Future Proof Adds New Events With Ambitious Revenue Targets

The mould-breaking wealth management events company that is Future Proof turned a profit for the first time last year. Now it’s looking to double revenue in 2025 with new events.

The first Future Proof Citywide event kicks off in Miami in March and is designed to host more than 25,000 15-minute meetings across the city. In May, the company will hold its second Leaders Retreat in Colorado Springs. 

The original Future Proof Festival has become a must-attend gathering since shocking the industry when it was first held by the beach in Huntington Beach, Calif., in 2022, complete with musical performances from Big Boi, Fitz and The Tantrums and DJ MICK. About 4,400 people attended last year’s festival, up from 1,750 the first year. 

The success of Future Proof comes as events thrive across sectors and geographies. With so much competition, organizers have to distinguish their happenings and offer value that will draw the crowds. Future Proof appears to have succeeded thus far, and 2025 will show whether their bold models can evolve and similarly thrive. 

Matt Middleton, who came up with the idea for outdoor affairs as Covid-19 shut down almost all in-person gatherings, is confident. His expectations for the company thus far have all been exceeded. 

“Why’s it been so successful? Because it’s the most productive time for people in wealth management…it just happens to be fun too,” Middleton told AMO. “If we were in a ballroom, it would still be the most productive. It’s because we connect people, because we focus on networking. That’s our why.”

For 2025, Middleton expects revenue to about double to just under $30 million. “I don’t know if we’ll pay a dividend this year, but we’ll have the ability to,” while also still being able to build new products and services, and grow the team, he said.

It’s been a quick journey for Future Proof. As Middleton said at the AMO Summit, in year one, they lost $2.8 million on the four. But that was all part of the plan, he said at the time. 

Editorial Integrity and Data

The Future Proof Festival, created in conjunction with Ritholtz Wealth Management, aims to have “true editorial integrity,” as in attendees get authenticity on stage. 

“Most people say that, but they don’t. They’re influenced by dollars, right?” Middleton said. The best events provide valuable content and practical insights, “from an insider’s point of view, so that I can walk away with one, two or three key takeaways for my role, or my firm, or whatever the event is.”

The key is to remove the buzzwords, the fluff and filler, and the attempts for the people behind public relations to present a sanitized and inoffensive version of the truth.

In preparing speakers for the events, Middleton said they take the following tack: “‘We’re going to ask you questions that you don’t typically get asked because we care more, not about your name on our agenda, but your career in building this, because… people want to be like you in the next 10 to 15 years in these audience. What’s the shit that you went through that you don’t talk about in a press release?’ That’s the stuff that will help in B2B.”

That lack of packaging and the ability to network are what Middleton thinks set his events apart. And then there is the data.

“Most people in our space have data that is not of high quality or actionable. They just have data. They have spreadsheets of spreadsheets of spreadsheets of data. And my view is, it’s about how you interpret and use that data to do two things. It’s one to create an overall better experience listening to your customers—sometimes their intent or what they say through a survey or results will be one thing, but their actions live will be another.”

Future Proof said it verifies every attendee to make sure they are who they say they are from an individual standpoint, job level, what does their firm do and who it is, and what their hobbies and interests are.

“Our goal is we want to verify the right people, and then we want to present that data back in a very seamless way, pre-event, so that people can connect with each other,” Middleton said. The pre-event activity is essential in getting attendees prepared for an efficient and productive time. “It’s like a dating app.”

Meanwhile, Citywide has been designed to feel more like South by Southwest. 

“With Future Proof Citywide, we’re expanding the scope from wealth management to the broader investment management ecosystem, where wealth management plays a pivotal role,” the company said on its website. The company has taken over several sites, including The Betsy Hotel and the former Versace mansion, to host meetings, experiences and content. 

Those three models will be the focus going forward, and will be cloned for different areas of the financial advisor space, including for institutional allocators and family offices.