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© Business Money Ltd 2006 |
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The Great Northern Business MoneyCommercial Finance Dinner27 September 2005 Manchester is always a great place for a party and the pilgrimage to one of Business Money’s annual northern dinners was no exception. A packed Alexandra Suite at The Midland was the venue for over 300 of the industry’s executives and their guests and the mood was, as ever, one of warmth and friendship. The event has been forced to change as the years have passed due to space constraints and the reception has migrated to the upper floor area. Certain bemused guests were having difficulty in fathoming the whereabouts of the forthcoming food in relation to previous years as a result, but all seemed to find their way to their tables when the call came. A quick introduction from our good friend and regular toast-master, Tony Rance, helped to settle the eager crowds before Dr Julie Adams took the stand. The Manchester dinner has an added bonus in that over the years it has been able to assist in a very worthy cause and Julie is heavily involved with the work that is done. Many of our lives have been affected by illnesses without current prevention or cure, either directly or through the suffering of loved ones. One brave lady in the industry, known to many of us, has experienced the trauma first hand and come out the other side fighting to further the efforts of those working towards solutions. Hilary Craft was awarded the accolade of “North West Winning Woman of the Year, Community Award” this year for her outstanding fundraising activities for “The Gene Machine” charity, which she also founded, and Business Money is delighted to see Hilary receive this deserved accolade. This year’s dinner guests generously raised the sum of £5,000 towards a research scholarship that the charity is due to be funding next year. Thank you one and all. The meal preceded some thoroughly amusing speeches, as well as some salient points from our editor on self-regulation and the potential dangers of FSA intervention. Then began the serious business of “networking” into the early hours. We shuffled through to the main hotel bar once the shutters came down in the suite and I commenced a delicate juggling act, acting as alcohol intermediary. We have a similar situation each year, due to quirky licensing laws and the fact that the tills in The Midland cease trading long before a hardcore of commercial finance friends cease drinking. Last year, Business Money’s Sophie Grove was in the chair and did a fine job of ensuring that a stream of cash, cheques and probably the odd IOU, were converted into refreshments via her room tab and resident status. This year I felt that, having already organised the whole of the evening, she deserved a rest and that I would carry the mantle and ensure that as long as our guests wished to partake of ale, then I would do the decent thing and broker the deals. This all worked admirably well and when I finally bode farewell to the last two drinking accomplices, at around six the following morning, I was feeling justifiably pleased with my efforts as middle-man. The minor imbalance in income and expenditure that arose from an obligatory service charge on every transaction, my inability to remember orders, and the fact that by that point in the morning I was feeling rather generous, should serve to remind me to leave such duties to the editor at next year’s Manchester gathering. But it probably won’t. Looking ahead to the next event, there’s The Great Southern Business Money Commercial Finance Dinner at The Hilton, London Paddington, on 9 February 2006 and tickets are available at £135 + VAT. Next year’s Manchester gathering will be held on 5 October at The Midland when I will try and stay clear of the bar. Ben Lefroy
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