BL Events has launched this year’s Channel Islands Funds Forum, with a dedicated website and the announcement that the event will be bigger than ever before. This is thanks to the inclusion of a pre-event seminar from Preqin, and post-event networking drinks.
The event – ‘A Sharper Focus’ – is produced in partnership with PwC, sponsored by Appleby and Optimus Group, and supported by Rossborough Professional Risks and Puritas.
The main conference will take place from 11am-5.30pm on Wednesday 27 September at the Radisson Blu in St Helier, and will be followed by drinks and the opportunity to network. An early bird delegate rate is available until 28 April.
Prior to the main event, experts from Preqin, the alternative assets industry’s leading source of data and intelligence, will present an exclusive session on the global alternative assets industry and where the Channel Islands sit in that landscape.
Anyone booking a full event ticket will automatically be able to attend the seminar, which runs from 9.30-10.30am. For those who can’t attend the full day, reduced priced tickets are available for the seminar alone.
As in previous years, the conference will bring together leading funds practitioners from the Channel Islands and beyond to discuss the challenges, opportunities and issues that are dominating the funds space right now.
This conference will comprise a variety of sessions and panels covering a wide range of subjects, as follows:
• The last 12 months in funds. A round up of what has happened in Guernsey and Jersey’s funds industries in the previous year. How the funds regimes have moved on, what new business has come into the islands, and what is happening with listings. How do the figures stand up and how are the islands keeping up with their competitors?
• The global geopolitical landscape and its impact on funds. Uncertainty caused by Brexit, the possibility of the UK becoming a low-tax jurisdiction, turmoil in the Trump administration and volatility in the Middle East are just a few of the issues that could put pressure on funds.
• The view from the outside. A panel of experts from outside the Channel Islands give their take on the funds industries in Guernsey and Jersey. What do they perceive are the islands’ strengths and weaknesses, and how does the competition compare?
• The Channel Islands respond. Following on from the previous session, Channel Islands funds practitioners respond to the points raised.
• Where is the money flowing? An examination of where the funds industry will be gaining business from in the coming year. Where will the fund raising be happening and where will the projects be taking place. And will certain types of project, such as infrastructure and healthcare, be more prevalent. Are we likely to see a geographic shift?
• What next for funds? What are the biggest challenges and opportunities in the coming year? What must the islands do in order to move forward? Will it require further product innovation/changes to regimes? Or is broader innovation required?
Carl Methven, CEO of BL Events, commented: “We’re really excited about this year’s funds forum. Not only does the main event look as if it is going to generate some very strong opinions, but it’s great news that Preqin have agreed to present their seminar on the alternative assets landscape. We really think this year is going to build on the success of previous years.”
An early bird delegate rate of £245 is available until 28 April, when the price will rise to £315.
For those wishing to only attend the Preqin seminar, the ticket price is £40.
Up to 6.5 hours of CPD are available depending on the sessions attended.
A booking form and more information on the schedule can be found on the dedicated website www.cifundsforum.com – or by emailing Carl Methven at events@blglobal.co.uk. Tickets are also available through Eventbrite