The first of the four will take place in London on 2 November and will feature the annual chartered awards gala dinner, followed by Newport (18 November), Edinburgh (26 November) and Birmingham (30 November).
Titled ‘A vision for financial planning’, the upgraded 2015 programme is practitioner and future-focused.
Each event will offer a wide range of business relevant sessions and keynote deliveries from industry-renowned experts, including minister of state for pensions baroness Ros Altmann, futurologist Dr James Bellini, Cap Gemini's Rod Bryson, internationally-acclaimed motivational speaker Geoff Burch and some of the profession’s leading exponents.
PFS chief executive, Keith Richards, said: “Expanding to four locations gives better access for our membership and allows us to accommodate more members at these flagship events.
“Based on member feedback and the need evolve our professional development programme, we expect overall attendance to be up by 33 per cent compared to last year, with a combined 2,000 delegates set to attend. That’s three times as many members as we could accommodate just two years ago.
“All four events will be consistent with our core objectives of supporting and guiding the evolution of the profession to secure and justify confidence and trust of the general public.
“Among the business-relevant content will be sessions from the regulator on breaking down myths and changing misconceptions, a practitioner focus on the retirement market and financial planning in later life, panel sessions on good practice and soft skills for building better businesses, thought leadership on the direction of financial planning in the UK and an examination of what the future will hold for consumers.”
Seven awards will be announced at the opening event’s gala awards in London, hosted by top impressionist, Alistair McGowan, who will reveal the winners of the prestigious chartered financial planners of the year (individual and firm), the paraplanner of the year, the John Ellis award, the pro-bono award and the highest achievers at diploma and advanced diploma levels.
The full schedule is as follows:
Monday 2 November - Royal Lancaster Hotel, London
Wednesday 18 November - Celtic Manor, Newport
Thursday 26 November - EICC, Edinburgh
Monday 30 November - National Motor Cycle Museum, Birmingham
