The general consensus from experienced exhibitors and visitors alike, was that this year’s event was a much quieter and more subdued affair than in previous years. Memories of visitors lining up at 9am were distant, as at 10am many of the aisles were still empty.

Having said that, the arrangement of the stalls this year made everything feel much more spread out. The wider walkways were more difficult to fill, even as the hungry hoards strode around loading up on freebies and catching up with old acquaintances.

It was also a broadly held belief that the quality of the turnout was more significant than the quantity. Those brokers with first-rate clients from affluent areas, or those who had well established reputations were very happy with their business prospects.

Peter Bloom, of B.M. Samuels, put their success down to an unwavering positive attitude that was passed onto clients. He also ascertained that their optimistic outlook, combined with an excellent reputation and long established and trusted history, would see them prosper, even in these difficult times.

Other expo success stories included the insurance boys and girls. After speaking with Mat Manser of Payment Shield, it seemed that insurance specialists could be leading the pack of credit crunch survivors. Payment protection is something that more and more people are signing up for, as job security creeps up the list of things to worry about in the noughties. Mr Manser insists that Payment Shield’s strong brand reputation, combined with the essential nature of the industry means that in expos of the future we will be seeing more and more insurance brokers and specialists.

It seemed overall that the attendees were heavily focused on diversification ideas, whilst simultaneously investigating the competition. Despite the reduced turnout, the mood among brokers was positive… with most believing that when the economy throws you lemons, simply dust off your peeler and make some lemonade.

By Danielle Williams

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