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CTAExpoLogo Matthias Knab, Opalesque: As someone who has been fortunate to attend CTA Expo / Emerging Manager Forum events in Chicago, Miami, London and New York - and to have counted the late Bucky Isaacson as a friend - I've long admired how CTA Expo became a foundational meeting ground for emerging managers and forward-looking investors.
With the conference returning to Chicago September 22nd at the Palmer House Hotel, I sat down with co-founder Frank Pusatieri to understand the origins of the event, what's new in 2024, and why it remains one of the most relevant and effective platforms in the alternatives space.
"It Started in a Bar…"
Matthias Knab: Frank, let's start at the beginning. What made you launch the CTA Expo?
Frank Pusatieri: Bucky and I were actually sitting in a bar at another conference, complaining about how bad the networking was. It had a big attendance on paper, but no one was talking to each other. One of us said, "We could do this better," and the other said, "Let's." We'd been to hundreds of conferences, but never run one. So we learned everything from scratch.
Our goal was simple: mentor traders, make it affordable for managers, and give something back to the industry that had been good to us. We weren't in it for the money. It ran successfully for 10 years in Chicago, New York, London, and Miami.
Knab: And then COVID happened.
Pusatieri: Yeah, COVID shut everything down. But my daughter - who works for another conference company - kept hearing the same thing: "When is CTA Expo coming back? Nobody fills this niche anymore." Finally, in late 2024, Bucky agreed to restart. He passed away that December, but my daughter and I decided to carry it forward.
Knab: So what makes this event so different today?
Pusatieri: First off, it's trader and investor-centric. We raised prices for service providers to make room for traders and investors. The current attendee mix is about 90% traders and investors, and just 10% media or service providers. That's a huge contrast to most conferences.
Also, half the traders registered are new names - we didn't even know they existed. Many have 2-7-year track records but have been under the radar. This is where the industry grows.
And the investor side has been phenomenal. They attend for free and get access to our full Trader Directory, which has become its own powerhouse. Some don't even come to the conference - they just want that directory.
Knab: And the speaker lineup?
Pusatieri: Totally different from your typical panels. We've cut out the lawyers, accountants, and compliance consultants. It's mostly traders educating other traders.
We've got sessions on:
- New product structures like ETFs and mutual funds
- "Old Guard" traders discussing how they built firms from scratch
- Your very own keynote, Matthias, where you'll be speaking about "The One-Shot Mindset: Fundraising Success in the Age of Distraction", discussing the critical disconnect between performance and capital raising, sharing strategies and tactics to help fund managers tell their story, gain trust with investors, and grow their business.
- Live case studies like Blue Creek, who will share how they use fundamental research in actual trades.
And for traders who are new or have niche strategies, we offer 15-minute speaking slots to pitch themselves directly.
Networking That Actually Works
Knab: What about the networking?
Pusatieri: It's a one-day event, but we make it count. Registrants get a public registration list two weeks in advance, so they can plan meetings. Roughly 30% of investors choose to stay off the public list, but those are often the most serious allocators - but they show up at the event!
We also promote attendees through LinkedIn so people can prepare in advance. And we manage the floor - this is not a pitch fest. You meet, you connect, you follow up. That's how it's always worked for us.
Knab: Do you have international participants?
Pusatieri: Definitely, especially in our Trader Directory. For only $250, managers from South Africa, Hong Kong, London, and elsewhere can showcase their strategies to a curated investor base without even flying to Chicago.
Our directory gets 3-4x the readership of the conference itself. It's strictly distributed to professional investors and allocators, so we stay on the right side of global solicitation rules.
The Bottom Line
Whether you're a trader looking to raise capital, an allocator looking for new names, or just someone who wants to see the real pulse of the managed futures and alternatives space - CTA Expo in Chicago on September 17 is where that energy lives.
Managers: Apply to reserve speaking slots or be included in the directory.
Investors: Attend free or register to access the Trader Directory.
More info & registration: https://www.cta-expo.com/
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