CML news & views

There will be no shortage of issues to discuss when senior industry figures gather for the mortgage event of the year: the CML annual conference and dinner on 2 December.

Adopting the theme “After the Storm: Weathering Change in the UK Mortgage Market”, the conference will look at how conditions have changed in 2008. Following the double whammy of the credit crunch and the run on Northern Rock, lenders have been confronted by lower levels of mortgage funding and lending, and declining property values.

The conference will bring the industry together to look the state of the UK mortgage market and discuss:

• When will current problems end?
• What strategies should lenders adopt to get through the turbulence?
• How can lenders position themselves to be well-placed for the “post-crunch” mortgage market?
• How will the future market look in terms of size, product range, distribution channels and regulation, and when will this become clear?

The conference will provide a platform for some of the industry’s most perceptive thinkers to focus on these, and other, issues. Speakers already booked include Professor Willem Buiter, the pre-eminent economist, ex-member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, and author of FT blog maverecon. Also invited to address the industry’s key figures is Lord Adair Turner, the incoming chairman of the Financial Services Authority.

This year’s conference, sponsored by N4 Solutions, is a must for everyone involved in the industry. We have been listening to feedback from last year’s event and can promise new features as well as old favourites at this year’s event.

The 2008 conference is moving to Old Billingsgate – a unique venue for a unique event. The annual dinner will adopt the theme of Dazzle, with an exciting package of dining, music and entertainment, including an after-dinner casino sponsored by Absolutely Training.

For more information on the 2008 CML annual conference visit the conference website.