotlighted key strategic imperatives, including financial professional adoption of the firm's Growth360 business planning framework and expanded access to alternative investments, and trust capabilities. The event also previewed new developments in Cetera's IntelligenceEngine platform, including expanded planning tools, AI-powered insights, and the latest features in AdviceWorks®, Cetera's all-in-one, interactive workspace that helps simplify financial professionals' operations while driving growth and facilitating deeper client collaboration.
Financial professionals explored these tools in personalized sessions and learned how to integrate them into their growth strategies.
"Our financial professionals are the center of everything we do," said Michael Zuna, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Cetera. "Connect2Peers reflects our culture: collaborative, innovative, and committed to growth. It's one of the ways we bring our brand promise to life and deepen the sense of belonging across our communities."
Demonstrating a shared commitment to financial literacy, Cetera and its financial professionals raised $140,000 for the Council for Economic Education during the Connect2Peers conference. The effort was driven by Caring Cetera, the firm's 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with Cetera matching financial professional contributions in full to amplify the impact and support the Council's mission to equip students with essential resources and programs.
Connect2Peers 2026 is scheduled for Aug. 3-6, 2026, in Salt Lake City.
About CeteraCetera Financial Group is the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub, empowering independent advisors and institutions with personalized support, flexible affiliation models, and end-to-end growth solutions. Home to approximately 12,000 advisors and institutions, Cetera's multi-channel ecosystem enables financial professionals to grow, scale or transition their businesses on their own terms.
Unlike traditional IBDs, Cetera offers true choice – blending modern technology, integrated wealth solutions, and a community-driven culture. Cetera's five-channel model and commitment to long-term advisor value provide a scalable blueprint for consistent, repeatable growth.
As of June 30, 2025, Cetera manages approximately $590 billion in assets under administration and $263 billion in assets under management. Its award-winning Voice of the Customer program has captured more than 40,000 advisor reviews, with over 35,000 five-star ratings, giving Cetera a 4.8 out of 5 satisfaction score.
Learn more at www.cetera.com and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, YouTube, X, and Facebook.
"Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser, and the following FINRA/SIPC members: Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Wealth Services LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. Located at 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101. Cetera firms are under separate ownership from any other named entity.
SOURCE Cetera Financial Group