How to succeed at this year’s Money 20/20

What’s in store for 2023’s U.S. installment of one of the industry’s largest, most prestigious and most popular conferences?

Kicking off in Las Vegas on Oct. 22, the biggest names in the game will assemble at Money20/20 to discuss – you guessed it – money!

In particular, they will address what Money20/20 event organizers call ‘the reckoning,’ aka the dour mood in fintech that industry participants cannot ignore. The culmination of Q1’s major banking crisis, the overall unhealthy economic climate, and crypto’s troubled regulatory future has fintech not so much at a crossroads but at a pause.

This mood threatens to overshadow what fintech companies bring to the table: exciting and revolutionary tools that have the potential to impact our lives for the better.

With no way around this difficult moment, the brightest minds in the industry will workshop and brainstorm how to survive this painful stretch for fintech companies. And perhaps the brightest minds in the financial services sector can ruminate upon AI’s possibilities.

Here is how to bring your ‘A’ game to this year’s event!

THE BAD

CRYPTO

The high that accompanied the introduction and rollout of novel crypto, blockchain, and Web3 technologies in fintech has met with regulatory reaction. Those initial possibilities and that optimism now depend upon legality and demonstrating compliance. This has also caused quite a bit of nervousness and consternation. Fintech must wrestle with the regulatory hangover.

Amid this buzzkill, what can companies bring to the table? Reassurances? A sort of vague optimism? Perhaps stealing the show this year will be the speaker with a sober unpacking and demonstration of expertise around regulatory adoption of novel technologies. Did fintech cross the street before looking both ways?

Or, as a point of comparison, how did banking and the financial services industry at large respond to the rise of the internet? What were the laws? What lessons were learned? Have these headaches always been around in some form, or did fintech go awry regarding digital currencies or blockchain? In a year of uncertainty, an accurate illustration of the regulatory roadmap aligns strongly with one of this year’s major Money20/20 themes: rebuilding trust.

THE ECONOMY

Getting through Money20/20 without mentioning the Fed would be a near-impossible task. But what is more important than predicting interest rates in 2024 is offering concrete guidance on what the industry will need to do based on where the chips land, economically speaking.

How will the industry need to adjust to remain competitive in a better or worse business environment? Predictions are still fun and will get everyone’s attention! Just be sure to underline what the implications are for fintech companies and the financial services sector.

It is essential to offer insight on what your customers are telling you about the business climate and what steps they are taking in response. More than anything, this “what I’m hearing” type of insight is what brings people to events like Money20/20 in the first place. People want to talk to others to compare notes, pure and simple. Often, event roundup media coverage will include those tidbits as quotes. People want to hear these insights, the media wants to include them in their stories, and the public wants to read about them. These discussions are what help consolidate the major trends or takeaways of any event, and the same is true of Money20/20.

If it’s not too late, consider releasing a report or survey to coincide with the event. Look to put out research that aligns with the event’s themes and have copies that you can give reporters. If it is too late (this year, anyway), pull just a few pieces of newsworthy data you can share. Insights from customers and clients, and proprietary data are the perfect one-two punch.

THE GOOD

GEN AI

Do not take this year’s sober theme to be the end-all-be-all! There is so much excitement around AI that this year’s conference will be rescued from any potential overload of negativity by the discussions and showcases of Gen AI’s capabilities. Fintech’s specialty is letting companies share how they have responded to and adopted new technologies, and undoubtedly, this year’s version around Gen AI tech will pack the house.

THE NEUTRAL

THE GEN Z FACTOR

Aside from hitting the major pain points and Gen AI, be sure to touch on the rowdy future of fintech’s customer base – Gen Z. The behaviors and patterns around money have largely been mapped for other generations, but Gen Z’s habits are still falling into place. With future success on the line, all institutions must cater to their use of and expectations around money.

With the inability to get traction on larger purchases and an inflationary dollar not going as far as it used to, cashing in “now” is becoming increasingly popular with Gen Z. What are the implications of this type of consumer when it comes to banking services, lending, credit, savings, debt, fraud, and the economy in general? (Or, is this a fly-by-night response to current economic conditions as even boomers withdraw from their 401k’s and so on?)

When you talk about your clients and customers, be sure to weigh in not only with the specifics you have but also to fintech’s customers in the abstract. Is Gen Z all about “experiences”? Are they “totally hopeless” when it comes to fraud?

FIN

Ultimately, the good news is that times of crisis are actually ones that kick off new rounds of innovation and adoption. Financial products, banking services, blockchain technology solutions, and natural language processing and other platforms are rapidly being onboarded as innovation becomes no longer just “a nice-to-have” but essential for staying in business.

Business leaders cannot rest on their laurels and return to “tried and true” methodologies to ride out an economic storm. While they wait, they could lose their customer base.