Lineup unveiled for brand-new Big Picture Theatre
The trade body has unveiled the blockbuster conference theatre agenda ahead of next month’s NACFB Commercial Finance Expo.
This year’s city-inspired event introduces the Big Picture Theatre, a cinema-style stage where the industry’s leading stars will debate and dissect the hottest topics in commercial finance.
Kicking off the main feature, NACFB CEO Jim Higginbotham will take centre stage to reflect on his first ten months in the director’s chair. In a gripping opening act, he’ll reveal how the Association is rewriting its script to stay relevant, responsive, and ready to better support the SME lending community.
Then, audiences can expect the trade body’s head of advocacy, Kieran Jones, to reveal what the NACFB’s latest data really tells us – and why it matters.
Next, in a keynote address, two of the industry’s leading experts, UK Finance’s Dame Teresa Graham and the Federation of Small Businesses’ Caroline Lavelle, sit down to explore what really drives small business owners when seeking finance.
In a showing you won’t want to miss; a very special guest will be joining NACFB headline sponsor NatWest for an exclusive sit-down interview.
What if you could see SME growth before it happens? Red Flag Alert’s Richard West will unveil the Growth Score – a data-driven blockbuster that predicts SME growth before it hits the big screen. West will break down the analytics, showing brokers how to spot high-potential clients hiding in plain sight.
The Big Picture Theatre will also host four unmissable panel sessions. First up, Fast & Finance, starring Asset Finance Connect’s Ed Peck, the NACFB’s Jim Higginbotham, Shoosmiths’ Wayne Gibbard, the FLA’s John Phillipou and Simply Asset Finance’s Ylva Oertengren. Together, they’ll navigate where the asset lane is heading in 2025, and how brokers can stay in the driving seat.
Then, we bring you The Broker Identity, starring Hilton-Baird Financial Solutions’ Evette Orams, Cornerstone Finance Group’s Haydn Thomas, YBS Commercial Mortgage’s Angela Norman and Wharf Financial’s Marc Champ. They’ll explore how today’s brokers navigate regulation, earn trust, and drive SME growth, whilst tackling the impact of commission disclosure head-on.
The third panel instalment, It’s a Wonderful Loan, stars Responsible Finance’s Theo Hadjimichael, the British Business Bank’s Reinald de Monchy, BCRS Business Loans’ Stephen Deakin and Business Enterprise Fund’s Stephen Waud. They’ll look at the growing role of CDFIs in supporting underserved SMEs – and the brokers helping connect finance with social purpose.
In the finale of the day’s panel sessions, Shawbrook’s Emma Cox, Brickflow’s Ian Humphreys and Arc & Co.’s Andrew Robinson star in Brick by Brick, an exploration of how brokers and lenders can prepare for shifting demand, evolving risks, and new funding opportunities in a changing commercial property market.
And, in the final act, the NACFB’s Sarah Cunningham shares five common compliance blind spots that hold brokers back. Drawing on experience across broking and lending, she’ll share clear takeaways before sitting down with Propel Finance’s Charlotte Mathieson to explore how brokers can work with greater clarity, pace, and confidence.
Exciting new speakers and guests will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Stay in the loop by visiting the NACFB Expo website and subscribing to the NACFB Morning Briefing.
Get your popcorn at the ready and join us on Wednesday 11th June at Birmingham’s NEC.
Start your journey to the NACFB Expo today by registering your free attendance.
