Gina Clarke, events correspondent at The Fintech Times, reflects on the recent flood of fintech conferences and what all those speaker banners really say about the state of the industry.
- I write about events.
- I go to a lot of them.
- I’ve worked in events for years.
From programming panels and curating content to juggling the conflicting demands of sponsors, speakers and the mysteriously titled ‘strategic partners’, I know the thrill of locking in a headline speaker at 11:59pm and the silent dread of realising they’ve asked to bring their friend on stage (true story).
So, when I scroll through LinkedIn and see a tsunami of ‘I’m speaking at…’ banners, usually with the same three fonts and a grinning headshot, I know exactly what went on behind the curtain. The delicate dance of curation vs commercial. The never-quite-said-out-loud question: Is this a merit-based keynote or a cleverly disguised brand boost?
Whose mic Is It anyway?
May and June certainly hold the lion’s share of events for those in Europe, hoping for a respite from the rain but really cursing the weather for the heatwave that arrived instead. From UK Fintech Week to Money20/20 Europe, it’s been a busy time to ‘shape the future of payments’ and play that buzzword bingo.
London Tech Week made its long-anticipated return with everything from AI regulation to cloud infrastructure on the agenda, plus a healthy amount of ‘Didn’t I see you at SXSW London last week?’ shoulder taps.
Speaking at these events does mean something but not always what you think. A headline slot might be earned. It might be sponsored. It might be a blend of the two. And with larger firms investing in multi-event sponsorship strategies, their visibility isn’t always about the content, it’s about the coverage.
Combine this with the ‘I’m attending’ banners and it’s hard to move on social media without becoming ‘anti-event’. Indeed, I’ve seen some cracking ‘I’m not attending’ posts, albeit it gets hard to discern tongue-in-cheek from Victor Meldrew (I don’t believe it!)
And yes, I get it: speaking is prestigious. It signals expertise. It validates your brand. But we’ve reached a saturation point where discerning the genuine from the glossy is harder than decoding a DeFi protocol on three hours of sleep.
The reaction test
If you’re looking for a way to stay sane in the middle of events season, here’s my suggestion: perform the Reaction Test every time another invite lands in your inbox or another banner floods your feed:
- Great What an opportunity! You’ve got something to say, or someone you really want to meet. Book the ticket.
- Happy Your people will be there. It’s a networking boost. Reach out for that coffee.
- Jealous Why weren’t you asked to speak? Time to investigate call-for-content deadlines and sharpen your pitch.
- Over it Honestly? You still haven’t followed up from the last one. Maybe just take the day to clear your inbox and not hear the word “transformation” five times before lunch.
The glass half full perspective
Yes, we’re tired. But the sheer number of events is telling us something: the industry is in growth mode.
New topics are emerging faster than ChatGPT plugins. Regulators are finally listening (and occasionally attending). Partnership deals are being struck between lanyard badges. Media teams are rolling out highlight reels with LinkedIn as a primary performance metric. (Snapchat and TikTok aren’t far behind either, brace yourself for vertical video thought leadership.)
This isn’t just event mania – it’s momentum.
And here is why it matters
After a bruising few years: post-Covid uncertainty, inflated fintech valuations, rate hikes that ruined everyone’s mood, this season feels… different. There’s optimism again. IPOs are back in the market. Startups are once again hiring before raising. Legacy institutions are now less ‘watch and learn’ and more ‘buy and build’.
So yes, the banners might be everywhere. But don’t begrudge them entirely. They’re a sign that people are investing again: in ideas, in partnerships, in stage presence.
And maybe, just maybe, what we need most right now is a little bit of that borrowed optimism. Preferably with coffee. And a really good event app.
Unsure where to head to first? Take a look at my previous articles on where to spend your events budget: Europe and North America, and Asia and the Middle East.
Coming up soon: FINOS Open Source in Finance Forum, AI Summer Beach Party or look ahead to Fintech Week London.
