Themed lunch areas:

• Banking: capital, new entrants, technology and culture 
• Asset management: private markets, wealth management and sustainable investing
• Insurance: climate, AI and cyber risks
• Pitch stage open with series of short fintech pitches   

The European Capital Markets Union – Can progress be accelerated? 

The ongoing reform of the UK’s capital markets: is it on track to succeed?

The 'Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy' - Impact so far of the Edinburgh, UK Listing Rules, Mansion House  and short selling reforms - Developing a retail equity investment culture in the UK – Encouraging greater pension fund investment in the UK market – The role of PISCES in nurturing a pipeline of high-growth companies - Improvements to market structure: electronic trading, algorithmic strategies, T+1 and dematerialisation – Current and future reforms: a consolidated tape for bonds, the new prospectus regime and reviews of investor classification and securitisation rules - How will the UK stack up against its competitors once all these reforms are in place?

The explosive growth in private markets – opportunities and potential challenges 

Drivers of growth: low interest rates, search for yield, and diversification -The expansion of private equity, private credit, venture capital, and infrastructure funds - Valuation challenges and the lack of mark-to-market transparency in private assets - Liquidity considerations for investors and the development of secondary markets - Regulatory scrutiny of private markets: leverage, investor protection, and systemic risk - The democratisation debate: should retail investors have access to private markets? - Fee structures and alignment of interests between fund managers and investors - The role of private capital in financing innovation, growth companies, and the energy transition

Climate, nature and biodiversity: where next for market-based solutions? 

Pitch stage open with series of short fintech pitches 

International M&A: drivers, hot sectors and trends in acquisition finance 

Key drivers in global M&A in the current economic and political environment - How do these differ between the public and private markets? The latest regulatory developments, including merger control, the Takeover Code and the NSIA (and its international equivalents) - The increasingly important role of private equity and private credit in M&A - Hot sectors beyond Tech and AI - Latest trends in public to private transactions including the regulatory treatment of stub equity - The increasing importance of shareholders in the deal dynamic and the developing role of stewardship - The use of AI to streamline the dealmaking process - Exit strategies from portfolio companies: trade sales vs IPO

Financing the climate transition – London’s role as the global centre for transition finance 

The scale of investment needed to achieve net-zero targets globally - London's strengths: deep capital markets, expertise in green finance, and regulatory leadership - Transition finance vs. green finance: supporting high-emitting sectors on the path to decarbonisation - Development of transition taxonomies and credible transition plans - Blended finance models combining public and private capital - The role of development finance institutions and multilateral banks - Innovation in financial instruments: sustainability-linked bonds, transition bonds, and climate funds - Addressing the just transition: social considerations in climate financing