Well I’m up in rainy Manchester in my AirBnB just off Canal Street in Manchester, thinking of how to spend the two and a half days of #PLSAannual most constructively.

I’ve gratefully accepted the PLSA’s offer of a press pass which is saving me £4,410 and I intend to give good value to the PLSA by reporting the sessions as well as I can. With off peak travel – the conference is affordable – even on a start-up budget.

Unfortunately I haven’t found a way to download the Conference App yet but from the program I can see some stand-out sessions.

I’m looking forward to hearing Nigel Wilson talk about social impact , there are great panels, especially the journalists session with Paul Lewis and Iona Bain on Friday morning. I’m keen to hear John Roe interviewed by Emma Douglas on default design today and there’s a chance to dig down into the heart of the DB beast discussing investment in lifetime mortgages with key exponents.

I’m really looking forward to hearing other’s views on mass engagement, with Steph McGovern this evening and there’s some great panels on Thursday afternoon on the dashboard and one on saver’s attitudes, sadly these clash which looks like one of the few programming mistakes.

It looks like I’ll miss the pensions minister as I have to dash over to Media City to do a You and Yours on how digital lead generation has become a part of pension scamming. But the pensions minister’s remarks will be widely publicised elsewhere.

Not all at the PLSA is wonderful

I’m sorry to see that that sad abomination the Pensions Quality Mark is still being given publicity at the Conference, it should have been closed down long ago. If the PLSA really wanted PQM to fly they would have used it to tackle the biggest tax-injustice in pensions- the net pay anomaly.

Instead they’ve allowed PQM to become a means to extract fees out of DC schemes that would be better off putting the money into the contribution rate or better still – consolidating into multi-employer schemes that do more for less.

It’ll be odd not being marched out!

It’s ten years since I was marched off the premises by Dan Proctor, then the NAPF’s Business Development Director. I re-grouped in a nearby coffee house and became the conference fringe.

Now I’ve got a pass and you can rely on me to make this event relevant , at least to those who like reading my blog.

The PLSA are right to have me and I’m grateful that they’ve given me a chance to comment, promote and occasionally poke fun at what is still the greatest show in pensions.

If you see me wondering around in my bright blue suit, stop me and we’ll have a chat. I am bound to spend too much time in the exhibition hall but I’m not going to get drunk as we all did twenty years ago.

Pensions are far too important for that and – PLSA – if you’re reading this, you can rely on my blog for insights you will get nowhere else! Here’s my starter for ten

Thx to ⁦@Airbnb⁩ I’m staying a stones throw from #PLSAannual19 for £38 per night. How much are you paying? pic.twitter.com/lcqP8AnnmC

— Pension Plowman (@henryhtapper) October 16, 2019