Marketing budgets aren’t infinite, which means most of us have to be selective about which fintech conferences to attend in 2020.
The list of ‘best conferences’ will obviously look different depending on your line of business – whether you’re an institutional lender, a new fintech app or a payments company. Regardless of your category, having a mix of conferences is key to making important connections, maximizing fintech PR, and inspiring new and exciting ideas.
We’ve narrowed the field based on what the KCD PR team of experts feel is a solid mix of conferences that would benefit any fintech business in 2020.
Money 20/20
With over 10,000 attendees, 2,500 C-Level executives, and over 450 renowned speakers, this conference tends to be the place to be seen in the fintech industry. Conference topics ranging from Banking & Payments for the Legal Cannabis Industry, to Inclusion & Innovation in Financial Services and Cybersecurity and Fraud, make it a strong broad-based conference that should have a little something for everyone. If there was one drawback, it’s that it’s big. Besides needing to pack a study pair of shoes, you’re going to have to work hard to make yourself seen or heard above the competition. Be strategic about your news announcements and get your media briefings in early to avoid being lost in the shuffle.
Finovate
The Finovate conferences are a firm favorite of the KCD PR crew. We’ve attended our fair share (both Spring and Fall) and can attest that they are a worthwhile spend of those marketing dollars. The conferences aren’t too big, nor too small. You get to really engage with people on the floor. Plus, the demos from up and coming fintech companies, indicating the trends we’re going to be seeing in the coming years. If you’re a start-up, the demo slots are a good use of budget, as they give you a chance to really finesse your big pitch, with the added benefit that if you win the ‘Best in show’ award, you can tout that accolade to your PR benefit.
FinCon
This one is all about creating Financial Content, hence ‘FinCon’. The annual event brings together a huge range of influencers who create new media (blogging, podcasts, social media, and video) about financial topics such as debt and investing. It may not be the obvious choice. But, if you’re looking to meet media and connect with people who can share your brand message, this is a great place to start. And if your marketing arsenal is feeling pretty stale, it will definitely give you some inspiration to test out more multi-media content in 2020.
FiNext
If Money 20/20 is too much to handle, FiNext is a smaller but perfectly formed alternative. The conference is geared towards ‘people who are passionate about technology and are dedicated to financing.’ It features a great range of subject matter from Women in Fintech to Behavioral Finance and Technology, to How Regulators Assess Fintech
TechCrunch Disrupt
If you’re in the start-up phase, TechCrunch Disrupt is the place to be. The conference is firmly focused on ‘founders and investors shaping the future of disruptive technology and ideas, and startup experts providing insights to entrepreneurs.’
The event is a draw for hundreds of start-ups from a wide range of industries (yes, finance, but much more). It draws a seriously heavy-hitting line-up of speakers with past speakers, including little known names such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Marc Benioff and even Will Smith (yes, the actual Fresh Prince of Bel Air himself).
With over 10,000 attendees from around the world it’s a great place to make important connections, whether you’re looking for funding or to make media intros. And when it comes to media, the event draws a top-tier list, including Bloomberg, the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and CNBC for starters.
Want to get a more comprehensive look at the best fintech conferences in 2020? We have you covered with a curated calendar that covers our top picks for the year.
