In this regular column for Financial Planning Today, columnist Carly Dunningham, chair of the CISI's Financial Planning Forum, looks ahead to the CISI’s Annual Financial Planning Conference in Windsor. You can read this article and more top content in the latest issue of Financial Planning Today magazine.

Every autumn I look forward to stepping out of the day-to-day and spending time with fellow Financial Planners at the CISI Financial Planning Conference.

This year we’ll be gathering at the De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor. For me this conference feels more like a retreat – a change to pause, reconnect, learn, and return refreshed with new ideas and renewed purpose.

What I value most is the opportunity to be together in person. There’s something powerful about taking a couple of days away from the office, immersing yourself in conversations with peers from across the profession, and sharing openly about what works and what doesn’t. It’s in those exchanges over coffee, or in the bar at the end of the day, that the best insights often emerge.

The programme is excellent. I’m particularly looking forward to the session from the Character Institute on the Leader Character Framework. I’m also intrigued by sessions on client behaviour in the age of AI, as well as Michael Meppell’s customer service insights.

Add to that some very practical content on making better use of LinkedIn and on structuring Financial Planning meetings, and I’m expecting to come away with plenty of fresh ideas to put into action.

Carly Dunningham is a Chartered and Certified Financial Planner. She is the Chair of the CISI Financial Planning Forum and a voice for the profession.

https://www.cisi.org

• This column first appeared in Financial Planning Today magazine, Sept-Oct 2025 edition. Carly's column appears in each issue of the magazine. You can subscribe to the magazine by registering for this website and then checking package options.