Northwestern Mutual‘s annual meeting has long been one of Milwaukee’s largest-scale recurring conventions. But beyond filling hotel rooms and restaurants in the city, the gathering has become one of the Milwaukee-based financial services company’s biggest tools for addressing a looming, industry-wide shortage of financial advisors while showcasing its headquarters city as central to its culture and history.
Set for July 18-21 in Milwaukee, the meeting will convene more than 11,000 attendees, including financial advisors from NM’s 360-plus field offices across the U.S., corporate employees and family members, for four days of networking, educational seminars, keynote speakers, a run/walk along Milwaukee’s lakefront and a private concert. The theme of the annual meeting this year is “Multiply our Momentum.”
NM’s annual meeting, now in its 146th year, will provide an estimated $21 million boost to Milwaukee-area hotels, restaurants and attractions, according to the company.
The bulk of the event’s programming will be hosted at Fiserv Forum and the Baird Center, with Tuesday night’s concert taking place on the Summerfest grounds. This year’s performers are rumored to be pop singer Benson Boone and country star Miranda Lambert. The company declined sharing any details about the performer lineup this year. Last year, attendees enjoyed performances by Teddy Swims and Carrie Underwood.
Recognizing the accomplishments of the financial representatives who make up Northwestern Mutual’s field force is a huge part of the annual meeting, but it’s also an opportunity for learning, training and development, said Frank Di Meglio, managing partner of Northwestern Mutual – Downtown Milwaukee, a network office that has office locations in downtown Milwaukee, Mequon, Brookfield, Franklin and Racine.
“It’s gonna really be an opportunity to talk about the strength of the advisor network, our commitment to clients and our continued investment in the future of financial planning,” said Di Meglio. “… People are always excited for that opportunity to just learn about what’s on the horizon and to hear from the best leaders and advisors around the country.”
Di Meglio said the event also functions as a way to attract local talent, giving interns and prospective and newer advisors a firsthand look at the company’s culture. It’s a tool that serves a purpose as the financial planning industry grapples with a projected shortage of 100,000 advisors by 2034, according to a 2025 report from McKinsey.
“I think our culture is a big part of what attracts people to Northwestern Mutual, so if you’re in the community and you haven’t experienced or been exposed to Northwestern Mutual, and then you feel the annual meeting, I think it’s something that we hope certainly makes people interested to want to learn more about either being a client of the firm or how to learn about being affiliated with the firm as an advisor or associate,” he said.
In an effort to fill the shortage for advisors and meet a growing need for financial advice, Di Meglio’s firm, which currently manages $8.5 billion in client assets as NM’s largest network field office in the state by assets under management, has ambitious to goals of hiring 50 new advisors in the next year, Di Meglio said.
“We believe (Northwestern Mutual) is the destination for the experienced advisors. So the advisors in our community that are already in our industry that are looking for a location in a place that has world-class products and suites, highest rankings and a training and development platform right here locally,” he said.
The city has become a “home away from home” for many of the out-of-town financial reps that have attended NM’s annual meeting for years. Aside from the sense of pride NM has in its hometown and founding roots in Wisconsin, the company chooses to convene here year after year because of the city’s ability to handle large-scale events, said Di Meglio. In 2024, the annual meeting was held close on the heels of the 2024 Republican National Convention, which brought 50,000 visitors to the city.
