A new and revamped leasing World EXPO, our 4th, supported again by headline sponsor Key Equipment Finance, enjoyed a markedly higher attendance than last year, with a record number of exhibitors (22) which included lessors, software providers, lawyers, consultants, outsource services, asset managers and alternative funders. The top level conference programme, chaired by Lindsay Town, boasted Dennis Turner, ex chief economist of HSBC who most certainly lived up to his reputation as a fiery, no-nonsense speaker with dozens of insights, opinions and predictions to share with his audience.
Turner said, “My basic thesis is that we are out of recession, but we are not going back to where it was before the recession; there is a new Normal out there. The task for the government is not merely to stimulate growth, but to make sure it is the right sort of growth, and that will depend less on government spending, less on consumer spending, more on investment, more on exports, and when you have that formula, it spells manufacturing. I believe manufacturing will be the key to our survival, not just for the next three years, but for the next twenty.” One stand holder said afterwards, “The fee for the stand was worth it just to hear Dennis Turner speak.”
Immediately following were Charlotte Lo of KPMG on lease accounting, which drew the comment from George Lynn, recently of Angel Trains and now an independent consultant, “I’ve just heard Charlotte speak on lease accounting, it’s sad to see that after being involved for so many years we’re getting back to Square One with the standard setters but Charlotte is such a tremendous proponent of the accounting world that she gave a great presentation.”
