Experiencing the biggest Expo yet

Yesterday's NACFB Commercial Finance Expo Leasing World retained the fresh open-plan City theme from last year, busy but not overcrowded despite welcoming more exhibitor stands (157) than ever before. It meant less time spent queueing busy corridors and more time catching up with commercial finance experts of all shapes and sizes, legal teams, app developers, systems providers and even popcorn-chefs (which we admit may be stretching the definition of "chef"...).

It was an especially colourful Expo this year, what with UTB gold, Aldermore yellow, Shawbrook pink and Allica Bank orange set against the Central Park trees and the big red fish 'n' chips Routemaster bus.

Having no fewer than ten sessions in the Big Picture Theatre, as well as that record number of exhibitor stands, did make life difficult for any visitor who was trying, as we were, to fit in a visit to everyone and everything in just six hours. Maybe in a few years we'll be reporting back from a two-day event?

NACFB CEO Jim Higginbotham welcomed the crowd to the first show of the day, saying: "Being a member of the NACFB is something different. It’s a choice that every member's made to stand for doing the right thing. It's a differentiator with potential customers, who are desperate to understand who they can trust in this marketplace. and it's a differentiator with lenders, who wants to know that their route to market has been led by people who understand what they’re doing." At the other end of the day, the question "Who Owns the Client?" was asked, answered, and argued about good-naturedly (photo above) - very interesting stuff.

Other highlights for us included catching up with several people we've not seen for a while at an Expo, as well as the Subbuteo table and rounding off the long day with Happy Hour at The Broker's Arms. It all counts as networking, after all.

As always, there’ll be a full write-up and gallery in the July issue of Leasing World, out soon.

Comment on this article