The Solent September 2026 Meeting 

The Gambler - What Kenny Rogers and other professional risk-takers can teach us about business and investing - Andy Babbayan

Andy Babbayan will share a powerful and thought-provoking presentation...

Drawing on over 25 years in property, involvement in more than £150 million of projects, his experience as a CEO, and a background as a British Army Bomb Disposal Officer, Andy brings a unique perspective on risk, decision-making and capital preservation. Combined with an MSc in Risk Management, his approach challenges conventional thinking around property investing and business growth.
In this talk, Andy reframes business and investing as a series of calculated risks. Using timeless principles from professional gambling, he explains why success is less about chasing opportunities and more about managing downside, structuring decisions properly, and knowing when to act — or not act. This is a practical and highly relevant framework for today’s market conditions, where discipline and clarity are becoming more important than ever.

During Andy’s presentation you will learn:

• Why every business and property decision is fundamentally a risk decision
• How professional investors think about probability, consequence and downside protection
• The critical importance of capital preservation and structuring deals correctly
• How to identify when to commit to a deal, walk away, or cut losses early
• Why discipline, patience and decision-making frameworks outperform instinct and optimism

ALSO... This Deal looked profitable…until it wasn’t: What Every Property Investor misses - Melissa Lewis

Melissa will share her journey from buying her first property in Essex to building a portfolio and working closely with Investors across a range of deals including Flips, BTLs, HMOs and Development opportunities. Along the way, she began to notice a common pattern - many property deals that looked profitable on paper didn’t always perform as expected in reality.

In this 25-minute talk, Melissa will break down how her thinking has evolved over time, moving beyond simple headline numbers to a more structured and risk-aware way of assessing Property deals. Using real case studies, including a high-performing HMO and a Buy-to-Let that looked strong on paper, she will walk through what actually happens beneath the surface of a deal and where investors can go wrong.
During Melissa’s presentation you will learn:

• Why ‘good deals on paper’ can still fail in reality
• The hidden risks most investors overlook when analysing deals
• How to assess cashflow, effort, risk and exit more effectively
• The difference between a deal that works and one that simply looks good
• A practical framework you can use to stress-test your own deals

By the end of the talk, you will have a clearer understanding of how to approach Property deals with greater confidence, avoid costly mistakes, and make more informed investment decisions.