Organisers of the Mortgage Business Expo North 2025 reported a strong turnout to Manchester’s Central Convention Complex on 28 March, with a 9% increase in attendance compared to the previous year.

The event attracted hundreds of brokers, lenders and intermediaries, with visitors spending noticeably more time on the show floor and engaging with exhibitors and seminar content throughout the day.

The event continued its partnership with the Financial Intermediary and Broker Association (FIBA), which once again co-located its Spring Conference with the expo.

The seminar programme proved to be a consistent draw, beginning with a keynote from Ken Clark of the Bank of England. The sessions that followed explored the shifting dynamics of the buy-to-let market, challenges and opportunities in green retrofitting, affordability pressures, the rise of later life lending, and developments in bridging and commercial finance.

‘EXCITEMENT’

Feedback from both exhibitors and delegates was positive. Sagheer Malik, chief commercial officer and managing director of retail finance at Offa, commented: “This event is always an important date in the diary. We had a beneficial time meeting a wide cross section of industry participants and it was a thrill to see so much excitement around our fast and easy Sharia-compliant property finance offering.”

That view was echoed by Iain Gopsill, mortgage and protection adviser at TMG Mortgages, who said the event was “an enjoyable one that helped grow my knowledge and contacts,” while Dave Eggison, executive director at OME Mortgage Specialists Limited, described it as “very useful… to meet providers and to also gain valuable insights from the seminars”.

‘FANTASTIC’

Martin Reynolds, chief executive of SimplyBiz Mortgages and FIBA chairman, said the event demonstrated the sector’s appetite for insight and collaboration: “It was fantastic to see so many brokers and lenders under one roof at MBE North. The energy in the room reflected the appetite for learning, debate and collaboration in the intermediary market.”

Mike Mikunda, event director at MBE, concluded: “We were pleased to see a rise in attendance and longer dwell time from visitors this year. There was a great buzz in the room, and feedback from exhibitors and attendees alike has been very positive. These events are all about creating the space for useful, face-to-face conversations and that’s exactly what MBE North delivered.”

MBE will return to London for its southern counterpart on 14 October 2025 at the Business Design Centre.