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p>A broker guide to the NACFB Commercial Finance Expo.
The prestigious NACFB Commercial Finance Expo is edging ever even closer with 1300 visitors expected to flood into the Birmingham NEC on the 17th June.
The NACFB has even had to expand the event space to accommodate the rising level of exhibitors, with the FCA and British Business Bank recently confirming their attendance.
Chief Executive of the NACFB, Adam Tyler, says that the 6th Commercial Finance Expo has grown significantly since its humble beginnings in 2010.
“This is now a huge show with over 100 stands and we are back to the good old days of a big show with a big audience and plenty of content to keep any visitor busy all day," said Adam.
"Our show has grown and grown, it is the only place to visit to see all our lenders and Funders under one roof, for the first time the FCA have a stand at the Commercial Finance.
“We are also giving the British Business Bank the opportunity to exhibit alongside the High Street Banks, all the challengers Bank, the major Asset Funders, nearly all from the Bridging industry as well as the Peer to Peer lenders and Crowdfunders. There is nowhere you can see all this together under one roof."
So, with so many exhibitors and so many seminars, how do you optimise this expo which only comes around once a year?
Through airtight planning, of course!
So, B&C has compiled a solid plan for any broker intending to capitalise on every second the NACFB CFE has to offer.
NOTE: the ordering of the expo’s talks may be subject to change
Tuesday 16TH June – The warm up
An important thing to do before the expo is research which of the 100 exhibitors you want to visit and prepare a list of questions you want to ask them, a guaranteed timesaver for an action packed day.
Drinks Reception 7pm- 9pm
The evening before the event the NACFB will be hosting a drinks reception at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
This is the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends in the industry and more importantly lay the foundations for deals you are looking to complete at the expo.
A word of warning though, don’t drink too many complementary drinks before the big day.
Wednesday 17th June – The big day
10.30 am – Welcome and Introduction
The event kicks off with a welcome speech from Adam and then an overview of what to expect on the day from the chairman.
This is important to attend as you can obtain updates on the NACFB’s progress during the past year and what the future holds.
Line up for the Welcome Speech
Paul Goodman - NACFB Chairman's address
David Newborough - Annual Financial Review
Allan Ross - NACFB Compliance Services
John Philips - Update on FindSMEfinance
Ralph Black - Training and Education
Business Bank - Kate McAleenan - Senior Manager, Strategy and Business Development
Once the round up has finished, head out into the main hall and make a beeline for those exhibitors you want to visit first, and make sure you get in there before a rival sneaks in.
With the right research you may even bag some free gifts at some stands.
“We will be back with more Regentsmead chocolate [bars] than ever,” according to Regentsmead’s Ashley Ilsen.
“In my opinion the huge buzz at every expo is reflective of the market at the moment, and this year we won’t have an England World Cup exit to worry about too.”
11:45 am -Panel Discussion - NACFB Compliance and an Audience with the FCA
Panel members
• Session Chair - Norman Chambers
• FCA representative
• David Golder – NACFB Compliance Services
• Stephen Johnson – Shawbrook
• Adrian Coles - NACFB Director
This panel discussion is expected to be well attended, with last year’s conference hall bursting at the seams in the expo’s talk that featured a representative from the regulator.
To make sure you get your questions across to the FCA, prepare them before and get a seat near the front, so getting to the conference area early is key.
13.00 pm – Panel Discussion - NACFB Asset Finance Seminar 2015
Panel members
• Session Chair - Mike Geddes
• Mike Randall - Close Business Finance
• Wesley Harfield – Investec
• Gavin Wraith- Carter – Hitachi
• Carl D'Ammassa – Aldermore
• John Jenkins – Amicus
Kicking off around lunchtime it is important that you grab a bite to eat before you attend the next seminar, as there is nothing worse than trying to concentrate on an empty stomach.
The panel sessions are always useful to find out what is going on in the industry from those in the thick of it, plus they may even reveal some tricks of the trade.
This discussion will be very specific, so although it could be interesting, this might be a chance to explore the exhibitors a little more if you don’t operate in asset finance.
14.00 pm – Final Panel Discussion - Alternative Finance Conference
Panel members
• Session Chair – TBC
• Louise Beaumont – GLI Finance
• Laura McMullen – Funding Circle
• Andy Holgate – Assetz Capital
• John Davies - Just Cashflow
• Paul Mildenstein – Liberis
This discussion will give you a great chance to quiz some of the icons of the market.
On the panel of the last discussion, is John Davies of Just Cashflow who said: “When we started business just over a year ago this was one of the first events we attended and we soon realised this is where all of the key players in commercial finance gather every year.
“Contacts made at the time have helped drive our success to date and rapidly grow a loan book to over £6m.”
As you may have noticed there is not much time between panel discussions, so it is vital to make sure you research before which seminars and stands you want to attend.
16.30 pm – Close of play
Expect a surge of panic as visitors attempt to wrap up deals before kicking out time.
As you may have gathered, the key to this expo is execution, turn up badly planned and you could miss out on that thought provoking, energetic panel debate or alternatively miss valuable networking time and end up running around trying to squeeze it all in at the end of the day.
Danny Power of Hope Capital added that the CFE is a must attend event: “There is no other opportunity available where we are able to meet the number of quality introducers that the Expo invariably attracts.
“In recent years the NACFB Expo has reflected the growing confidence in a resurgent market and has provided a platform for the institution of robust Lender/Broker partnerships which are proving so beneficial to the client base.”
Flourish Capital has attended the Commercial Finance Expo for a couple of years, treating it as an opportunity to make and solidify relationships.
Although, the main tip from Nigel Moss of Flourish Capital is to keep your contacts warm after the event, he said: “We have found that the best way to build on the contacts made at the Expo is to follow up in the days following, when the event is still fresh in everyone’s mind, and discuss in more detail any specific opportunities.
“Even if there are no immediate opportunities, we have had many enquiries months after the Expo from contacts made on the day.”
Remember to subscribe to the main media partner of the expo Bridging and Commercial for the latest updates on the CFE. Also, follow @bandcnews on twitter for live updates on the day.
Follow these tips and you can ensure you will make the most out of the industry’s biggest expo of the year.
The prestigious NACFB Commercial Finance Expo is edging ever closer with 1300 visitors expected to flood into the Birmingham NEC on the 17th June .
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