Advice review

Making the most of mortgage industry events

Gordon Reid

business and development manager, The London Institute of Banking and Finance

Over the last few months, and for the first time since 2019, there’s been a full programme of mortgage industry events for advisers to attend – in person.

These include conferences, seminars, exhibitions, forums, and even the musical-sounding symposiums. It’s been a joy to get out there and meet others in the industry after two years of working, and networking, from home. But now we’re in the summer recess – that period when events are much rarer for a couple of months. Organisers know people are taking their annual holiday, or that capacity in their firms means that they’re less likely to be able to come to an event.

This lull in activity is the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on what you want to get out of events – to look back at the ones you’ve already attended and give more consideration to those you might go to later in the year.

Having a taste of events after a twoyear break may have given you a fresh perspective, too. You can use this to be more discerning when choosing which industry events to attend – and planning how to get the most out of them.

WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE CHOOSING AN EVENT

As you look back on the last few months, ask yourself which events have served you well and why. It may be worth noting the following:  what made them successful  what you enjoyed about them  what you learnt  anything else you got out of them

Similarly, you could ask yourself why the ones you weren’t so keen on were less successful. What didn’t you like? And what were you hoping to get out of them, but didn’t?

Events don’t all satisfy the same needs. That’s why it’s important to pinpoint your interests – and what you want to gain – before you decide what to attend. Think about whether you want to do any of the following:  develop your skills and knowledge  learn about the latest industry innovations and insights  meet industry experts and influencers  make new contacts and build relationships  get feedback on your own products and services  engage in team discussions and debates  build your team

Hopefully, this list includes some of the reasons you’ve attended events in the last few months. It probably helps explain why you consider some events to be more successful than others.

It’s also, however, the key to planning your activities over the second half of the events season – to ensure that you get even more out of those you attend. If you’re looking to build your network, for example, you may want to ensure there’ll be opportunities to do that at coffee breaks and receptions. Are the organisers reputable enough to attract the best industry speakers?

HOW TO SELECT WHICH EVENTS TO GO TO

Even without a personal invitation, a quick search online will throw up numerous industry events scheduled for the autumn and winter – including LIBF’s mortgage conference in November. It’s therefore crucial that you do a bit of research before deciding which ones you’re going to.

Refer to the notes you made about the events you attended recently and to the list above to refine what your priorities are. What do you want to get out of the next event you attend?

Once you’ve established this, look at the organisers and, crucially, what they’re saying about their event. This five-question checklist could prove useful:  What type of organisation is running this event?  What are their objectives?  What benefits are they claiming it will give you?  Who’s exhibiting or attending?  Who will be speaking – and about what?

Now you’re in a great position to compare your aims and objectives with those of the event. Remember, an event may look great on paper, but if it doesn’t meet your personal aims, you’re likely to come away feeling unsatisfied.

So if, for example, you’re looking to gain some insight into how the industry is changing, take a close look at which thought leaders are attending. What are the speaker sessions and facilitated discussions going to be about?

If you’re looking to develop your network, who’s exhibiting? What are they looking to promote? And who are they saying they’d like to meet?

GET THE MOST OUT OF THE EXPERIENCE

Once you’ve decided which events to attend, take time to plan what you’ll do when you’re there. Review the agenda carefully. Make a list of exhibitors you’d like to visit and speakers you want to listen to. You won’t be able to do everything, so you need to prioritise.

During the day, or afterwards, make a note of anything you learnt, discussions you had, and who you met. Did you discover a new area of interest that you’d like to pursue, for example?

Events are a fantastic way of developing your contacts and knowledge and continuing your professional development – so make the most of the opportunities out there! M I