It’s fair to say that we’ve spent a couple of days out and about when everyone in the office wishes they were at the show and everyone at the show wishes they were in the office!

With all industry exhibitions there’s no doubt that without the delegates there isn't a desire from the exhibitors to attend and vice versa. Without one element the other element cannot function. This is also true in the commercial and bridging sector with lenders and brokers, brokers and surveyors, lenders and solicitors. All involved parties of an application cannot function without the other, from the start of this process right through to completion. It requires the right amount of input and communication from all involved to ensure the application completes. 

When you walk around the exhibition there is always a mix of stands for delegates to interact with to help identify new business opportunities or just get a better understanding of the products and services on offer from providers.  The benefits of seeing a variety of providers at these shows is the same as the considerations when choosing your lender panel, it helps to ensure your panel has a diverse and whole of market offering which benefits your client when finding a solution which best fits. Blemain Group with its three brands covering residential, commercial, mortgage and bridging propositions allows the intermediary to have a better understand of different markets and product offering to ensure the secured structured finance will be able to give your client the best solution.

The conferences at these events are a great way of looking at new funding and embracing new ideas, particularly with the impending changes to existing regulation in lending from next April and the introduction of MMR with the move to one common regulator.  Attending some of these seminars is hugely important to ensure the future of the industry, intermediary market and the ultimately a sustainable economy is continued.  With these impending changes I have highlighted the two main papers in which FCA spoke and ones which will be of interest:

•    The European Credit Directive will be required to be in place by 2015, this will affect sale of all secured property finance.  
•    The CP13-10 consultation paper on proposals for the FCA regime for consumer credit. This covers how all consumer finance will be regulated under one single body. 

As lenders review the legislation, it will continue to be the case that the long term expertise of a lending company will allow an application to be able to be reviewed and understood quickly from the outset to a swift completion, whilst understanding the complexities of the client’s requirements. Dealing with the companies who stand the test of time is also a necessity, as we celebrate our 40th anniversary next year there is no substitute for experience. 

And finally when the discussions have been had, the criteria explained and the seminars have been listened to, it’s now finally time to collect the promotional items and prize draws!  Over the years these have been as small as a single chocolate right through to as big as a car.  Either way the reasons these items are used are to ensure the delegate is reminded of you on the next application and to stand the test of time, the longer the item is around the better the chance of success. 

Well, I’m almost home now after a busy couple of days, thank you to all of you who I spent time with and I will look forward to seeing you all again soon.  Next time at the Financial Professionals Show on 6th November at Olympia we’re on stand G01 so come along and find out what we’re all about and how we can help you.