SFNet's Asset-Based Capital Conference offers you the opportunity to join your colleagues in asset-based lending, alternative asset management, private debt, private equity, distressed debt, and service providers such as attorneys and appraisers for panels and discussions on the rapidly changing economic environment and how it impacts your portfolios and business opportunities.

On March 9-11, we will bring ABCC to you live online, with the great content and opportunities for networking that you have come to expect from the conference. The Conference will be accessible through our acclaimed SFNet Connect Platform, offering hours of dedicated and facilitated meeting time each day. This year, we will be offering more insightful sessions than ever before.

“While we are all disappointed that we won’t be able to get together in person for this year’s event, the move to a virtual format has opened up many new possibilities for the actual content,” said Barry Bobrow, managing director, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and ABCC Conference Chair. “ABCC has always been known for having rich and important content for attendees.  Without the requirement for our presenters to be in attendance in Las Vegas we have been able to significantly broaden and strengthen our content for 2021, with significantly more segments than we have been able to include in prior ABCC events.  ABCC 2021 will help give attendees access to even more of the critical and timely information they need to help their businesses succeed.”

New this year will be on-demand SFNet’s Capital Markets Boot Camp available starting at noon EST on March 8. Sponsored by Parker, Hudson Rainer & Dobbs LLP, this is the perfect precursor to the conference panels. First-time attendees (and those looking for a refresher) can join senior capital markets executives for this foundation program in financial markets. It covers the major capital markets – equities and debt and the main derivative markets – futures, forwards, options, and swaps. Attendees will learn about each of the main products and how they are used by companies and institutions such as fund managers, banks, and secured lenders.

SFNet CEO, Rich Gumbrecht and Bobrow, will offer welcoming remarks to kick-off one of the most unique Asset-Based Capital Conferences we have ever held, starting on March 9.

“With the success we had with the Annual Conference, we are building on that playbook”, said Gumbrecht. “Expect outstanding content, unlimited company attendance and great relationship building opportunities. An informative, engaging, and entertaining experience”.

This year’s Conference will feature Roundtable Rooms offering the opportunity for an extended Q&A with panelists, daily networking rooms and an Around the Horn Daily Recap, where attendees can catch up on all the action and highlights of the day "SportsCenter" style and hear candid comments from our panel of experts.

The Economic & Political Outlook Panel, sponsored by TD Bank, will set the stage for the ABCC Conference, bringing together macro perspectives on economics, credit and geopolitics. Jeff Wacker, head of US ABL Originations, TD Bank, will serve as moderator and panelists will include David Chmiel, managing director, Global Torchlight; David Mericle, economist, Goldman Sachs and Lyuba Petrova, U.S. head of Leveraged Finance, Fitch Ratings.

“I will talk about the outlook for the U.S. economy in 2021 and discuss both our strongly optimistic baseline recovery view as well as both upside risks related to fiscal stimulus and downside risks related to new strains of the virus,” explained Mericle. “We will provide an overview of the economic outlook and monetary policy response that will shape markets in the years ahead.”

The M&A Panel, featuring a report on the state of middle-market M&A and financing activities in 2021 with moderator Robert Horak, managing director, Lincoln International, will be next up, followed by Roundtable Rooms and Networking Rooms. 

During the Executive Insights Concurrent Session, held 12:50 – 1:20 p.m. each day, you can hear senior executives from prominent asset-based borrowers and related trade groups talk about the market environment, key challenges and opportunities, business strategies, performance expectations and experiences during the Pandemic.

Immediately following will be the Bankruptcy Panel, sponsored by Gordon Brothers and moderated by Cindi Giglio, associate general counsel, Gordon Brothers, which will discuss:

• Split sales/inventory
• Steps you are taking in light of COVID
• Litigation surrounding business interruption.

The Diversity in Funding - Providing Capital to Women- and Minority-Owned Businesses Panel will feature prominent players in the ABL and PE space, along with their clients, discussing the benefits of deploying capital to diverse businesses, from 2:15 – 3:05 p.m.

As part of the 2021 ABCC we are pleased to have a presentation from several of the top physicians and scientists from National Jewish Health (NJH) for an update on the potential COVID-19 vaccines, treatment developments and what we can do to help protect our communities during our COVID-19 panel. As the leading respiratory hospital in the nation, NJH is at the forefront of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. NJH is well known in the asset-based market for the annual Financial Industries Dinner. Numerous leaders from our industry have been honored and have participated in this highly successful annual fundraising event.

Our evening networking activities on March 9 and 10 will be held from 5:00-6:00 p.m.  and sponsored by Otterbourg P.C.

Keynote Speaker, Kevyn Orr, partner-in-charge, Jones Day, will open the second day of the Conference. Orr was appointed in 2013 by the then-Governor of Michigan to be the Emergency Manager of Detroit as it went through a financial restructuring. Building on that unique experience, Orr’s current practice focuses in part on other states and municipalities to address financial and restructuring issues. In this keynote, sponsored by White Oak, Orr will address the current environment for entities in this area, his client base, and the unique issues that arise in restructurings when they are in the public sector. 

Following Orr, we’ll shift gears to discuss 2021 - The Return of M&A is ABL Time in Europe. While M&A was not very prevalent in Europe for most of 2020, it started to make a comeback in Q3/Q4. COVID created almost a full-drop of this activity, but it is having a strong rebound and there are high expectations that it will push past where it would be if COVID had not slowed its progress. Join our panel of experts in the lender, advisor, and legal world in as they examine if 2021 is the year that European M&A steps back up to the plate.

The Retail Panel, sponsored by Hilco Global, will focus on restructuring and where it is leading the industry. Ian Fredericks, executive vice president, Hilco Global, will serve as moderator.

“Historically, retail has fueled the American economy through consumption and employment,” Fredericks said. “The next 6-12 months will have a significant impact on the future of retail and the American economy.  We’ll focus on late 2020 and early 2021 restructuring trends; the availability of capital and unequal access to the capital markets; government stimulus and the integrity of the appraisals and valuations in the context of retail lending.

“In general, volatility will persist throughout 2021.  Bankruptcies and store closures will continue.  E-commerce will continue to grow, but not near the pace of 2020.  Year-Over-Year total retail sales will increase modestly.  2022 will — hopefully — represent the ‘new normal’ of retail.”

The Bank ABL vs. Non-Bank ABL panel, sponsored by CIT Commercial Finance and moderated by Chris Esposito, head of Asset Based Lending, CIT Commercial Finance, will be centered around:

• How is the Bank ABL product evolving?
• Are we returning to the days of Congress, Foothill, GE, Heller, CIT, Finova, etc.
• How do banks successfully negotiate the OCC ABL Handbook for considering liquidity vs cash flow in rating an ABL transaction? Potential pitfalls?

After networking, our Independent Asset-Based Lender Panel, sponsored by Wells Fargo Capital Finance, will take place. David Koshenina, head, Lender Finance, Wells Fargo Commercial Capital will serve as moderator.

The non-bank finance company market experienced significant disruption due to COVID-19 but also found many new opportunities because of the impact of the virus on borrowers and on bank lenders. As we enter 2021 the sector is poised for significant growth. This panel, drawing from some of the largest players in this segment, will discuss their handling of the issues in 2020 and their plans for the future.

Our final day of the Conference will start off with a Private Equity Talk, sponsored by The Lead Left and featuring moderator Randy Schwimmer, senior head of origination and Capital Markets, Churchill Asset Management and the Editor of The Lead Left, interviewing Rob Buonanno, managing director, Capital Markets, Warburg Pincus, a private partnership focused solely on private equity with over $57 billion in assets under management.

The New Administration, New Advocacy panel from 10:55 – 11:45 a.m. will discuss the upcoming landscape for regulatory and legal changes that could impact our industry with moderator Lon Goldstein, president, Goldstein Policy Solutions.

“The panel will examine the new power structure in Washington -- including the early weeks of both the Biden Administration and a new Congress -- and what unified Democratic rule means for our industry,” Goldstein said. “We’ll discuss the next COVID relief package being crafted on Capitol Hill, who the President has picked for key positions in the Administration and regulatory agencies, and the outlook for regulations such as the Dodd-Frank 1071 requirements on small business data collection.” 

This year, we are pleased to be able to hear from a senior official of the OCC about their perspective on leveraged lending, bank performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, current views on the safety and soundness of the banking system, and the OCC's perspective on asset-based lending at our OCC Talk from 12:50 – 1:40 p.m. Rich Gumbrecht of SFNet will be the moderator and Terri Barger, credit risk specialist, Bank Supervision Policy, OCC, will be the speaker.

The Private Debt Panel will feature leading experts provide a perspective on the current environment in debt capital markets from 2:05 – 2:55 p.m.

The Conference will close out with the Capital Markets Panel from 3:40 – 4:40 p.m. The capital markets went on a roller coaster ride during 2020 but, as we enter 2021 and start to look beyond the issues related to COVID-19, markets appear highly accommodative and ready for action. This panel, from 3:40 – 4:40 p.m., will bring it all into focus and address lending opportunities for 2021 and beyond. Barry Bobrow will moderate.

“The pandemic has taken away our ability for much of our normal interaction and networking,” Bobrow added. “While we all look forward to the time soon when we can feel comfortable with in person meetings again, these forums provided a great way to see and interact with our friends and colleagues in the industry. I’m sorry we can’t be together in person, but excited that the unlimited signup for sponsors will enable a much larger group to be able to take advantage of the conference this year.”

We thank all of our conference Sponsors and Exhibitors for their support of this year’s Asset-Based Capital Conference. Please check SFNet’s ABCC Conference page for panelist updates and the agenda.