Great day at the 2026 Exit Planning Exchange (XPX) Tri-State Summit in NYC — sold out with ~125 people and, as always, a great room full of local advisors.
From our perspective, two themes really stood out:
Middle market resilience
- The headlines continue to throw some headwinds, but activity is there.
- 2025 was a record year in many respects, and we expect 2026 to continue.
- Deals are getting done, just taking more work (new risk categories, extended diligence, etc.)
AI — front and center (almost all conversations led back to AI)
- How companies should be thinking about implementing it today (no longer a ‘nice-to-have’)
- How investors are increasingly evaluating businesses through that lens — both opportunity and risk
A lot of work goes into pulling together an event like this — credit to everyone involved behind the scenes, along with the sponsors who supported it. CMG was proud to serve as the event’s bourbon sponsor.
Looking forward to next year’s summit and seeing everyone at the local chapter events until then.