Computer game developers whose work has included Donkey Kong are set to tell Paraplanners how they are utilising their gaming backgrounds to help develop Financial Planning.

Lee Musgrave and Mark Betteridge, co-founders of software firm Preciousbluedot, have built a mobile app for clients of Seven Investment Management.

The duo, who worked on a host of hit console games, will be among a host of ‘gurus’ at the national Paraplanners Powwow next Thursday, in a diverse line up.

They will talk about the gamifciation of Financial Planning and pensions.

This year’s Powwow could be the last, as founder Richard Allum CFPTM Chartered MCSI announced he is stepping down from the role, having put together four of the events since the first in 2013. He said it took 200 hours of work to organise the latest one.

Attendees will debate whether this should this be the last national Powwow.

Mr Allum said: “With local Powwows growing in popularity, a thriving community of Paraplanners getting stuck in to discussions in the Big Tent, and plans for future online Howwows, now seemed as good a time as any to ask whether Powwowers think that the purpose of a national Powwow – on a yearly basis, at least – run its course?”

“And if it hasn’t then how would Powwowers like the event to develop in the future?”

“That’s the question I’d like to invite Powwowers to talk about when we gather together on 15 September.”

He pledged to carry on work with other Paraplanners to organising local Powwows and online Howwows in the future.

He said: “It’s up to other people if they want to take it forward.”

He never imagined there would be end up being four of the events when he ran the first one in 2013.

He said: “It’s become far more than what I ever thought it would be. At the time, I was bored with financial services events, they were all the same, just shades of grey.

“Part of my manifesto at the IFP was to do everything I could to promote Paraplanning standards and three to four years down the road we’ve had many events.

“A lot of the stuff we introduced in the Powwow crept into other industry events. I think we can say the profile of Paraplanning has improved and we now have an online place for them.

“I’m really pleased with it and it’s an example of Paraplanners making things work themselves.”

There will be about 80 guests at the Powwow, with “a lot of new people” who have never been to one, Mr Allum reported.

Mr Allum remains part of the Paraplanner Interest Group at the CISI, though he has stood down from the old IFP board, now the IFP Financial Planning Forum.

He will be chairing two of the PFS purely Paraplanning conferences this week and next.