The financial planning profession is changing at pace. The firms that stay ahead will be those who invest in growth, connection, and the right technology to support it. That’s why we’re excited to be attending Plannex Live 26 — and why we think it’s one of the most valuable events in the calendar for forward-thinking financial planners.
If you haven’t come across Plannex before, it’s a community built specifically for ambitious financial planners across the UK. Plannex Live is its flagship event — a conference that, by all accounts, doesn’t feel like one. No patterned carpets, no wall-to-wall suits, no death by PowerPoint. Just real people, connecting, sharing, and learning from one another in an environment that actually energises you.
What makes Plannex Live different?
This year, the event takes place across two days at Victoria Warehouse, Manchester. First, an awards and entertainment evening on 8th July 2026, starting at 6pm. Then the main conference on 9th July 2026, running from 8:30am to 4:30pm — a full day of expert speakers, multiple stages, and content tailored to every stage of your career.
What strikes us about Plannex is the same thing that strikes everyone who attends: it’s built around community first. The sessions are expert-led and CPD-eligible, but the real value is in the conversations — the ones that happen between sessions, over breakfast, or at the evening before. It’s the kind of event where you leave having learned something new and made connections that genuinely mean something.
That spirit aligns closely with how we think about technology in financial advice. The best tools don’t just make processes faster — they create more space for the human conversations that really matter.
Where technology and planning connect
At Focus, our mission is to help advice firms streamline delivery, cut out unnecessary admin, and use data and automation in ways that support — not replace — professional advice. The questions we spend our time on aren’t so different from the ones driving the best conversations at events like Plannex Live:
- How do I keep up with what my customers will expect from me next year?
- How do I prove the value of my firm in this market?
- How do I get more from my team?
These aren’t abstract questions. They’re day-to-day challenges for every firm that’s serious about growth.
Come and see Focus in action
We’ll be at Plannex Live with the team, and we’d love to connect with you there. Here’s what we have lined up:
Our stand - come and find us on the exhibition floor. If you haven’t yet seen the Focus Lifetime Planner in action, this is a great opportunity — it’s designed to help advisers engage with clients across the full lifecycle of their financial plan, showing value at every stage, not just at review time. We’ll also be on hand to talk through the Advice Engine — and if you’re feeling confident, you’re welcome to test yourself against it.
Colossal Conversation – join Sanj Champaneria our Business Growth Lead where he will talk about; The Consolidation Game: The Market, The Money, And How To Be Worth More
In ten minutes, Sanj maps what's really happening in the consolidation market and why a firm's value is set far less by what it owns than by what sits underneath it then turns to what any firm, at any size, can do to get match-fit for the window.
Live tech demo — catch Dave Upton, our CEO deliver a 5-minute tech demonstration and see how Focus works in a live environment. No polished sales deck — just the software doing what it does.
A table at the awards dinner — we’ll also be at the awards evening on 8th July. If you’d like to join us for a conversation over dinner, get in touch.
_“This is our first time at Plannex Live, and we genuinely couldn’t be more excited about it. Everything we’ve heard about this community — the quality of the conversations, the ambition of the people in the room — is exactly what we’re looking for. I’m looking forward to getting under the skin of what financial planners really need from their technology, and showing how the Lifetime Planner and Advice Engine are helping firms demonstrate value in new ways. See you in Manchester.” _
Dave Upton, CEO, Focus
Join us in Manchester
Whether you’re reviewing your approach to technology, looking for fresh ideas on client engagement, or simply want to spend a day surrounded by people who are as serious about financial planning as you are, Plannex Live 26 is well worth your time.
Secure your tickets — and if you’re coming, do let us know in advance. We’d love to arrange a proper conversation while we’re there.
Get your tickets here → https://plannex.co.uk/live/
We’ll see you in Manchester on the 8th & 9th July.
Who are Focus?
Focus Business Solutions — trading as Focus Advice Technology — builds advice technology for the firms doing the work. We make financial advice cheaper to deliver, easier for clients to understand, and harder to get wrong. Independent, UK-based, with a 30+-year track record and long-running partnerships with firms like NFU Mutual, Skipton Building Society, Santander and abrdn.
Our digital products set covers the full advice lifecycle — digital client engagement, advice delivery, API-accessible financial planning tools and engines, and the Advice Engine: a deterministic investment-advice engine that optimises product and portfolio recommendations against your firm's defined process.
The result is multi-channel automated advice solutions that make financial advice delivery more efficient and more engaging for advice firms and their customers — driving better consumer outcomes for UK financial advice firms.
Press contact: Kerry Perks
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