One of the things I enjoy about the AIMA Journal is the breadth of perspectives it brings together. This edition is no exception, covering everything from portfolio construction and emerging managers to regulation, digital assets, AI and the changing ways investors can access alternative strategies.

A recurring theme throughout this edition is how the industry is adapting as it grows and evolves. AIMA’s latest research with Marex, explored in more detail in these pages, points to renewed momentum among emerging managers and shows how firms are building more institutional businesses earlier in their development. Elsewhere, we look at the growing overlap between traditional and alternative investment strategies, including how hedge fund strategies are increasingly finding their way into ETFs.

AI is, unsurprisingly, part of the conversation too. But the debate has moved on considerably from a year or two ago. The question is no longer whether firms will use AI, but where it can add value and how they ensure the right governance and accountability around it. There is a similar discussion taking place in this edition around digital assets as institutional participation develops and attention turns to the infrastructure and controls needed to support it.

There is plenty more in this Journal, including thoughtful contributions on diversification, regulatory change, and operational resilience. Together, they provide a useful snapshot of some of the conversations taking place across our membership today.

Those conversations will move from the page to the stage over the coming months, as AIMA’s flagship events calendar really ramps up globally. We will bring the industry together at the Australia Forum in Sydney, the ACC Global Summit in London, the Global Investor Forum in Toronto and our APAC Annual Forum in Hong Kong. We are also launching a new Investor Xchange event in London, before finishing the year at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, where AIMA will host a dedicated day focused on hedge funds.

It is one of the busiest periods in AIMA’s calendar, and a good reflection of what AIMA does best. Bringing our community together across markets to share ideas, discuss common challenges and help shape what comes next.

I look forward to seeing many of you at these events. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this edition of the Journal.