< p>1700 people attended the NACFB Commercial Finance Expo on Wednesday to make the event the largest in the association’s history.

Registrations were up 26% on last year and the number of exhibitor stands grew by 20% to 125 and one impressed lender called it “The best of the Expos by some margin.”

Exhibitors at the Expo, held in the Pavilion at Birmingham’s NEC, included the FCA and the British Business Bank who were also on hand at one of the day’s four conferences to explain more about their processes.

Attendees were given the chance to host meetings in the NACFB’s marquee-style Business Lounge, which was a new addition alongside the 200-seat conference theatre.

A member meanwhile told the NACFB: “This was my first Expo despite being trading for fifteen years – I don’t always trust the hype about these things but honestly I was extremely impressed.”

While another lender said: “I was very impressed with the event – I thought it had a real buzz about it and the central location is superb!”

The Expo allows the NACFB to bring its members up-to-date with how the association is being run and what changes it is making to keep one step ahead of regulation.

The NACFB also wanted to let the wider commercial finance world know about other work it carries out, including the strengthening of ties with regulators and government initiatives.