In the aftermath of the financial crisis and in light of the recovery of the alternative space, a group of seven mutual fund firms with an alternative bent has embarked on a three-city tour to help educate advisors on the merits of including alternative strategies in mutual fund portfolios.

The “Alternative Mutual Funds Forum: Modernizing Asset Allocation in a Post–Style Box World”, which is organized by Forward Management, kickstarted its tour today in NYC with representation from managed futures stalwarts AQR [see profile], Eaton Vance [see profile], hedge fund of funds shop Hatteras [see profile], J.P. Morgan [see profile], Nuveen [see profile] and Rydex-SGI [see profile]. The group held concurrent sessions with members of the media as well as with some 150 advisors and analysts at the Essex House in NYC.

Jeffrey Cusack, president of Forward Management and the forum's producer, told a group of reporters that "advisors are confused" when it comes alternative strategies and he felt that he needed to develop a forum whereby competing fund firms can showcase their wares for advisors to compare and contrast. "Advisors like transparency, fee structures and liquidity, and they're moving toward absolute return products," he said.

Cusack, who said that the forum came together quickly within the past two months with invitations being mailed out to the fund firms only some two weeks ago, admitted that the event has been "a test".

But he added that the forum has met or exceeded his expectations. He said he is looking to add more road shows in the fall involving more fund firms following the upcoming two road shows in San Francisco and Chicago.

"A wirehouse came to us asking for a national road show just for their advisors," he confided to The MFWire. 

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