Asset Finance Connect’s conference will focus on supply and demand challenges for the UK asset finance market

SUPPLY: Banks versus BBB versus private credit - where will the wholesale funds that will feed tomorrow’s independent lenders come from?

Bank credit is getting more expensive, and appetite among the big banks to tie up capital in low reward high risk lending is waning; the Government is backing the British Business Bank’s initiatives to boost lending to SMEs; and private credit which is supercharging other markets is failing to reach SMEs.

• What is the outlook for bank funding for SME lenders?

• How is the British Business Bank impacting the wholesale funding market? Will it drive a diverse marketplace of independent lenders of all sizes, or is it just another source of funds for big lenders?

• How can the industry unlock funding from private credit markets? Is there potential for private credit to release additional credit for SMEs, and might this enable more innovative products that better meet SME/Lenders risk and reward appetites?

Key speakers to be announced shortly. Led by Christian Roelofs, CEO, Finativ.

DEMAND: Fixing the first step: we need to make it easier for SMEs to find the right lenders and brokers

Lenders and brokers do not always make it easy for an SME to choose the right partner to meet their individual needs whether that is to find the right finance product, the cheapest deal, fastest deal, or to build a long-term relationship with a trusted advisor who can help you meet your requirements over the long-term.

• What are the key differentiators which distinguish between individual lenders/brokers?

• How do we communicate them to end customers and to each other?

• Can we increase lending by fixing the first steps in the SME borrowers’ customer journey?

Led by Christian Roelofs, CEO, Finativ

Other asset finance focused content includes:

“What the Autumn statement means for auto, equipment and asset finance“

• Debapratim De, Director, Economic Research | Economics & Markets, Deloitte;

• Alex Hughes Country Manager (UK & Ireland ) and Head of European Markets, CA Auto Bank;

• Karima Haji, Managing Director, Scania Financial Services;

• Lee Rhodes, Commercial Director - Asset Finance, Aldermore Bank PLC; and

• Simon Goldie from the FLA and Zohra Chagani from the BVRLA

• Led by David Betteley, head of content, Finance Connect

“Leading asset finance lenders are gaining competitive advantage by investing in front-end tech to drive great customer journeys; while the laggards are investing in back-end”

• Ylva Oertengren, COO, Simply

• Dan Bailey, managing director, Arkle Finance

• Fiona Daniells, Director, Digital Delivery Area Engagement, Volkswagen Financial Services

• Led by Simon Harris, Consulting Director, Finativ

AI sessions and workshops designed to help you take the right first steps:

Soapbox: Your next competitor is a customer’s own co-pilot: what asset finance must do in the age of customer AI

Within 24 months, most SMEs and brokers will show up with AI agents; if lenders don’t publish machine readable offers, verifiable data routes, and explainable decisions, those agents will route customers elsewhere.

AFC have invited Cat Powell, Head of Data Insight & Automation at Novuna Business Finance to consider what a customer journey might look like that is driven by the customer’s co-pilot (and not lenders or brokers), helping them to select brokers, lenders, proposals and to find the right deal for their own needs.

Dragons den: Four Case studies from finance lenders – how we use AI; two pitches from fintech providers

Our dragons will be questioning lenders on how they are implementing generative AI in their businesses (and asking them what they wish they had known before they started using AI); two great ideas from fintechs.

Workshop: TBA