The event was designed to support the network's AR firms and advisers
Mortgage and insurance network Stonebridge has outlined details of this year’s national conference and awards, anticipated to be the largest ever and designed to support the network’s appointed representative (AR) firms and advisers.
The conference and awards dinner will take place on February 27 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole with over 500 attendees already registered.
Stonebridge will open the conference with a session on the company’s performance over the previous 12 months, discussing growth, business standards, and technology, plus how firms can collaborate across a number of product and sector areas.
However, the event content will focus on navigating an inflationary and fluid rate environment, while sharing market predictions and updates around regulatory changes, such as the Consumer Duty.
Elizabeth Martins, economist at HSBC UK, will provide a detailed analysis of the current mortgage market, and the outlook for 2023, looking at interest rates, household incomes, the cost-of-living crisis, and how all these factors might impact transaction volumes over the next 12 months.
There will also be a lender panel session, moderated by Neil Wyatt of Mortgage Brain, who will invite Esther Dijkstra from Lloyds Banking Group, Nicola Goldie from Virgin Money, and Jeremy Duncombe from Accord Mortgages. They will review current lender activity and help firms understand their direction of travel in areas such as procuration fees, product and technological innovation, and lending appetite.
There will also be a session on the FCA’s Consumer Duty, moderated by AMI’s Robert Sinclair. The session will assess the possible challenges for advisers and lenders with the Consumer Duty and how they can overcome them.
Stonebridge’s head of business standards, Alex Hill, and UK Finance’s director of mortgages, Charles Roe, will give practical advice on the support available from the network and how firms can ensure they are ready for the new measures when they are introduced in July this year.
There will also be a specific session on the buy-to-let market with Timothy Bannister of Rightmove moderating, with panel participants, Richard Rowntree of Paragon Banking Group and Liz Syms of Connect for Intermediaries. They will talk about sector dynamics, how best to support landlords in the current environment, and what to be aware of in terms of energy performance certificates and ensuring greener homes in the private rental sector.
Lastly, there will be a session on how advisory firms can make even more of the power of social media with Andrew Roberts, head of marketing at Stonebridge, and Sophie Placido, director of PR and strategy at Rostrum. This session is expected to show delegates how potential and existing homeowners are engaging with content, and best practices to ensure positive outcomes for consumers across a range of platforms.
Stonebridge will cap the day with its annual dinner and award ceremony in the evening, where it will showcase a range of AR firms for excellence in 2022, with special guest, stand-up comedian Rob Beckett.
“This year’s conference, dinner, and awards promise to be our best yet, with a two-fold focus,” Rob Clifford (pictured), chief executive at Stonebridge, stated in a post announcing the conference details. “It promises to be an excellent day for all attendees, and we’re looking forward to having all members and stakeholders of the Stonebridge family under one roof, for our second year in the Metropole, Birmingham.”
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