Wave goodbye to Calendar Tetris and say hello to in-person events this Autumn.
During the past 18 months, face-to-face conferences almost completely died out. The pandemic stopped organisers in their tracks, with many events being moved online or cancelled altogether. The uncertainty surrounding restrictions in the UK made it difficult for coordinators to arrange anything concrete, without fear of another lockdown or more last-minute changes.
Here at LendingMetrics, we understand the importance of face-to-face meetings, and conferences in particular, as they give our Business Development Team a chance to shine, and to best express their passion for our multi-award-winning platforms, something that - we're sure you'll agree - just doesn't come across in the same way when hiding behind a screen. Conferences provide an unrivalled opportunity to meet likeminded people, make new connections and give potential partners an overview of what we do without the need to play Calendar Tetris to try arrange yet another Teams meeting.
That's why, when we heard that conferences were making a come-back this Autumn, we were thrilled for our team to get back on the road, starting with the Consumer Credit Association's Annual Convention at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool. Armed with a brand new banner stand and plenty of pent-up energy, our Business Development Managers headed North with the convention as their first stop before a week of in-person meetings and discovery sessions. The event hosted a range of delegates largely from the consumer lending sphere, and provided networking opportunities as well as a way for attendees to learn more about the industry. Our very own Hamish MacCormick gave a presentation about the benefits of Open Banking at the convention, focusing on use cases surrounding the hot-topic of affordability, and followed by a lively Q&A session.
About the conference, Hamish said: 'The CCA Annual Convention was a great way to mark the beginning of the return to in-person events and we were pleased to be able to attend. The Peaky Blinders themed gala dinner that followed the convention was a particular highlight, with great food and entertainment, and the Covid-safe measures in place were well considered. The events of the past year and a half have reminded us how important face-to-face communication is, whether that's when it comes to building rapport with clients or demonstrating the cutting-edge abilities of our products and services. We're looking forward to spending more time out of the office in the coming months and a gradual return to pre-Covid normality.'
The event marked the start of what looks like a busy few months ahead, as award season commences and a number of networking events are already in the diary. Among them is the NACFB Commercial Finance Expo, a one-of-a-kind flagship event that sees brokers, lenders and funders all in one place. Hosted at the NEC in Birmingham, the event will be held on the 30th September 2021, and you can still register to attend by visiting the website. If you're likely to be in the area and would like a chance to catch up with a member of the team, get in touch on +44 (0) 2394 211010. We look forward to meeting you in-person and bidding farewell to conversations through the screen, hopefully once and for all.