The Fund Finance Association European Symposium was held this week in London, bringing the industry together in Europe for the first time since 2019.
The event was a tremendous success, with a packed agenda spanning three days from the opening reception on Monday through to the conclusion of the symposium with the Women in Fund Finance Networking Brunch on Wednesday morning.
The main conference day on Tuesday saw the industry return to the Landmark Hotel for a full program of networking events and panel presentations, a highlight of which, for many, was the fireside chat with Steven Bartlett presented by Emma Russell.
The panel sessions throughout the day covered a broad range of topics. For example, the "Mind the Gap" panel hosted by Navdeep Benning discussed the structuring and merit of GP support facilities and financings to continuation funds, while, in the "Dragon’s Den" session, Kathryn Cecil led the panel through a discussion of the viability and need for pre-close credit lines.
It was great to hear so many different products being discussed under the fund finance umbrella, showcasing how much our market has evolved. And in both the sessions and networking events, non-bank lenders and NAV and pref financings seemed to be the topics of the day, with a detailed discussion of pref and NAV structures (that included our own Sam Hutchinson) in the "NAV – The Journey Continues" panel hosted by Leon Stephenson.
Wednesday's Women in Fund Finance brunch was very well attended (despite an enthusiastic showing at the karaoke the night before!) and included a range of speakers and, rightly, a round of applause for the FFA team who helped to make the conference such a success.
Adding to that round of applause, our thanks go to the FFA team for organizing such a fantastic event, to the sponsors and to the various speakers and presenters for sharing their thoughts with us all.
More will no doubt follow on the conference in later FFF editions, but while we wait for the official FFA photos to be published, below are a few snaps from the event.
