If there ever was the right moment to attend a fintech conference, it’s now. After months of having most of our attention directed inside—both physically, due to the lockdowns, and mentally, due to many unexpected challenges—it’s time to go beyond the safe place of our own thoughts and get inspired by the latest market trends. Networking, discovering new opportunities, and staying up-to-date: these are just some of the benefits you can get from attending conferences, regardless of whether they’re held virtually, onsite, or in a hybrid mode. Luckily, we’ve found plenty of events that offer different ways to participate so you can feel safe and get the most out of them at the same time. So, if you’re a fintech enthusiast who’s ready to get inspired, check out our list of fantastic events that will be vying for your attention in the second half of 2021.
1. Money 20/20
Location: hybrid
- virtual
- Amsterdam
- Las Vegas
Dates:
- virtual, July 20–23, 2021
- Amsterdam, September 21–23, 2021
- Las Vegas, October 24–27, 2021
Website: http://money2020.com/
Money 20/20 is not one but three events, all located in different regions. Depending on where you live, you can choose whether you want to attend in Amsterdam, in Las Vegas, or fully online.
In case you do book a ticket but later find out that you cannot participate due to travel restrictions, you will be able to exchange it for next year’s pass.
There are many interesting points on this year’s agenda, including a session on designing an intelligent environment. Certain panels, such as RiseUp, a global program for women in business, are recurrent and appear on the agenda during every edition.
While you wait for the conference to begin, you can watch some of the inspirational key notes from past editions on Money 20/20’s YouTube channel.
2. Fintech Summit Latam
Location: virtual
Date: August 25–26, 2021
Website: https://www.fintechsummitlatam.com/
As the name suggests, the focus of Fintech Summit Latam is Latin America. This year, the conference will center on adapting to digital banking and the arrival of a new financial economy.
Even though the event is held online, the organizers claim that it’s not just another static webinar. With tools such as the AI-based Swapcard App, the conference experience becomes richer using matchmaking and one-to-one meetings. And, what’s important, the event is available to both English and Spanish speakers.
The ticket sale will begin soon, and until then you can explore last year’s sessions online.
3. FinovateFall
Location: hybrid
- virtual
- New York
Date: September 13–15, 2021
Website: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall
One of the best things about fintech events in 2021 is that many of them give us the opportunity to participate either in person or online, from anywhere in the world. This applies to this year’s FinovateFall. If you can’t make it to New York, you can still follow it from the comfort and safety of your home.
The event’s agenda is packed with inspiring keynotes, demo sessions, and networking opportunities. There are plenty of interesting panels scheduled for this year, such as a session on how the pandemic accelerated digital transformation and what impact it had on company culture, business, and customers.
Another panel we’re looking forward to is “Seven In Seven,” in which seven expert speakers have seven minutes each to discuss some of the most critical issues in fintech at the moment.
4. Hong Kong Fintech Week
Location: hybrid
- virtual
- Hong Kong
Date: November 1–5, 2021
Website: https://www.fintechweek.hk/
The Hong Kong Fintech Week is a great opportunity for fintechs that want to scale in Asia. One of its programs, the Global Fast Track 2021, is dedicated to helping B2B and B2C companies pitch their projects to regional industry executives in areas of retail banking, commercial banking, payments, personal finance, capital markets, insurtech, regtech, digital assets, and ESG. If it sounds like something you’d like to do, you can submit your application by September 10.
The conference also boasts an impressive list of speakers. Yi Gang, Ray Dalio, Adena Friedman, and robot Sofia are just some of the many experts you will hear from this year.
5. LendIt Fintech Nexus
Location: Miami
Date: September 1–2, 2021
Website: https://www.lendit.com/nexus/2021/
Nexus is an event quite different from all the other ones on this list in that there aren’t any panels or keynotes on the agenda. Instead, it’s packed with meetings and networking events.
Nexus is intended to be a high-end partnering event, with only a limited number of attendees allowed to take part. Its organizers ensure that every participant will have at least 10 meetings to connect with potential future business partners.
6. Future of Fintech
Location: hybrid
- virtual
- New York
Date: October 5–6, 2021
Website: https://events.cbinsights.com/future-of-fintech
New technologies, new threats, new markets: in a few words, that’s what you can expect to hear about at the Future of Fintech 2021. This year, the focus will be on the ways in which technology can help financial services be better for customers, how traditional business models have to change, and how we can learn from innovations in different regions.
Although the agenda hasn’t been finalized yet, you can be sure that the organizers take safety concerns seriously: in-person meetings can be attended by fully vaccinated participants only.
Another great thing about it is that the late cancellations will be accepted without any penalty fee until the beginning of September.
7. Sibos
Location: virtual
Date: October 11–14, 2021
Website: https://www.sibos.com/
Until 2020, Sibos was a fintech conference you could attend in Amsterdam. Last year, it was moved online with a huge success. The number of registrations was record-breaking, with 23,000 people registered from over 180 countries.
Since this year’s agenda has not been announced yet, you can head to the event’s website to watch videos from previous years or... prepare for a competition.
In 2021, you can take part in Discover Perfect Pitch, described as “a challenge with a twist.” As a contestant, you can select from nine categories in three streams: Leadership, Society & Sustainability, and Partnership & Collaboration.
If you qualify, pitch your ideas to the industry specialists who will evaluate your video. And if your submission lands among nine best entries, you will get a chance to present your pitch live during Sibos week.
8. Seamless
Location: hybrid
- virtual
- Dubai
Date: September 20–30, 2021
Website: https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/seamless-middle-east/index.stm
If you decide to attend Seamless looking for interesting fintech talks, you won’t be disappointed. There are seven different topic categories to choose from on this year's agenda.
If you’d like to get a taste of what you can expect, check out ContentHub: it has plenty of materials from past editions. What’s more, if you’re in Dubai, you will also be able to attend a tech expo with innovative startups from the region.
9. Fintech Devcon
Location: Denver
Date: September 7–9, 2021
Website: https://fintechdevcon.io/
Fintech Devcon is a two-day event designed for fintech developers. The conference is a great opportunity to learn how the biggest brands in the industry have overcome some significant technical challenges and find out about the tools and best practices used by developers in fintech today.
The event will focus primarily on three areas: payments, finance and lending, and regulation and compliance. For more details, you can check specific keynote and panel topics on the agenda.
10. Empire Startups
Location: New York
Date: October 19, 2021
Website: https://empirestartups.com/
The event takes place on one day only but it’s packed with groundbreaking ideas, inspiring panels, and interesting demos.
What you might notice straight away about it are the playful and catchy session titles such as “The Real Housewives (Husbands, and Partners) of RegTech,” “The Challenger Banks are Coming, The Challenger Banks are Coming,” or “How to NOT get Acquired. Horror Stories From the Trenches.”
I don’t know about you, but they sold me on that from the first moment.
11. Paris Fintech Forum
Location: virtual
Dates: various dates
Website: https://www.parisfintechforum.com/
If you find it hard to attend a conference because it takes place on a specific date or in a distant location, the Paris Fintech Forum might be the perfect event for you.
One of the great things about it is that the sessions take place on various dates throughout the year. The next one, for instance, will take place on October 12–13, and it will focus on payments.
Moreover, the moment you’re registered on the platform, you get access to all the previous presentations made during this edition.
12. Fintech Junction
Location: hybrid
- virtual
- Israel
Date: July 28, 2021
Website: https://www.fintechjunction.com/
Fintech Junction is more than a single, annual conference. The event is complemented by bi-monthly meetings and online conferences with the aim of enabling business to stay relevant.
In addition to great keynotes, the conference also includes the Startup Competition which gives you the possibility to win an invitation to the Merage Institute Leadership Program in the US.
13. BanTech Forum
Location: virtual
Date: July 28–29, 2021
Website: https://banktechforum.io
The Risk Management Summit is focused solely on banking. This year will mark the conference’s first edition but it already seems to be a very promising event.
At the BanTech Forum you can expect to learn about issues such as reducing risk evaluation time, scenario planning and analysis, or aligning bank policy with regulations.
For the list of the event’s brilliant speakers and details on how to sign up, head to the event’s website.
14. Fintech World Forum
Location: virtual
Date: August 16–17, 2021
Website: https://fintechconferences.com/
What’s the most important aspect of organizing a conference? Our guess would be that it’s the people you gather. And the lineup is definitely the biggest advantage of the Fintech World Forum 2021.
Among speakers and panelists you can find industry experts from leading companies such as IBM, Huawei, OneSpan, and many more. Additionally, by buying a VIP ticket you get access to recordings of all of this year’s talks.
15. Singapore Fintech Festival
Location: Singapore
Date: August 8–12, 2021
Website: https://www.fintechfestival.sg/
This listing wouldn’t be complete without the Singapore Fintech Festival which, with 1,600 speakers and more than 60,000 participants, claims to be “the world’s largest fintech event.”
To get a sense of what you can learn during those couple of days in Singapore, check out recordings from the previous editions. The one we found particularly interesting is from 2020, on whether AI should be regulated in financial services.
Final thoughts on top fintech events of 2021
Surprisingly, even more than six months into the year, you can still attend plenty of fintech events. Although we’ve only highlighted 15 of them, the list could certainly go on and on.
When it comes to the annual events, some of them went online, some stayed offline, some got postponed, but they haven’t given up. And you shouldn’t, either.
Despite the countless lockdowns, new safety measures and travel restrictions, finding an inspiring event to attend is easier than ever. I hope that the list has helped you pick one for yourself.
And, if you want to top up your understanding of fintech, take a look at the articles available on our blog:
- Is Python a Good Choice for Finance?
- Top Fintech Influencers You Should Follow on Twitter in 2021
- 10+ Noteworthy UK Insurtech Companies and Startups to Look Out for in 2021
- Insurtech in 2021: Turning Challenges into Opportunities
If you’re building a fintech product and would like some assistance, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to share our fintech expertise to help your company reach its full potential.
