Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb will open the CISI’s Financial Planning Annual Conference, it has been announced.

Mr Webb, the director of policy and external communications for Royal London Group, will be delivering the first keynote speech.

The event takes place at Celtic Manor in Wales in October.

It is the first annual conference since the Institute of Financial Planning merged with the CISI.

In 2015 over 425 delegates and Paraplanners attended, of which over 40% were CFPTM professionals, the CISI said.

The CISI announced details on its website, saying: “We are delighted to announce that bookings for the Financial Planning Annual Conference 2016 are now open.

“The Financial Planning Annual Conference is where the leading Financial Planning professionals come to talk about what’s going on in the industry, as well as listen to ideas which challenge conventional thinking and push the boundaries of professional advice further.

“The conference is a 'must attend' event for our Financial Planning community as it provides opportunities for personal and business development, catching up with friends, making new connections and sharing best practice.

“The programme is currently in development, however we are delighted to confirm Steve Webb. We look forward to announcing the agenda and finalised speaker lineup shortly.”

The CISI encouraged suggestions for speakers or sessions.

Anyone wanting to make a suggestion can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..