Come October 23rd, I will be headed to Las Vegas to attend one of the most awaited events in the finance & payments industry – Money20/20. It’s going to be 4 days of intense activity with myriad panel discussions, product launches and networking opportunities available to the 10,000 attendees who will be at the conference. I, along with my team who are attending the event are very excited about all that we are about to experience at this annual gathering.
However, even though there are thousands of such events that happen all over the world, a lot of times such conferences, industry events and symposiums get labeled as being boring. In my experience they are anything but that. If seen in the right context, these events are a great learning experience for anyone attending. I for one, look forward to such events and here are the top 3 reasons why:
1) It’s great for storytelling
– Whether you are an established firm or a startup player, industry events and conferences are a great way to tell your brand’s story to an interested audience. You could be showcasing your services at your exhibition stall or unveiling a new product, such events provide the perfect platform for you to highlight your brand’s innovations and successes. At Money 20/20, I will be speaking about innovations we have done in the remittance space at Xpress Money , and I am excited to know the reactions industry peers will have towards what we have to say.
2) It helps ignite important conversations
– Social networks have definitely changed the way we connect with people, but nothing beats a face to face interaction when it comes to networking. Industry events are a great place to meet like minded professionals and share industry and business insights with them. They provide an opportunity for people to discuss challenges they face at an industry or business level and brainstorm for solutions together. The importance of industry events in terms of opening up new partnerships and alliances also cannot be stressed enough.
3) It broadens one’s perspectives
– A lot of new information, inspiration and learning has to be gained from attending a conference. You get to hear some great speakers present their thoughts in panel discussions and symposiums. At an event such as the one I mentioned above, one also gets to see young talent come up with innovative business ideas. Being in a space where so many original concepts being shared is a great energizer.
I always come back from industry events motivated and with renewed vigour and I am confident that I will come back from Money 20/20 with a bunch of new ideas and learnings to share with my team.
Footnote: Meet the Xpress Money team at Booth 2339 @ Money 20/20 happening in Las Vegas between 25-28 October 2015.
Written by – Sudhesh Giriyan, COO, Xpress Money
