SunStar Conferences

Hennessy Funds Press Luncheon: October 25, 2011

2011-11-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hennessy Funds held its 4th annual market outlook and Hennessy Focus 30 Fund rebalance press luncheon in New York City on Tuesday, October 25th. Neil Hennessy, CIO and portfolio manager, along with Brian Peery, co-portfolio manager, presented their views on the U.S. equity markets along with the new portfolio for the Hennessy Focus 30 Fund.

Thirty reporters attended from many publications including the following:

The Wall Street Journal,
Barron’s,
Fortune,
Forbes,
Bloomberg News,
ThomsonReuters,
MarketWatch,
Money,
and many more.

published a summary of the event, "Hennessy Remains on the Prowl for Acquisitions" and gave SunStar kudos for setting it up.

About the press briefing

2011-07-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Does your fund have a good story tell, but not get the attention and recognition it deserves? Do you want to communicate to your investors and advisors to keep them comfortable? Do you want to prospect for new investors during these challenging times?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then participate in the next SunStar Webinar for Top Mutual Funds and tell your story to dozens of journalists who cover mutual funds, investing and personal finance at the same time.

Benefits:

Be on a panel with other top undiscovered fund managers to get the attention and recognition you deserve
Build/strengthen relationships with financial journalists
Earn positive news coverage about your fund and its management style
Leverage the third-party endorsed news coverage to add credibility to your other sales and marketing efforts

SunStar will offer the Press Briefing for Top Mutual Funds on a date to be determined.

The Briefing will give you the opportunity to tell dozens of reporters about how you achieved outstanding performance during these challenging times and longer periods, as well as your investment philosophy, sectors and stocks you like, and beliefs on the market going forward. We anticipate 20-35 journalists will hear your story.

You will also receive contact information for each journalist who participates and other attendees so you can stay in touch.
There are a limited number of speaking opportunities available. Cost will be determined.

To get more information or ask questions, call Dan Sondhelm at 703-894-1046 or by email at dsondhelm@isunstar.com.

SunStar Press Briefings assemble undiscovered and name-brand fund managers across a wide range of asset classes, sectors, and management styles. Participants can look forward to presenting to members of the retail, intermediary, institutional and trade press from recognized publications such as Associated Press, Barron’s, Bloomberg News, Business Week, CNNMoney, Crain’s New York Business, Dow Jones News, Financial Advisor, Financial Planning, Forbes, Fortune, Institutional Investor, Investment Advisor, Investment News, Marketwatch.com, Money, New York Times, Newsday, On Wall Street, Registered Rep., Reuters, Smart Money, Standard & Poors, The Daily Record, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and more.

SunStar helps institutional investment managers and mutual fund firms attract and retain investors, strengthen distribution, and build brands through structured news generation programs and smart marketing. We know the industry and the reporters who cover it helping our clients get the attention and recognition they deserve.

10/19/2010- Hennessy Funds press luncheon

2010-10-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hennessy Funds held its 3rd annual market outlook and Hennessy Focus 30 Fund rebalance press luncheon in New York City on Tuesday, October 19th. Neil Hennessy, CIO and portfolio manager, along with Frank Ingarra, Jr., co-portfolio manager, presented their views on the US equity markets along with the new portfolio for the Hennessy Focus 30 Fund. Forty reporters attended from a variety of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg News, ThomsonReuters, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Associated Press, CNNMoney, MarketWatch, TheStreet.com and many more.

In addition, Neil Hennessy appeared live on CNBC and was interviewed by WSJ Radio, TheStreet.com’s video and podcast divisions as well as Yahoo!Finance’s video operation.

MFWire summized his key points and gave SunStar kudos for setting it up.

8/10/2010 - ETF Press Briefing

2010-08-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, August 10, 2010 SunStar Strategic hosted a brunch for the news media and financial advisors in New York City. Top ETF firms provided their thoughts on the future of the ETF marketplace.

MFWire.com wrote about the press event, reporting, "Insiders... will find no shortage of media coverage about the... panel discussion.” Click here for the full article

Melissa working the registration table

Click here for a second MFWire.com article that links to several resulting feature articles in national publications.

Over 80 reporters attended the session including 60 in-person and 20 by telephone.

Attending publications included:

Associated Press
Barron’s
Bloomberg News
Bloomberg TV
Bond Buyer
CBS MoneyWatch
Consumer Reports
DailyFinance
Dow Jones
Daily News
ETF Expert
ETF Tutor
ExchangeTradedFunds.com
Financial Planning
Forbes
Fortune
Fox Business Channel
Ignites.com
Investment Advisor
Investment Dealers’ Digest
Investment News
MarketWatch
Money Management Executive
Money-Media
Motley Fool
New York Post
Nightly Business Report
NIKKEI
Opalesque Futures Intelligence
Reuters
ReutersInsider
SmartMoney
Standard & Poor’s
TheStreet.com
US News & World Report
Wall Street Journal

04/19/10 Hennessy Funds - investing in Japan

2010-04-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

On Monday, April 19th Hennessy Funds sponsored a media luncheon entitled “Compelling themes for investing in Japan.”

Neil Hennessy, CIO and portfolio manager of Hennessy Funds and Shuhei Abe, CIO and founder of Tokyo-based SPARX Asset Management, provide their views on investment themes and opportunities in Japan.

Twenty-three reporters from top business and financial publications attended this event held at a New York City restaurant. Attending publications were:

MarketWatch
AP
Barron’s
Reuters
NIKKEI
Money Management Executive
Daily News
SmartMoney
Fortune
Daily Finance
Forbes
Investment Dealers’ Digest
Dow Jones
Standard & Poor’s

In addition, SunStar Strategic sent an array of tweets via Twitter in conjunction with the event:

Live at Hennessy #Funds & SPARX press lunch in NYC: Compelling themes for investing in Japan.

Hennessy: Partnership with SPARX will offer shareholders outstanding shareholder servicing combined with focused Japan-based money management.

SPARX's Shuhei Abe now speaking at Hennessy Funds event in #NYC.

SPARX Abe: Valuations for Japanese stocks remain at near-historic lows & priced for no-growth scenario.

SPARX Abe: 60% of Japanese Equities are Trading at or below book value.

SPARX Abe: Japanese companies have become lean. Sales increases translate to disproportionate profits.

SPARX Abe: Japan's government and corporations are changing to become more shareholder friendly.

SPARX Abe: Japan is world’s most energy efficient country.

SPARX Abe: Worldwide demand for Japan's green-related technologies should be massive.

SPARX Abe: China's development mirrors Japan's development with a 30-year lag.

Japan represents a gateway to Asia's emerging markets.

Hennessy: Investing in Japan means investing in global companies HQed in Japan

Hennessy: Investors can gain exposure to emerging markets with less volatility and risk by investing in Japan

Hennessy: Some think investing in Japan is risky, real risk is not being there.

MFWire: Schwab's ETF Strategy

2009-11-02T13:21:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Schwab executives... discussed Schwab's ETF strategy with journalists in New York City. Over 55 journalists attended. Click here for the full story.

MFWire.com: Walt Bets on ETFs

2009-11-02T06:46:00.001-08:00

Schwab will be holding it's press briefing to support its launch of ETFs. MFwire.com mentioned that SunStar will be setting up the event. Stay tuned for the results. Click here for the full story.

10/13/09 Touchstone Launches 10 Funds

2009-10-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

We had 29 journalists from top publications attend this event. Attending publications included:
· Barron's
· Bloomberg News
· Bloomberg Radio
· Dow Jones
· Enterprise & Industry Historic Research
· Forbes
· Freelance
· Investment News
· Markets Media
· Money
· Mutual Fund Wire
· Opalesque Futures Intelligence
· SmartMoney
· SNL Financial
· Standard & Poors
· ThomsonReuters

Presenters Included:

· Steven M. Graziano, President, Touchstone Investments
· Michael Farr, Farr, Miller & Washington, LLC, Touchstone Capital Appreciation Fund
· Ted Bradford, Bradford & Marzec, LLC, Touchstone Core Plus Fixed Income Fund
· Patricia Perez-Coutts, AGF Investments America, Inc., Touchstone Emerging markets Equity Fund
· Ian MacCallum, Bedlam Asset Management, PLC, Touchstone Global Equity Fund
· Tim Haywood, Augustus Asset Managers Limited, Touchstone International Fixed Income Fund
· Paul Viera, EARNEST Partners LLC, Touchstone Large Cap Relative Value Fund
· Gina Moore, Aronson+Johnson+Ortiz LP, Touchstone Long/Short Equity Fund
· Peter Zuger, Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC, Touchstone Mid Cap Value Fund
· Stephen Goddard, The London Company, Touchstone Small Cap Core Fund

MFWire: Touchstone's new chief scouts for acquisitions

2009-10-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

MFWire.com summarizes the recent Touchstone Press Briefing which was held to tell the media and their investors about their multiple new funds and portfolio managers' outlook on the market. SunStar set up the event. Click here for the story.

10/1/09 Hennessy Focus 30 Fund Rebalance Press Briefing

2009-10-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

We had 17 journalists from top publications attend this event. Attending publications included:

· Associated Press
· Bloomberg News
· Dow Jones News
· Fortune
· Forbes
· Freelance
· Investment Advisor
· Markets Media
· Nikkei Newspaper
· SmartMoney
· Standard & Poor’s
· ThomsonReuters
· Wall Street Journal
· Washington Post

Presenters Included:

· Neil Hennessy, Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Hennessy Funds
· Neil Hennessy was joined by Terry Nilsen and Tania Kelley of Hennessy Funds

About the Webinar

2009-07-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

Be on a panel with other top undiscovered fund managers to get the attention and recognition you deserve
Build/strengthen relationships with financial journalists
Earn positive news coverage about your fund and its management style
Leverage the third-party endorsed news coverage to add credibility to your other sales and marketing efforts
Earn local press coverage by promoting this high profile event to the journalists that you know in your backyard
Invite financial advisors and other top clients and prospects to listen

SunStar will offer the Webinar for Top Mutual Funds on a date to be determined from 2pm to 3pm ET.
This event will be similar to our popular New York City Press Briefings, except you can participate from the comfort of your office, eliminating the need for costly travel and time away from the office.

The Webinar will give you the opportunity to tell dozens of reporters about how you achieved outstanding performance during these challenging times and longer periods, as well as your investment philosophy, sectors and stocks you like, and beliefs on the market going forward. We anticipate 20-35 journalists will hear your story.

You will also receive contact information for each journalist who participates and other attendees so you can stay in touch, and a DVD of the Webinar that you can use in your sales and marketing efforts.

There are only 5 spots available at the cost of $5,500 per fund.

To get more information or ask questions, call Dan Sondhelm at 703-894-1046 or by email at dsondhelm@isunstar.com by August 14, 2009.

SunStar Webinars assemble undiscovered and name-brand fund managers across a wide range of asset classes, sectors, and management styles. Participants can look forward to presenting to members of the retail, intermediary, institutional and trade press from recognized publications such as Associated Press, Barron’s, Bloomberg News, Business Week, CNNMoney, Crain’s New York Business, Dow Jones News, Financial Advisor, Financial Planning, Forbes, Fortune, Institutional Investor, Investment Advisor, Investment News, Marketwatch.com, Money, New York Times, Newsday, On Wall Street, Registered Rep., Reuters, Smart Money, Standard & Poors, The Daily Record, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and more.
SunStar helps institutional investment managers and mutual fund firms attract and retain investors, strengthen distribution, and build brands through structured news generation programs and smart marketing. We know the industry and the reporters who cover it helping our clients get the attention and recognition they deserve.

6/23/09 Webinar for Top Mutual Funds

2009-06-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

We had 52 journalists from top publications and many financial advisors attend this week's Webinar for Top Mutual Funds. Attending publications include:

Associated Press
Barrons
Bloomberg News
Bottom Line
Business Week
CNBC
Daily Finance
Blogging Stocks
Debt Wire
Dow Jones
Forbes
Fortune
Fox Business
Wall St. Jnl. Radio
Freelance
Investment Advisor
Investment News
Investors Business Daily
Kiplinger's
Louis Rukeyser's Mutual Funds
Marketwatch
MFWire
MSN/Money
MutualFundSmarts.com
Nightly Business Report
Omaha World Herald
On Wall Street
Reuters
S&P
SmartMoney
TheStreet.com
Ticker
Wall Street Journal

Presenters include:

Randall Greer First Focus Core Equity Fund
Chris Rowane Huntington Mid Corp America Fund
Barry James James Balanced Golden Rainbow Fund
Ron Sugameli New Century Alternative Strategies Portfolio
Mark Denkinger Principal High Yield Fund

A replay can be found here.

Email us if you want information on participating in our next Webinar.

MFWire.com: SunStar Promotes its Diamonds in the Rough

2009-06-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

SunStar held its most recent Webinar on Tuesday where 5 top fund managers presented their investment stories to a virtual room of journalists and financial advisors. 50 journalists and many financial advisors attended from all over the country. Click here for the coverage from MFwire.com. Email me if you want information to participate in our next Webinar.

5/5/2009 Schwab Funds Results

2009-06-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

On May 5, 2009, Schwab re-launched its mutual fund family. As part of the integrated marketing effort surrounding this announcement, Schwab hosted a press briefing for reporters in NYC.

Forty-seven reporters attended from a variety of publications. Broadcast, print, online video, online, radio, magazines, newspapers and more participated! In addition, a number of impromptu interviews took place before and after the event. For example, two freelance contributors of radio content to NPR conducted interviews prior to the event with three executives.

This recap contains a list of reporters who attended the event and a list of additional interviews arranged by SunStar in addition to the event.

47 reporters from the following publications attended the event:

Money
Fortune
Thomson Reuters
Bank Investment Consultant
BusinessWeek
Freelance
AP
Financial Planning
Forbes
Barron's
Crain's New York Business
Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal Digital Network
Nikkei Newspaper
SmartMoney
Investment Advisor
MutualFundSmarts.com
Ignites
SNL Financial
The Daily Finance
Money Management Executive
Enterprise & Industry Historic Research
Bloomberg News
The Wall Street Journal Radio
Fund Action
Standard & Poor's
Yahoo! Tech Ticker

27 one-on-one print and TV interviews for Schwab executives were set up with the following publications:

Fund Action
Ignites
Morningstar
Investment News
MFWire.com
Barron’s
CNBC Power Lunch
Forbes.com
Morningstar
FoxBusiness.com
CNBC’s Squawk on the Street
TheStreet.com
CNNMoney
The Wall Street Journal Digital Network
Fox Business Channel
The Wall Street Journal Radio
Yahoo! TechTicker VIDEO
CNBC’s Closing Bell – LIVE at 3 p.m.
Fortune
Wall Street Journal
Financial Planning
AP – Video Interview, “Your Money”

Webinar FAQ

2009-03-30T10:57:00.001-07:00

What is the SunStar Webinar and how is it different than our New Your City conferences? The Webinar will gives up to 5 fund managers the opportunity to tell dozens of reporters about how they achieved outstanding performance during these challenging times and longer periods, as well as your investment philosophy, sectors and stocks you like, and beliefs on the market going forward. This event is also a good way to build and strengthen relationships with reporters and earn positive news coverage. This event will be similar to our popular New York City Press Briefings, except you can participate from the comfort of your office, eliminating the need for costly travel and time away from the office.

What types of reporters can we expect to attend? You can expect 20-35 reporters from the following types of publications to attend our events:

financial advisor publications (Financial Planning, Investment News)
institutional publications (Pension's and Investments and Institutional Investor)
mainstream business publications (The Wall Street Journal, Business Week)
consumer publications (Money, Smart Money)
broadcast news (CNBC)
freelance writers.

Click here for the actual results from past events.

How much media coverage can we expect? It is typical for clients to be part of several stories within a few weeks following the event. It is possible, however, you won't get any press coverage. The quality and quantity of press coverage depends on the quality of your presentation, the timliness of the information, and the needs of the journalists who tune in. In addition to press coverage, another major benefit to participation in our events is relationship building with key journalists. This way you can earn press coverage over time.
Can we invite other audiences to listen? Yes. You may invite the journalists who may cover you locally, financial advisors, top clients and prospect, important people within your organization, etc.
What have previous participants thought about SunStar conference? Click here to read testimonials from participants and journalists who attended previous events.

What is the format of the event?

formal presentations kept to 5 minutes each (30-35 minutes)
Q&A (15 minutes)
Several poll questions throughout

In what order do participants present? The portfolio managers present in alphabetical order by fund name.

What makes for a strong presentation? Reporters need to develop fresh and interesting angles every day, so the portfolio managers who speak to current conditions, as opposed to a canned presentation that could just as easily be given a year ago, should earn more press coverage. Focus on the following issues:

your investment philosophy,
what good decisions you made that helped performance,
current themes in your portfolio,
your thoughts on the markets and the economy over the next few months,
stock picks and reasons why you like them.
Keep your commercial on your firm and your fund to 30 seconds.

Why are the presentations kept to only 5 minutes? Reporters have limited time to attend events like this. They prefer not be out of the office for multiple hours because they are busy covering breaking news and trends. Since we provide access to multiple portfolio managers at the same time, each presentation has to be kept short and focused.

Can we use a Powerpoint? Each company will be able to create 3 Powerpoint slides with photo, company logo, investment philosophy, market outlook, 3 securities. We will send you the template.
Will you help prepare my presenter prior to the event? Yes. We will set up a coaching call with your portfolio manager to answer any questions, prepare him for what to expect, and help him determine which issues he should focus on. We will also offer to listen to a dry-run of the presentation several days prior to the event.
Will there be technical training for the Webinar? We will have at least two dry runs prior to the Webinar to go over how to use the Webinar service and avoid technical problems.
Are television interviews included in this event? We notify the major TV stations and financial Websites about your participation in the event. As a result, it is not unusual for CNBC, for example, to want to interview some of the portfolio managers during the day or within the next few weeks.

My presenter may be uncomfortable speaking to groups or interviewing on television. Can you help him be at his best? For an additional fee, we will help prepare your presenter, strengthen interviewing skills and gain comfort with the interview process during a media bootcamp session. In a tailored session for your presenter which includes workshop exercises and on-camera simulated interviews, we will help enhance your message, help your portfolio manager feel more in control of an interview, and communicate effectively. We can also add other spokes people to the training session for cost efficiencies. Please ask us about this service if you believe it would help your portfolio manager(s) deliver a stronger presentation.

Testimonials

2009-02-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

Participants:
“The SunStar Lipper Leader’s press conferences in New York 12-3-08 represented our first experience in such an event. Kudo’s to SunStar for the professional and on-time manner in which they conducted both conferences. The two locations were superb, the audience represented a nice cross-section of media personnel, and even the food was good – especially the dinner the night before the event. Also, their efficient scheduling enabled us to make our airline flights the same day. Well done!” Art Ally, President, Timothy Plan Funds.

"I was very pleased with my experience at the Lipper Leaders conference on December 3, 2008, both in terms of the quality of the reporters present, the wide range of business publications, and the follow-up by my SunStar contact Tony Kono. In addition to the fine locations where the presentations took place, I was also pleased with the attention to detail and the additional conversations I had with reporters at the meetings. Finally, I was pleased to see that what I said in the meetings was reported in some of the respective publications." James O’Leary, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Touchstone Funds.

"The Lipper tie-in is great. Having both a downtown and a midtown event makes good sense. Bus service between 2 worked out very well. Congrats on a post 9/11 record turnout. Food was out of this world, as always. I can't think of anything that would have made event better." Jeff Battles, Director of Marketing, James Investment Research, Inc.

"We are very pleased to have been invited to participate in the SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefing. The professionals at SunStar did an excellent job in creating an environment for us to showcase our capabilities and to more effectively interact with influential members of the media." Robert E. Morrison, Jr., AFBA 5Star Investment Management Company

"SunStar's Lipper Leader press briefings consistently attract cream-of-the crop mutual fund reporters from top outlets. In my experience at Charles Schwab, our PMs who present at these events get noticed and quoted in articles and broadcast appearances for months to come. SunStar has created a winning formula for introducing fund managers to the most relevant reporters." Sondra Harris, Director, Public Relations, Charles Schwab

"I recently attended a SunStar Lipper Leader press briefing with one of our fund managers. The event was very well organized and well attended. The program moved along at just the right pace allowing each portfolio manager to highlight their fund and make key points. We were very impressed with the number and quality of the reporters that approached us. We started receiving calls from reporters the next day! This event resulted in a significant amount of press coverage and we felt that it was very worthwhile. " Lisa Collins, Senior Product Manager, Huntington Funds.

"We were an unknown fund with good performance. But no one knew we existed. Our first Lipper Leader press event resulted a Barron’s article about the Hodges Fund. That opened the flood gates for additional exposure and press coverage. The rest is history." Don Hodges, president and portfolio manager, Hodges Fund.

"Principal Funds has participated in two Lipper Leader news conferences to date. These events are well-run and of solid value in connecting with key reporters covering the industry." Susan Houser, Principal Funds.

"I thought the press briefing format was a very efficient way for the press to quickly learn about a fund and its investment approach. I found it interesting that the journalists that approached me were mostly interested in the Young Investor Fund and the financial literacy component. I have followed up with these journalists, with two likely to do an article on the YIF . I like to complement you and all the SunStar staff for a great event." Bob Bacarella, Monetta Funds

Journalists:
“Thanks for the invite, was definitely a good session (went to the morning event). Overall, wouldn’t change much to the format, though I’m not really sure how the markets overview at the beginning was useful, would have rather given more time to the fund managers. Generally, I had enough time to speak with each of them after and enjoyed most of the presentations.” Geoff Rogow, Dow Jones

“Yes, I think your events are always very helpful and useful. And I don’t think you folks could have improved on it at all.Grateful for having had the opportunity and look forward to your future events.” I.S., Associate Editor, N.Y

“Most useful was getting a chance to speak briefly with the fund managers. Many of us from Reuters came to get new voices for stories on stocks we cover.” Nick Zieminski, Reuters

"I think the briefing was great. It’s terrific that fund managers get just a few short minutes to make their summaries. For journalists, it provides a great introduction so they can pursue interesting fund managers right after the event or later. I think it’s a wonderful platform for the managers." Daisy Maxey, Dow Jones

"I think the most useful part of the event was the network session afterwards, it is always good to have face time with people in fund companies. Thank you again for inviting me." Erin Kello, MFWire.com

"I always enjoy the variety of varied portfolio managers/fund execs. Great to get different perspectives. And I found Lipper's assessment of the S&P's earnings of particular interest at this meeting." Lori Pizzani, freelance writer

"I thought the event was really well structured and ran like clockwork! It was very useful to me, and the presentations were excellent."Irene Francis, Consuelo Mack WealthTrack

"Most useful, as always, was your tight time-frame. I got info on a half-dozen fund managers in a short time. I can’t afford the time to attend many events because they are either in the middle of the day or are too long." Tim Paradis, Associated Press

12/3/08 SunStar/Lipper Results

2008-12-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

Results: 41 reporters attended, including a CNBC camera to conduct live interviews.

Journalists from the following publications covered the event:

Associated Press
Bloomberg News
Bloomberg Radio
Bloomberg TV
Business Week
Consumer Reports
Dow Jones News
Forbes
Fortune
Fox Business Channel
FoxBusiness.com
Fund Action
Investment Advisor
MarketWatch
Money Management Executive
MSN Money
MFWire.com
MutualFundSmarts.com
Nikkei Newspaper
Reuters
Smart Money
Smart Money Online
Standard & Poors
Washington Post
Various freelance journalists

Participants:

Thomson Reuters, Ashwani Kaul
AHA Limited Maturity Fixed Income Fund (AHLFX) - Rod Olea
Huntington Mortgage Securities Fund (HUMSX) - Bill Doughty
Principal MidCap Blend Fund (PEMGX) - Tom Rozycki
Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund (PTHAX) - Thalia Meehan
Timothy Plan Large/Mid-Cap Value Fund (TLVAX) - David Spika
Touchstone International Growth Fund (TAIMX) - Jim O'Leary

And the participating funds are...

2008-11-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

Participating funds and presenters for our Dec 3, 2008 SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefing include:

AHA Limited Maturity Fixed Income Fund (AHLFX) - Rod Olea

Huntington Mortgage Securities Fund (HUMSX) - Bill Doughty

Principal MidCap Blend Fund (PEMGX) - Tom Rozycki

Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund (PTHAX) - Thalia Meehan

Timothy Plan Large/Mid-Cap Value Fund (TLVAX) - David Spika

Touchstone International Growth Fund (TAIMX) - Jim O'Leary

Let me know if you would be interested in being contacted about our next event.

MFWire.com: SunStar Unveils List of Lipper Leader Qualifiers

2008-10-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Click here for the complete list.

FAQ

2008-09-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

What is a SunStar Press Brefing? These briefings give up to eight fund managers the opportunity to tell dozens of reporters about your top-performing name-brand or lesser-known fund. You can tell journalists how the management team achieved outstanding performance and thoughts on sectors, stocks, and the market going forward. This event is a good way to build and strengthen relationships with reporters and earn positive news coverage.

What types of reporters can we expect to attend? You can expect 25-40 reporters from the following types of publications to attend our events:

financial advisor publications (Financial Planning, Investment News)
institutional publications (Pension's and Investments and Institutional Investor)
mainstream business publications (The Wall Street Journal, Business Week)
consumer publications (Money, Smart Money)
broadcast news (CNBC)
freelance writers.

Click here for the actual results from past events.

How much media coverage can we expect? It is typical for clients to be part of several stories within a few weeks following the event. It is possible, however, you won't get any press coverage. The quality and quantity of press coverage depends on the quality of your presentation, the timliness of the information, and the needs of the journalists in the room. In addition to press coverage, another major benefit to participation in our events is relationship building with key journalists. This way you can earn press coverage over time.

What have previous participants thought about the briefing? Click here to read testimonials from participants and journalists who attended previous events.

How often can we participate in the briefing? We want to make sure reporters have access to fund managers who are considered undiscovered as well as high-profile managers. As a result, we limit participation to one time per year for a specific fund and two times per year for a specific fund family.

What is the format of the event? Our events feature a brunch and/or lunch at high-end locations. The typical agenda includes:

networking (15 minutes)
formal presentations kept to 6 minutes each (60 minutes)
Q&A (15 minutes)
more networking (15-60 minutes)

If we are holding dual events such as a brunch downtown and a lunch midtown, for reporters' convenience, we will supply a van to transport participants fiollowing the morning event.

In what order do participants present? The portfolio managers present in alphabetical order by fund name. If there is a luncheon briefing as well, the portfolio managers will present in reverse alphabetical order by fund name.

What makes for a strong presentation? Reporters need to develop fresh and interesting angles every day, so the portfolio managers who speak to current conditions, as opposed to a canned presentation that could just as easilly be given a year ago, should earn more press coverage. Focus on the following issues:

your investment philosophy,
what good decisions you made that helped performance,
current themes in your portfolio,
your thoughts on the markets and the economy over the next few months,
stock picks and reasons why you like them.

Keep your commercial on your firm and your fund to 30 seconds.

Why are the presentations kept to only 6 minutes? Reporters have limited time to attend events like this. They prefer not be out of the office for multiple hours because they are busy covering breaking news and trends. Since we provide access to multiple portfolio managers at the same time, each presentation has to be kept short and focused. There will be time prior to and following the event for informal interviews. And bring plenty of business cards so you can build a long-term relationship with each reporter.

Can we use a Powerpoint? We will not be using Powerpoint because of the limited amount of time per presentation. However, you can bring Powerpoint slides to handout prior to your presentation.

Will you help prepare my presenter prior to the event? Yes. We will set up a coaching call with your portfolio manager to answer any questions, prepare him for what to expect, and help him determine which issues he should focus on. We will also offer to listen to a dry-run of the presentation several days prior to the event.

Are television interviews included in this event? We notify the major TV stations and financial Websites about your participation in the event. As a result, it is not unusual for CNBC, for example, to want to interview some of the portfolio managers during the day or within the next few weeks. It is also typical for major financial Websites, such as TheStreet.com, to bring a video camera to the event to conduct taped interviews. Interviews are based on the journalists interest. There are no guarantees for an appearance and if you don't want an appearance, let us know.

My presenter may be uncomfortable speaking to groups or interviewing on television. Can you help him be at his best? For an additional fee, we will help prepare your presenter, strengthen interviewing skills and gain comfort with the interview process during a media bootcamp session. In a tailored session for your presenter which includes workshop exercises and on-camera simulated interviews, we will help enhance your message, help your portfolio manager feel more in control of an interview, and communicate effectively. We can also add other spokes people to the training session for cost efficiencies. Please ask us about this service if you believe it would help your portfolio manager(s) deliver a stronger presentation.

Can we bring a third person? We prefer each firm has one presenter and one additional person attend. This way, each firm has an equal opportunity to meet with key reporters. In addition, it allows the reporters easier access to your portfolio manager. With that said, if you still want to bring a third person, there is an additional fee of $1,800.

8/19/2008 SunStar Lipper Leaders results

2008-08-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Check out the results from our recent SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefing.

Results: 61 reporters attended, including a CNBC camera to interview at the event. Publications that were represented at the event include the following:

The Wall Street Journal

Investors Business Daily

Marketwatch

Money Management Executive

Dow Jones News

CNBC Don Hodges David James

Financial Week

Washington Post

Louis Rukeyser's Mutual Funds

BusinessWeek

Forbes

SmartMoney

Barron’s

Best Life Magazine

SNL Financial

Bloomberg News

FoxBusiness.com

Pensions & Investments

Standard & Poor’s

MutualFundWire

TheStreet.com

Financial Planning

Associated Press

Defined Contribution News

Consuelo Mack Wealth Track

High Yield Report

Reuters

Nikkei Newspapers

Various freelance reporters

Participants:

Ashwani Kaul --Reuters Estimates S&P 500: recap and predictions

Robert Schaeffer --Becker Value Equity Fund: Unearthing Value Opportunities in the Market
Anton Schutz -- Burnham Financial Industries Fund: The Financial Sector – Positioning Past the Crisis

Kent Croft -- Croft Value Fund: Generating Value Investing Ideas

Don Hodges -- Hodges Fund: Tale of Two Markets: The Haves and the Have Nots

David James -- James Golden Rainbow Fund: Dealing with the Bear

Robert S. Bacarella -- Monetta Fund: Identifying Changing Expectations (“ICE” Method)

Dan Coleman -- Principal SAM Conservative Growth Portfolio

SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefing

2008-06-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Learn if you qualify for our next SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefing to tell the story of your high-quality fund and its elite status to dozens of journalists at the same time.

You qualify if any mutual funds at your firm received two coveted Lipper Leader top ratings: Consistent Return and Total Return for 3 or 5 years, or overall, as of August 31, 2008.* Only about 15% of all funds tracked by Lipper qualify for these rankings.

Benefits:
-Build/strengthen relationships with financial journalists and earn positive news coverage about your fund and its management style
-Influence the influencers such as due diligence groups at intermediary firms and financial advisors
-Leverage the Lipper Leader brand for more credible third-party endorsed marketing

Lipper, through a partnership with industry public relations and marketing consulting firm SunStar, will offer the SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefings on Wednesday, December 3, in New York City. For the convenience of reporters, we will offer two briefings, one from 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in the financial district and one from 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in midtown.

These briefings will give you and an associate the opportunity to tell dozens of reporters at both briefings about your fund. You can tell journalists how the management team achieved outstanding performance, investment philosophy, sectors, stocks, and the market going forward.
To make sure that you and your fund have sufficient time with reporters there will only be seven money managers presenting at the SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefings. If you want to be one of the presenters, here are the basics.

When and where:
Wednesday, December 3, 2008

-8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET – Financial District
Thomson Reuters Building
195 Broadway
Thomson Hall Room

-11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET – Midtown
Thomson Reuters Building
3 Times Square
Carnegie Room, 30th Floor

What:
Formal presentation by fund managers
Networking with reporters over breakfast and lunch

Expected Media Audience:
25 - 40 reporters

Cost:
$9400 per presenter

Deadline to RSVP:
October 30, 2008

Contact:
Dan Sondhelm, SunStar, Inc.
Telephone: 703-894-1046
For more information, click here.

*A fund named a Lipper Leader for Consistent Return has shown a strong trend of solid long-term performance versus its peers, adjusted for risk. A fund that received the Lipper Leader for Total Return designation has delivered performance topping 80% of its competitors. The ratings are calculated each month by Lipper, a leading global provider of fund analysis and research.

Lipper Leader ratings are available on consumer financial websites reaching more than 10 million investors each month, including Forbes.com, Kiplinger.com, WSJ.com, Marketwatch.com, Reuters.com, and SmartMoney.com

SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefings assemble both well-known and undiscovered investment managers across a wide range of asset classes, sectors, and management styles. Participants can look forward to presenting to members of the retail, intermediary, institutional and trade press from recognized publications such as Associated Press, Barron’s, Bloomberg News, Business Week, CNNMoney, Crain’s New York Business, Dow Jones News, Financial Planning, Forbes, Fortune, Institutional Investor, Investment News, Marketwatch.com, Money, Newsday, On Wall Street, Registered Rep., Reuters, Smart Money, Standard & Poors, The Daily Record, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and more.

SunStar is a leading public relations and marketing consulting firm that works with mutual fund companies to attract assets and build brands through smart marketing.

4/16/2008 SunStar Lipper Leaders results

2008-04-21T12:05:00.001-07:00

Check out the results from our recent SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefing.

Results: 48 reporters attended. In addition, CNBC, TheStreet.com, Louis Rukeyser's Mutual Funds and Yahoo! TechTicker brought cameras to interview our participants live. Bloomberg Radio was also there conducting interviews. Click on the links below to read some of the coverage that happened within 3 days. Additional coverage has resulted since. Publications that attended the event include the following:

-The Wall Street Journal
-Investment Advisor Magazine
-International Herald Tribune
-Money Management Executive
-Dow Jones
-Dow Jones News
-CNBC link 1 link 2
-New York Daily News
-US News & World Report
-Louis Rukeyser's Mutual Funds
-Investment News
-Worth
-SmartMoney
-Kiplinger’s
-Bloomberg TV
-Bloomberg Radio
-Bloomberg News
-FoxBusiness.com
-Yahoo! TechTicker
-Barron’s Online
-Standard & Poor’s
-MutualFundWire
-TheStreet.com link 1 link 2 link 3
-Fund Action
-Hedge World
-Financial Planning
-Associated Press
-Defined Contribution News
-Consuelo Mack Wealth Track
-High Yield Report
-Reuters
-Nikkei Newspapers
-Various freelance reporters

Participants:
Ashwani Kaul
Reuters Estimates S&P 500: recap and predictions

Stephen Goddard
AFBA Five Star Balanced Fund: AFBA 5Star Balanced Fund Strategy

Dan Chung

Alger Mid Cap Growth Institutional Fund: Themes in Mid Cap Equity Investing

Arieh Coll

Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Multi-cap Growth Fund: Multiple Reasons for Multi-cap Stocks

Todd L. McAllister

Heritage Mid Cap Stock Fund: Why mid-cap is still the “sweet spot”

Patrick Gundlach

Marshall Small Cap Growth Fund: Finding Growth in Small Caps

Brian Placzek

Principal High Yield Fund II: Consistent Long-term Approach

Jeffrey Knight

Putnam Asset Allocation Growth Portfolio

Jeff Markunas

RidgeWorth Large Cap Core Equity Fund: Introducing IronOak Advisors: Core Equity Sub-advisor to the RidgeWorth Funds

MFWire.com: SunStar Guru Teaches Press Conferences 101

2007-11-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

What does a fund company get out of holding a press event? Dan Sondhelm tells the MFWire.com why they matter and how to get the most out of them. Click here for the full story.

11/13/07 SunStar Lipper Leaders results

2007-11-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

Check out the results from our recent SunStar Lipper Leaders Press Briefing. Click here for the video.

Results: 41 reporters attended. In addition, CNBC and TheStreet.com brought cameras to interview our participants live. Publications attending included:

Wall Street Journal
Dow Jones News
Standard and Poors
International Herald Tribune
Smart Money
Mutual Fund Wire
Wealth Manager Magazine
Fortune Magazine
Crains New York
CNBC
Investor's Business Daily
US News and World Report
Bloomberg News
TheStreet.com
Fund Action
Hedge World
Forbes
Financial Planning
Associated Press
Defined Contribution News
Consuelo Mack Wealth Track
High Yield Report
Reuters
Nikkei Newspapers
Various freelance writers

Participants:

Ashwani Kaul
Reuters Estimates
S&P 500: recap and predictions
Adam Sheer
Roosevelt Anti-Terror Multi-Cap Fund
Tackling the next thing in socially screened investing
Tom Laming
AFBA 5Star Science & Technology Fund
Profiting from science
Michael Corelli
Allianz OCC Opportunity Fund; C
Thematic investing in small caps
Sam Lieber
Alpine International Real Estate Equity Fund
Opportunities for investing in global property stocks
Neil Hennessy
Hennessy Focus 30 Fund
Quantitative, non-emotional investing
Greg Hopper
Julius Baer Global High Income Fund
Global high-yield opportunities
Michael Finnegan
Principal LifeTime 2020 Fund (Institutional)
Principal date: It's your father's pension plan

MFWire.com: SunStar Marks Marketing Milestone

2007-09-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Click here for the full story about how our conferences helped SunStar grow.

Contact Us Now

2007-07-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

For more information on participating in the Briefing, contact Dan Sondhelm at 703-894-1046.

06/07/07 SunStar Charles Schwab Inv. Mgmt. results

2007-06-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

Participants:

Evelyn Dilsaver
President and CEO, Charles Schwab Investment Management
Welcome and introductions; overview of CSIM
Greg Forsythe Senior Vice President
Schwab Equity Ratings
Overview of Schwab Equity Ratings and their use in mutual funds
Jeff Mortimer
Senior Portfolio Manager and Chief Investment Officer, Equities
Market commentary and overview of Schwab and Laudus actively-managed equity funds
Caroline Lee
Portfolio Manager, Laudus International MarketMasters Fund
International market commentary and
overview of Laudus International MarketMasters Fund
Kim Daifotis
Senior Portfolio Manager and Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income
Economic commentary, bond market outlook and Schwab’s fixed income funds
Katrina F. Sherrerd
Principal, Strategic Planning and Affiliate Relations Research Affiliates, LLC
Principles of the Fundamental Index
Jim Sempere
Managing Director, Real Estate Investments
Global real estate commentary and an overview of the Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
Steve Dean
Director of Strategy Analysis, AXA Rosenberg
International small and mid cap market commentary

Results:
42 reporters from the following:

Business Week

Associated Press

Smart Money

Washington Post

Wall Street Journal

Investors Business Daily

Ignites.com

TheStreet.com

Bloomberg News

Reuters

Hedge World

Dow Jones News

Money Management Executive

Nikkei Newspaper

Institutional Investor

The Daily Record

Worth

Bloomberg TV

Consuelo Mack Wealth Track

Wall Street Transcript

Standard and Poors

Mutual Fund Wire

Kiplinger’s

Bloomberg

Investment News

Bond Buyer

Forbes

Several freelance financial journalists

MFWire.com: Dilsaver Reveals Schwab Funds' Biggest Secret

2007-06-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

MFWire.com features the recent SunStar Charles Schwab Investment Management Press Briefing executed by SunStar. Click here for the article.

05/01/07 SunStar Lipper Leaders results

2007-05-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Participants:

Ashwani Kaul... Reuters Estimates... Lipper research
Adriana Posada... American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund... Value investing
Kent G. Croft... Croft-Leominster Value Fund... Value investing
Lewis Piantedosi... Eaton Vance Large-Cap Growth Fund... Investments for an increasingly volatile environment
Mark Coffelt... Empiric Core Equity Fund... Finding the "sweet spot"
Don Hodges... Hodges Fund... Going where the action is
Shigeki Makino... Putnam Global Equity Fund... Values in old economy industries levered emerging markets
Michael E. Jones... Touchstone Value Opportunities Fund... Opportunities in value

Results:
35 reporters from the following publications including:

Fortune
Business Week
Associated Press
Smart Money
Washington Post
Wall Street Journal
MSN Money
Investors Business Daily
Ignites.com
Crains NY Business
TheStreet.com
Bloomberg News
Reuters
Hedge World
Dow Jones News
Money Management Executive
Fox News Channel
Nikkei Newspaper
Bloomberg Radio
Several freelance financial journalists

01/09/07 SunStar Lipper Leaders results

2007-01-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

Participants:

Ashwani Kaul... Reuters Estimates... Lipper research
Horacio Valeiras... Allianz NACM International FundA... Bottom-up Tour of the World
Reiner Triltsch... Excelsior International Fund... International Investing
Paul Koscik... Huntington Rotating Markets Fund... How Rotation Among Market Segments Can Enhance Returns
Ryan Jacob... Jacob Internet Fund... Opportunities in Internet Investing
Andrew Acheson... Pioneer Independence Fund... Opportunistic but Disciplined Growth Investing
Juliet Cohn... Principal Investors Diversified International Fund... Diversified Solution to International Investing
Nina Hughes... RiverSource Global Technology Fund... Discovering Global Opportunities in Technology

Results:

38 reporters from the following publications:

The Wall Street Journal
Barron's
Smart Money
Mutual Fund Wire
The Daily Record
Bloomberg
Enterprise & Industry
Historic Research
Bloomberg TV
Reuters
Fortune
NY Daily News
CNBC
Wealth Manager Magazine
Marketwatch.com
ETFR
Forbes
Financial Times
Money
EuroMoney
Associated Press
The Street.com
Investment News
Dow Jones News
Money Management Executive
Several freelance financial journalists

MFWire.com: Lipper Helps Funds Strut Their Stuff

2006-09-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

MFWire.com summarizes our last event. Click here for the full story.

09/06 SunStar Lipper Leaders results

2006-09-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Participants:

Ashwani Kaul... Reuters Estimates... Lipper research
Duncan W. Richardson... Eaton Vance Large Cap Growth Fund... GARP is Good
Michael J. Cuggino... Permanent Portfolio Fund... Preservation vs. Growth. Why not have both?
Jeffrey L. Knight... Putnam Asset Allocation Growth Portfolio
Kurt Spieler... First Focus Growth Opportunities Fund
Paul Alan Davis... Schwab Health Care Fund A... Quantitative Approach to the Healthcare Sector
Thomas Ross... Allianz RCM Global Small-Cap FundA... Global Search for Hidden Gems

Results:

40 reporters from the following publications:

Wall Street Journal
Reuters
Mutual Fund Wire
Smart Money
TheStreet.com
The Daily Record
Crains NY Business
Money
Investment News
MarketWatch
Various freelance journalists
Fund Action
Bloomberg TV
On Wall Street
ETFR
Money Management Executive

MFWire.com: Selling Real Estate

2002-08-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

Click here for the full story about our last event.

MFWire.com: This Too Will Pass

2002-08-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

MFWire.com features SunStar's most recent press event. Click here.

MFWire.com: Staying the Course

2002-05-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Click here for the full story about our last event.

MFWire.com: A Conference Put on Hold

2001-09-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

Click here for the full story about our last event.