Our next Catwalk event is just around the corner, bringing emerging tech and AI to advice professionals with that extra bit of lang cat flair.
From speaking to advice pros, we know everyone is approaching AI adoption differently. The Catwalk doors are open whether you’re a paid-up member of the tech fan club or just trying to make sense of it all.
Not signed up yet? See what previous attendees took away from the day, and how they’re approaching embedding tech and AI in their own businesses.
Dan Wiltshire, independent financial planner, Wiltshire Wealth
“I’m not an early tech adopter or anything like that, but I am always looking for ways to make my workload lighter. The tech and AI you use in your business is a really big decision.
“While I’m broadly happy with the stuff I’m using, I’m mindful there are new things popping up all the time. That is exciting, but you could also spend a lot of time integrating something that actually may not be around in six months’ time. Keeping an eye on where things are going, adopting technology but also not spending too much time on this stuff is a difficult balance to strike.
“I went to both Catwalks and thought they were great. From a commercial perspective, I’m interested in what can help me as an adviser. But what’s also interesting is the breadth of firms on stage, and to meet people with a slightly different focus.
“As advisers, and certainly with technology, things can become a bit narrow. Being able to open your mind to what’s possible is really refreshing.
“The classic event model is a big room with guys in grey suits. At the lang cat, it couldn’t be more different. The energy just always feels really good, and very ‘adviser positive’.”
Annette Kinsman, head of distribution platform & investments, Succession
“As a large advice business it can be hard because everybody’s been using their own tech elsewhere, whether that’s AI, platforms or research tools. Getting everybody to then move to the same tools is really quite difficult.
“In my role I’m going to be working really closely with our proposition and IT teams on developing an AI strategy that sets out what we need to get the most out of AI, plus better links and integrations so we can use one core source of data that does everything. Ultimately, it’s about tech solutions that just take away some of the burden.
“The big thing for me with Catwalk is you don’t know what you don’t know. There is such an array of tech on show. Some tech won’t be for everyone but with others, it’s like: ‘Oh my gosh, this is actually out there.’
“I’d encourage people to come along to see not only what’s out there, but where the future could go.”
Alasdair Walker, chartered financial planner and managing director, Optimum Path
“At the moment what we’re really looking for with AI is maximum flexibility. I haven’t tied myself to the mast of any third-party provider, and that’s meant we’ve been able to move pretty quickly. The ‘frontier’ models have moved on so fast. Now it’s about how can we get our data into something that allows me to move as fast as I want us to move as a business?
“In the past two years we’ve gone from Zoom AI meeting summaries, to using Fireflies, then starting to build in ‘automation layers’. The annual planning meeting has gone from a manual report to outputs that are fully AI supported. The next thing will be to use automated triggers to go find data in one place, grab it from there, and do something with it. That’s the gold standard.
“What works well with Catwalk is the ability to get interesting people in the room. The format is pretty unique, and it doesn’t feel like any other tech event.
“The reality is if the lang cat are putting on an event and I’m available, I’ll sign up without looking too hard because I trust it’ll be a well-run, thoughtful event. You get to take a sideways look at everything, and I think that always brings better learning.”
Helen Clark, director, Mint Blue Consulting
“A year ago, tech and AI was definitely about the shiny, new toys. There were a lot of people piloting. What I’m seeing at the moment is people are being more prescriptive about what they’re looking for. People are looking at what they need to build out their propositions, and we’re in the foothills of people starting to experiment with that.
“For start-ups, Catwalk is a really good exercise in helping to get their pitches refined. There are very few, if any, other industry opportunities that allow firms that kind of platform for helping them to launch.
“For attendees, beyond the networking and the chance to meet people and interact, it’s a chance to see tech you wouldn’t necessarily come across. I’m lucky in that I get to see a lot of different tech in a lot of different places, but I don’t get to see everything. So it’s great for seeing new developments, how things are evolving and where the market is heading. Plus it’s great fun!”
Anthony Massie, digital strategy and operations manager, Herbert & Webster
“I would say I’m probably more of a tech geek. A lot of what would have been called the ‘meeting note takers’ aren’t really that anymore, they’ve all started going down very different paths. So I think we’re quite good on the different AI options available and where they are in their development.
“The frustration I have with some industry-specific providers is they can focus on the wrong things. They don’t have enough conversations with firms to try and resolve their day-to-day problems and pain points. A lot of them lead you up to the garden gate, but when you’re the other side, the systems still aren’t talking nicely to each other. The likes of Claude and ChatGPT can now help create solutions or plug gaps where some of the big providers are perhaps failing. We’ve been able to build some in-house apps that address those points.
“For me with Catwalk, you get that discovery piece. I ended up booking demos with most if not all of the demo-ing firms we saw. But it’s also great for the conversations you get with other delegates, whether that’s recommendations from outside the industry, discussing opinions or finding potential solutions.”
Marina Herbert, operations director, Herbert & Webster
“With things like tech, you can be in your own office bubble. Hearing that others have the same worries and challenges is reassuring. But with the demos at Catwalk, you hear the beginning of solutions.
“There’s tons of choice with tools and AI. With this, it’s pre-selected for us. In one day, in one room you can speak to people and come away with your own homework but also new and stronger opinions. You might decide to try something, or that decision might be not to buy more tech right now. But either way, at least it’s an informed one.
“When you go to a lang cat event, you’re already meeting people with a similar mentality who come with an open mind. You do feel like you’re among peers, which is really nice. The events are credible, fun and informative, and you know they’re not going to be boring.”
