Editorial: Conference highlights

Best speech: Steve Webb makes impassioned defence of pot-follows-member and strikes a chill in providers by threatening to name and shame those who do not reduce high charges for legacy schemes.

Most awkward moment: Alan Rubenstein taken to task in the main auditorium by trustee over administrative mishap that led to his scheme’s contingent asset not being registered (see page opposite).

Most questions asked by a trustee: Charles Pender, Lloyds Superannuation Pension Scheme; Pat Maloney, Telent Technology Services; James Churcher, Abbott Laboratories.

Most unoriginal idea: Moneysupermarket.com’s Martin Lewis says pensions should be rebranded ‘retirement savings’.

Best slide: the Universities Superannuation Scheme’s diagram presenting how the holistic balance sheet would increase the liabilities of schemes.

Best put-down: In describing the EU’s bid to apply a Solvency II-like formula to pension funds, Mark Hyde-Harrison cites Webb’s quip that it is “a solution looking for a problem”.

Standing room only: seminar on derisking DB schemes with MNOPF case study.

Award for services to pensions: Joanne Segars makes infrastructure presentation at 7.45am.

Award for international relations: Gabriel Bernardino, chief executive of EIOPA, peppers his speech with compliments for the UK pensions industry.

Conference rumour: French insurance companies want to kill off DB schemes to more easily sell their savings products throughout Europe.

Best after-show party: Karaoke with Moorlands Human Capital in Chinatown.