What makes a marketing and BD leader effective in professional services- the confidence to persuade, or the expertise to be right? That was the question put to the test in one of the most entertaining sessions of the conference, a three-round "brawl" refereed by Keith "The Comeback" Hardy and scored by a judging panel of Charlotte Green, Mia Church and Hannah Westrop.

In the red corner, Karen Snell made the case for confidence. In the blue corner, Susie Pugsley fought for expertise.

Karen's argument was that knowledge on its own changes nothing. "Expertise tells you what to do, but confidence gets it done." Partners, in her experience, don't buy expertise, they buy people with the courage of their convictions. Confidence is what secures buy-in, unlocks budget and gets leadership to back the things marketing knows will work. She illustrated the point with a story about admitting to a partner that she had no idea what securitisation was. Far from damaging her credibility, that honesty built a relationship that let her influence him for years afterwards.

Susie's response was that confidence without substance doesn't survive contact with a sceptical partnership. "Just walking into a room, standing up tall isn't enough." Trust is earned by demonstrating what you know, speaking the language of the business and proving the value of what marketing does. She described a partner who arrived delighted with an AI-generated report, and how being able to interrogate its sources was exactly the kind of expertise that keeps marketing credible.

Inevitably, AI became the battleground for round two. Karen argued it tilts the balance towards confidence: "In an era when knowledge becomes abundant, judgment becomes scarce." The real risk, she warned, is overconfidence in AI, and the leaders who succeed will be those with the confidence to challenge it and stand by their own advice. Susie argued the opposite: spotting when AI is wrong, knowing which sources to trust and helping colleagues past their fear of new tools all depend on expertise.

Key takeaways from the fight

• Karen, for confidence: Being right is only half the job. The value of marketing lies in influencing decisions, and that takes the confidence to recommend, to challenge and to be held accountable for the call.
• Karen, for confidence: Admitting what you don't know, confidently, builds more credibility than bluffing. Partners respect candour.
• Susie, for expertise: Trust is demonstrated, not declared. Rigour, accuracy and a real understanding of the firm's work are what earn marketing a lasting seat at the table.
• Susie, for expertise: AI makes expertise more valuable, not less. Someone has to know when the machine is wrong.

The closing verdict was probably the one most of the room agreed with: you can't really have confidence without expertise, and as AI reshapes the profession, leaders will need both.