War paint at the ready for Paraplanners Pow Wow
A lick of war paint and a splash of colour will be applied to the faces of scores of Paraplanners heading for an unconventional gathering of the profession tomorrow.
The second national Paraplanners Powwow will not take place in a hotel like most conferences, but in teepees in the middle of the countryside.
Upper Aynho Grounds in Northamptonshire – the venue which played host to the first ever Powwow in September 2013 – will again be the location.
Organiser Richard Allum said the first 60 tickets were sold out and after gaining more capacity the extra 20 tickets were also sold out again within a week, making the total expected attendence 80.
The Powwow is an informal gathering "designed by Paraplanners for Paraplanners to exchange views, learn things, fix things and share things".
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Powwow participants determine the topics that will feature in sessions during the day through online voting in advance of the event.
Two styles of session – 'Campfires' and 'Show and Tell' – will be entirely determined by voting in advance.
The day culminates in the Paraplanners Powwow itself – a no-holds barred hour-long debate conducted under Chatham House Rules – in which Paraplanners tackle the profession's most pressing issues.
The not-for-profit event has been backed by a raft of supporters which includes Cofunds, L&G, James Hay Partnership, Seven Investment Management and Transact.
Organisers said that this support not only ensured the staging of the national event but it will allow the extension of the burgeoning network of 'mini' Powwows that have sprung up across the country.
To date, nearly 200 Paraplanners have attended Powwow events including four 'mini Powwows' held in Leeds in 2013, and London, Nottingham and Manchester so far this year.
To follow news about the national and mini Powwow on Twitter at @ParaPowwow. The hashtag for this year's event is #parapowwow14.