Shazzam.

Pershing's annual advisor client conference, INSITE 2014, has started at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida.

Advisors, fundsters and financial service industry vendors have been flocking, noshing and hobnobbing, gearing up for big talks and big deals later in the day.

Things are still just getting started, but here are a few details worth noting now.

For example, the tech-obsessed Pershing has unveiled upgraded versions of all of its platforms, including NetX360, NetX360 Mobile, NetXInvestor (NXI) and NetXInvestor Mobile as well as new versions of Albridge Wealth Reporting and a new Managed Investments portal integrated into NetX360.

The upgrades include a host of functionality perks, including enhanced integration with Managed Investments and Allbridge Solutions data.

Note fundsters, there are more than 1,200 Pershing platform users across 244 firms.

Now for interesting things said during the sessions.

One notable set of details comes from one morning breakout session, titled New Perspectives: Alternative Mutual Funds as an Investment Solution.

Pershing vice president Rich Calvario said during the session that Pershing now has $19.7 billion assets under custody in liquid alts products. Liquid alts sales was up 108 percent.

Pershing in total has roughly $420 billion in total mutual fund assets. Total sales growth has been 46 percent for all asset classes.

Pershing now offers 23,000 CUSIPS for mutual funds, 1,600 in alts. The firm now offers some 5,600 funds for trade without a transaction fee, out of these 500 are alts funds.

Pershing also unveiled its FundVest 200 list, a research driven list of no transaction fee funds that have been vetted by analysts in the the BNY Mellon Manager Research Group’s independent research and Lockwood Advisors.

The list makes recommendations across 40 investment categories, including seven alts. Each selection comes with an eight page tear sheet on the fund.

Pershing really hearts alts, offering at least four sessions on the subject. 

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