WEBVTT
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What's up, y'all?
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Have you ever left a conference feeling totally inspired, ready to implement all the things you learned, only to realize that a few days later you forgot everything?
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I think a lot of that is because so much of what gets discussed at these shows is purely theoretical.
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In other words, super led on tactics, no real playbook discovered, nobody really wants to give away a secret formula on how to pull off these transformational changes.
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So if you're trying to figure out what your conference schedule looks like next year, you should absolutely consider fintech meetup.
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We unpack why that is the case in this episode.
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It's gonna be an awesome show, and it's one of the first big ones of the year.
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I've got Jade Mitchell on the line, and she's responsible for planning all content at the show, and they have got some really unique things in store for anybody who's gonna be going to this show.
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And if you're a fintech, there's an opportunity to pitch your product to the audience you want to get in front of.
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And we talk about how to win one of these$50,000 safe notes that are being given away at the show.
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Check it out.
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Well, Jay, thanks so much for coming on the show.
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I'm excited to unpack what's going on with FinTech Meetup, which is one of the hottest shows of the year.
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Talk to me about how you put together the agenda for the show.
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Sure.
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Um, well, first of all, it's lovely to be here with you.
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So the agenda for the show is put together over a long, what feels like a long time.
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I talked to a lot of people in the industry from across the entire ecosystem to see what was interesting to them, what was current, what they're working on, what they're looking to see on stage.
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It's really important to me that the agenda reflects what's going on in the industry.
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And it's also really important to me that the speakers are like play an active part in putting that agenda together.
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I don't want to be someone who comes along and says to a speaker, Oh, I think you'd be really great here.
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Sit on this panel.
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Because I only have so much knowledge, right?
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Like the people who are in the industry doing the jobs, they're the ones that actually know what they're doing day to day and they know the ins and the outs and they know things that I just can't know.
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So I prefer to work with speakers who look like they have something really great to say, and then ask them what they would like to speak about and what they think is relevant.
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Um that way I think you come up with an uh an agenda that's not just doesn't just work for the industry, it works with the industry as well.
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So yeah, lots of talking to people, lots of um adjustments and jigging of the content as we go along, just to make sure that it's current and up to date as well.
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This is the other problem with working in fintech, right?
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Like everything changes so quickly.
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All the time.
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So something happens something happens one week, and then you think, oh, that's a great idea.
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I'm gonna put that into the agenda.
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And then in three weeks' time, you see some news come out, and you're like, oh, well, that's completely rained on my parade.
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So you have to change things again.
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Yeah.
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Even just learning the industry and for people coming into it, man, it's a steep task to kind of wrap your arms around.
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And you know, the people who you invite to come speak, like they're just so in the weeds.
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And like you said, you're just one person.
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There's no way you're gonna know what is interesting across all these different verticals in the industry.
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Yeah, exactly.
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And for me, all I can do is listen to what the industry says to me.
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And one of the key things that came out when I was talking to people and doing my research was that people are still attending events and coming away saying, Well, that was a great event.
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I spoke to some nice people.
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But then kind of the next day forgetting everything that they were told or everything they learned, or all the people they met, because there's no there's no real structure, there's no real guidance, there's no real takeaways to a lot of the content.
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You have senior leaders sitting up on stage and giving you their amazing vision for the future.
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Um, we're gonna do this with the company and we're gonna do this, and AI is gonna go here and there and everywhere.
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And you know, it's lovely to listen to, and at the time you're feeling inspired and you're thinking, wow, I can take this back to work.
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But really, people want solid takeaway.
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They want to take practical things back to their office and say, right, I can actually do this.
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You know, there's there's no point in having the vision if you haven't got the practicalities that go with it.
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So the tactics, the how.
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How do we do this on the playbook?
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Not what to do, but how to do it.
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And I'm very conscious of that this year and really want to make sure that the agenda is built around this.
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So not just gonna have speakers on stage for the sake of it.
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We don't want just conference scripts, you know, like the classic conference scripts.
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I want to make sure that everyone who goes on stage really has something to say.
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Yep.
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I think if you can pull that off and really deliver tactical insight and value to the attendees, it'll be one of the best shows they've gone to in a long time because it's very easy.
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And I've learned this in hosting the podcast and talking with experts, talking with consultants, that it's very easy to talk theoretical and kind of PowerPoint-ish.
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But when you try to get into like the tactical, it's more challenging.
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But I think that's a great mantra for you guys at the show.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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And events are all about community and they're all about sharing and helping each other.
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And I think I'm very much on the on the page of just just tell people what you know.
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It doesn't mean they can do it.
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They might not have the technologies to do it, they might not have the means to do it.
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You know, you tell them what you know, and then 10 years down the line, two years down the line, what six months down the line, they might come back to you and say, Oh, I've done this and we've moved on to the next step.
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And then you might be like, Oh, we're struggling with the next step.
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Can you help us with the next step?
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And then, you know, exchange of information and you can help each other.
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I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all.
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Yeah, gatekeeping is is not the way to move things forward.
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Yeah, like there's more than enough for everybody.
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Yeah, exactly.
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Exactly.
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So one of the really cool things that we're doing this year with FinTech Meetup with the content is a um, I guess it's our take on an open open mic night.
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So we've got a session whereby you can apply to speak ahead of time and you won't know whether you're going to speak until the uh session rolls around.
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We'll do a a cool spinny wheel thing on the stage, and if your name gets called, then you're gonna go up on stage and you have the mic for five minutes and you get to talk, but it has to be practical.
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It has to be, I did this at work.
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However small, big, you know, it could be a technology thing, it could be a leadership thing, I did this and it went really well, and this is how I did it.
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Or I did this and it went really badly, and this is how you could do it next time and fix it.
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So is this bankers and and fintech or b one or the other?
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Yes, yes, there's absolutely no limit on who goes up.
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Oh, cool.
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I think for a lot of people and a lot of events, there's so many people who want to speak at an event.
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And the criteria to speak at an event is often quite strict.
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Um you're looking for a certain type of person, a certain type of conversation.
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But I wanted to open up the floor for everyone and not put any limits on who gets up and speaks.
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So this is an opportunity for anyone in any industry, any seniority to have the chance to get up on stage and give us some really useful, fun information.
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So yeah.
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If you're going to fintech, you've got there's an opportunity to speak for five minutes on stage about whatever you want in the industry that you're doing that you've seen or have some expertise on and want to share with the audience.
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Yes, exactly.
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And how does one go about applying for this?
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We have a link on the website.
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There's a speaker application form, a generic speaker application form, and then next to it there's also a it's called fintech in five.
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So we're not calling open mic night.
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Don't want to confuse everyone.
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We're calling it fintech in five, and there's a link on the website that you can go and submit your information.
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So uh sounds like an awesome opportunity.
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Uh we'll put that in the show notes for anybody to grab it.
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Cool, cool.
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Yeah, it'll be it'll be fun, I think.
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And um it's one of those things that's just it's a bit different, right?
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Because uh I I love a panel and I think panels have their place, but different formats uh uh engage people in different ways.
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And coming up with different content formats is really important to me.
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And I think we did a in the 2026 show, we did a a game show.
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We called it um a fintech feud, it's a play on family feud.
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So it was that kind of structure for a game show.
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Great host with with Team Bank and Team FinTech, and we did it all around like one topic, and we had buzzers, we had we had scorecards, and it was so nice to see people in the audience laughing and clapping and not just sitting there and nodding or falling asleep.
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On their cell phones.
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That's I love that.
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That's so great.
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So you guys are doing a lot of really kind of fun out-of-the-box things for a conference.
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I think the kind of generic format is headline speaker, try to funnel people through the show, you know, and then we've got a couple breakouts, conclusion, everybody flies home.
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But you've got a little bit of everything for everybody.
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You've democratized speaking in front of the audience.
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Uh, we'll get into more around how you're brokering conversations and introductions, which I think is great.
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People need help.
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It's kind of hard to get out there and feed a lot of people and come away with a lot of takeaways to really like work the conference.
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And you guys are helping with that.
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And we'll get into that in a sec.
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One last piece on content here.
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So, you know, one thing that we talk about at Propagate, a lot of what we do is tied to marketing and PR storytelling, is trying to develop skill sets in the marketing and PR space that maybe make you feel a little bit uncomfortable, but are part of the things that really get you on the radar of, let's say, your ideal client profile or, you know, try to bring you into more of a household name.
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And there's so many different little experiments you can do.
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I think humor is one of those really great things to experiment with.
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It's, I think for a lot of people, kind of dangerous and then a little scary to try to do that, right?
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It's much easier to be generic.
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It's much easier to be like everybody else.
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Just like nobody ever got in trouble for choosing IBM back in the day.
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Uh you guys are doing this in a really interesting way with your it's kind of like a mini TV show series in, I would say, 9 by 16 kind of portrait orientation, ideal for cell phones in people's hands.
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Tell us a little bit about this.
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Yeah, so it's called The Network.
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It is a 15-part series.
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So we'll be, we'll be releasing one episode every week for the next 15 weeks.
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And you're following along with two main characters, uh Joe and Clementine, in a very traditional office corporate environment.
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Um, and it's kind of it goes, it covers all the pitfalls and the crazy things that could happen happen in an office environment, basically.
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Um, it's a little bit tongue-in-cheek, it's fun, and the reason we're doing it is because we want to stand out from other events.
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Like you say, we don't want to be following the generic, this is a conference, this is, you know, we're doing it to just to just to do it.
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We want to stand out, we want to provide our audience with something that's like enjoyable, not just insightful.
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And that extends to the way we're marketing.
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And I think that to give someone a few minutes of lighthearted fun out of their days while also communicating the fintech meetup value proposition, it's kind of the best way to market, I think.
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Um The best.
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I totally agree.
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Yeah.
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And it is it is funny.
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And every time I watch one, I I laugh because there's certain parts of it that you just not all of it maybe, but every episode, there'll be a part of it you can say, that's happened to me before.
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Funny.
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It's yeah.
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Very enjoyable.
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Hopefully everyone's gonna love it.
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I think it's I think it's great.
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Um are the actors gonna be at FinTech Meetup?
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Are they are you guys gonna get them out on stage or is that a surprise?
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Or to be confirmed.
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To be confirmed.
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Okay.
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I like it.
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Uh yeah, it's very funny.
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It's kind of like uh it's got a little bit of an office space uh kind of vibe, a little bit, or the office kind of kind of thing.
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The English and the American uh versions.
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Yes, there is both.
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But yeah, you know, I mean everybody's had the terrible checked-out boss.
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Everybody's had the really cheesy onboarding at a company experience.
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And I think you guys have had three episodes at this point.
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Two?
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We've looked we've done two episodes.
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Yes.
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Second episode came out today.
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Okay.
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And do you guys do it each week?
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Every week.
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Thursday at 9 a.m., they launch.
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Okay.
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Okay, got it.
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I think it's safe to say the fintech beatup show is going to be very different.
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Trust is the theme of the show, which is a great idea because trust is such a rare commodity right now.
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But in the advent of AI, we're all kind of second guessing and questioning things that we didn't before.
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Why did you guys land on trust as a theme for the show?
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When I was talking to everyone in the in the research phase for this show, it was surprising to me how quickly the conversation turned from excitement around technology and capability to anxiety about responsibility and consequences.
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And I know that people can see that the technology is improving, but the questions are now coming out like, but is it good enough?
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Is the data good enough?
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Who's accountable for these decisions?
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How will our roles change in our companies now that the technology is coming in?
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And what was really fascinating to me is that although across the industry everyone's problems are different, they they still come back to the same issues.
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They want to grow fast, but they also feel like they're growing too fast and they can't keep up.
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So it doesn't matter whether I was into a bank, a fintech, a retailer, they're all trying to move faster without destroying the confidence of their customers, employees, regulators.
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And that kind of tension led me to think, well, this is all an issue of trust.
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Um, because I think that makes sense.
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You had a situation where banks had dollar signs in the eyes a little blindly back in the early 2000s leading up to the financial crisis.
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And you know, you talk about trying not to grow too fast or trying to grow intelligently.
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You know, there's shortcuts to growing an institution, growing deposits.
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So the thing I love about trust as a theme the most is that it's practical.
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So it shows up in the work people are doing.
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So it shows up in accuracy and governance and liability and in data.
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But it's also a very emotional theme.
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So it shows up in in leadership and um, you know, are your customers confident and comfortable with what you're doing?
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And do your team trust that you're gonna lead them in the right direction?
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So it means that in the content, in the agenda, by bringing people's kind of real life case studies to the forefront of the content, we are um positioning ourselves as open and honest and communicating all these issues.
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If everyone can come on stage and be really honest about what they're facing and the problems they're facing and the challenges and how they're overcoming them, I think that kind of opens the trust doors and people can be more open about how they're moving forwards.
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You know, everyone, like I said earlier, everyone's facing the same problems.
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It's just they're facing them in very, very different ways.
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And I want to show the industry that the content is being created with them and not just for them.
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I think it's really important that they trust me as much as I trust them to put the content together and to create a really good show.
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I think that dovetails really nicely with what you guys are doing to drive meetings and connections between bankers and fintechs.
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You know, fintechs need to meet more bankers.
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And one of the big concerns that bankers have is okay, if I spend all the time getting to know you, introducing you to the other decision makers at our institution, sitting through your demos, spending time with you, and then you your funding runs out, you go away, or maybe you get in trouble with the government or whatever, being able to broker these relationships and introductions is a great way to introduce people and give them time to get to know each other and to do it in a quick way, I think is great.
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And then for bankers, you know, bankers are coming to these shows tasked with solving for a few problems or opportunities at their institutions.
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And I think the meetings program is a great way to do this.
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Why don't you tell us a little bit about this?
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Yeah.
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So the reason FinTech Meetup is different is because we run our meetings program like nobody else does in the industry.
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The market is really crowded and success at most events is based on like random meetings, random conversations.
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So at FinTech Meetup, before the event happens, as an attendee, you'll complete a profile.
00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:49.519
And on the profile it'll say what you want to achieve, who you are, what you can offer, and the types of people and organizations that you want to meet.
00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:54.240
So once you've completed your profile, you can then review every single other profile.
00:16:54.399 --> 00:17:01.759
So every attendee who's coming to the event, you can look at absolutely everyone, the whole list, and decide who you want to see.
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:06.400
The important part of why we're different to other events is because we're double opt-in.
00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:09.200
So you will not meet with someone unless they want to meet with you.
00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:11.599
So it's basically like speed dating.
00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:12.240
Bumble.
00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:14.720
It's kind of like isn't Bumble like that?
00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:15.599
It's been a long time.
00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:19.839
I've been married, you know, a while now, but uh from what I hear, Bumble works kind of like that.
00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:21.039
I wouldn't know.
00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:21.440
Yes.
00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:25.759
So if you both swipe left, then you do end up meeting at the event.
00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:31.200
So it basically means that it's not an off-chance meeting and you're not meeting someone who doesn't want to talk to you.
00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:37.519
So the kind of the cold start has gone and it's it creates a really friendly, warm introduction.
00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:44.880
We also program all of the meetings for you, put them into your calendar, so when you turn up, you just have to attend and sit down and talk.
00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:45.440
Great.
00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:52.799
Yeah, because you don't want to be a deposits person and you're sitting down with a aircraft landing fintech.
00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.519
You're like, okay, so do you like weather?
00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:56.720
Yeah.
00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:58.640
Have you been anywhere nice recently?
00:17:58.720 --> 00:17:58.880
Yeah.
00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:00.319
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:01.759
That's that's so cool.
00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:07.119
Okay, so we're talking a huge quantity of meetings in rapid fire orientation.
00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:09.440
How many meetings are you guys brokering here?
00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:14.640
We uh successfully do about 50,000 meetings over the three days.
00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:28.000
And it's just it's a sight to behold when you walk into the meetings hall and you just have these small tables set up for two people, just taking up a whole entire room, thousands of them, with a giant countdown timer on the wall.
00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:37.039
Everyone gets 15 minutes for their meetings and the bars and the atmosphere and like the s genuine smiles and happy conversation that goes on in that room.
00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:40.079
It's just it's very Yeah, it's really nice to see.
00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:41.359
That's so cool.
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:46.319
Um, how would you recommend people should get the most out of it if you're, let's say, a banker?
00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:56.000
I think the the most important thing to do is think about what you want to get out of the meetings before you before you even complete the profile process.
00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:03.680
So think about what you want to to achieve by the end of the three days and then put some time aside to complete your profile.
00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:16.720
We see the best results when people actually turn off all distractions, sit down and spend it's it's time consuming, but spend some time completing your profile exactly as you want to complete it.
00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:19.359
Um don't let an assistant do it for you.
00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:20.319
Do it yourself.
00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:21.519
You know what you want.
00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:28.960
Yes, it will take a while, but the outcome of your meetings, uh the quality of your meetings will be just a hundred times better.
00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:37.519
And is that because the people you're meeting with have a chance to look at that and go, oh, okay, you're you're really interested in treasury only.
00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:43.920
You're not interested in just consumer deposits, you're interested in treasury or, you know, whatever commercial lending, whatever it may be.
00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:44.720
Exactly.
00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:49.920
The more details you put in your profile, the less likely you are to match with someone who who isn't quite right.
00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:50.559
Okay.
00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:56.559
The quality of your schedule basically depends on the quality and the time spent, you know, with these selections.
00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:02.880
And then I would say once you have your meetings all planned and scheduled out, don't just turn up to the event.
00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:08.319
Maybe spend a little bit of time researching the people you're meeting with, because you have their names ahead, you know, in advance.
00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:12.160
Do a bit of research on their names, what they do, come up with a few key questions.
00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:14.240
You only have 15 minutes at each table.
00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:18.720
So you don't want to spend the first five minutes introducing each other, making small talk.
00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:22.079
Go along with three questions that you want to ask.
00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:22.960
Just be prepared.
00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:23.440
Okay.
00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:27.279
Let me try out on uh the startup pitch competition that you guys have.
00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:36.799
So around 250 startups apply for the pitch competition, and you guys are giving away two$50,000 safe notes.
00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.319
How do people win this competition?
00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:45.839
So our startup pitch competition is judged externally.
00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:52.079
So no one from FinTech Meetup gets to be involved in the judging process, which I think is the most important part.
00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:54.160
I know it sounds crazy, but Unbiased.
00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:55.440
Nice not to be biased.
00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:56.400
Yeah, exactly.
00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:00.559
It's judged by people who want to invest in these companies.
00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:12.160
So they have they have an interest in in watching the pitches and really figuring out who whose is the best um product or the most useful product or something that really is going to go far.
00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:25.200
Um the startups who get picked to go on stage, they get 10 minutes to go up on stage and pitch their product to the set of judges, think X Factor judges style.
00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:31.039
Pitch their product for 10 minutes and and then the judges go away and consult, come back with the winners.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:34.880
I think to be successful, um, it's a tough one, isn't it?
00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:38.720
Because you have your product and there has to be a time and a place for a new product.
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:45.440
And if you've picked the perfect product and you've got the perfect pitch, then you're more likely to go to get through.
00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:52.319
Um but I think it's about being clear about what you do and how it's going to serve the industry and how that's going to serve the investors as well.
00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:53.839
Yeah, just just be very clear.
00:21:53.920 --> 00:22:03.839
Don't be nervous when you're pitching and maybe, you know, use cases, who's used your product, who you'd Expect to use your product, make it applicable to real life.
00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:06.960
And I think this plays back into the trust theme as well, right?
00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:13.839
Because when you're presenting to an audience, you need to get them to buy into what you're saying and to trust what you're saying.
00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:19.359
Um the people watching really believe in what you're saying and trust that you have the next big thing.
00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:26.480
So I think you're right, putting it into a real life scenario and saying, you know, this person woke up and they wanted to do this, but oh no, it wasn't available to them.
00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:30.960
Ta-da! You know, then that's uh yeah, it's a great way to go.
00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:32.240
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:38.400
Okay, so how does somebody get their pitch application in the final selection phase?
00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:43.839
What what do you what do people need to do to really kind of stand out and be selected to go on stage?
00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.759
So it's very s very similar to what I would say when you're on stage.
00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:52.720
So you have to apply with descriptions of what you're pitching.
00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:59.599
Um you have to put the put the link to the website and to a video of you demonstrating how to use it.
00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.400
So again, I would just say just be really clear with what you're showing.
00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:05.599
You need to pretend you're submitting it to a five-year-old, right?
00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:11.920
Someone who has no idea what this is or where it came from or where it's going to.
00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:16.960
And very just very simple demonstration of what you're trying to get across.
00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:17.839
Let's be honest.
00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:22.480
Like, I'm sure there are going to be loads of people in the room who understand what you're doing, but there will be people who don't understand.
00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:25.680
There'll be people who are less technical and people are in a different space.
00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:32.640
So it's always better to go in simple and you can expand once people understand what you're what you're where you're going with it.
00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:33.599
I like that.
00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:36.720
And is there a customer uh count requirement?
00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:40.720
Do you need to have so many customers or no, no, not at all.
00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:43.039
Um it's pretty, pretty open.
00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:43.359
Yeah.
00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:45.920
So if you want to apply, just just apply.
00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:46.880
Awesome.
00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:47.359
Okay.
00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:47.920
Great.
00:23:48.160 --> 00:24:00.240
So getting toward the end here with you, Jade, would love to draw you out on some news I saw recently from Hive Group, which recently acquired Signal Week, uh, formerly Paris Blockchain Week.
00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:07.279
This is another show that you guys are going to be folding into how FinTech Meetup conducts future conferences.
00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:07.759
Yeah.
00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:15.039
How does stablecoin and and digital assets tie into broader fintech ecosystem here?
00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:22.799
Yeah, so this is a really exciting integration for us because traditional finance and digital assets are already converging.
00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:28.960
So we see conversations have already been creeping in with the in the general fintech meter agenda.
00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:36.480
And we've had conversations around stable coins and tokenization and things like that within the agenda for the last few years anyway.
00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:38.880
So the two worlds are starting to converge.
00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:44.319
And acquiring Signal Week means that we can really start to grow that offering.
00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:49.359
Um, in 2026, just gone, we produced a digital assets series.
00:24:49.519 --> 00:25:00.880
So we, for the first time, launched a separate content stream just on digital assets to see how the market responded, to see how the audience responded, and it was an overwhelming success.
00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:03.279
It was absolutely round the room.
00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:06.960
Um, we had so many people there and so much interest.
00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:13.279
So when we acquired um Signal Week recently, we knew that this would be a huge success.
00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:34.480
And um they're primarily based in Europe, but they will be coming along for the ride for the US event in February next year, and we'll be offering up a larger uh digital asset summit um powered by Signal Week as a as an extra as an extra content stream, but much larger than you saw this year.
00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:35.920
Fantastic.
00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:54.160
There's so much education that needs to happen in this space, and I think a lot of bankers, I mean, any everybody in the industry would benefit by increasing their knowledge base on digital assets, tokenization, crypto, the list goes on and on, and the convergence is happening, right?
00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:58.880
So I think that's great, and that will drive a lot of value for people who are attending the show.
00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:13.200
As we wrap up here, for somebody who is responsible for picking the shows that they're going to, you know, for the year, for their team, what would you say about fintech meetup uh, you know, carving out a spot on their calendar?
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:18.319
Like what's something that people should know as they're looking to plan their year from a conference perspective?
00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:23.759
Um, so fintech meetup is the first major event of the year.
00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:27.039
So it's the perfect way to set a scene for the rest of the year.
00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:31.680
And we design FinTech Meetup to help you achieve something, not just attend something.
00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:40.000
So a lot of large industry events you go to and the schedule is so packed that you have absolutely no idea what to do first, where to go.
00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:44.319
Um and we run an organized ship.
00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:49.279
So nothing overlaps in our run of show, which means that you can turn up at 8 a.m.
00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:52.720
on Monday morning and all the way through till 8 p.m.
00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:54.319
at night, you'll have done everything.
00:26:54.480 --> 00:27:01.599
You won't have missed out on anything because we make sure that nothing overlaps and you and you get the chance to see everything you you came to see.
00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:07.359
Primarily we have four financial institutions, and then we connect them with the FinTech Solution providers.
00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:12.480
And when you pair this with our meetings program, this is something completely unique that no one else does.
00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:19.680
So you arrive at large industry events and you can spend three days hoping to meet the right person and getting lost as you walk around the corridors.
00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:25.680
But we make deliberate introductions and then support them with the content and community.
00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:29.839
We don't place our content above our meetings, they're both on par.
00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:32.559
So we don't ever run meetings and content at the same time.
00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:35.839
And we believe they both deserve equal space on the agenda.
00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:38.240
And you know, the event works best when you participate.
00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:47.119
So if you come with a clear goal and use the matching process properly, then you'll get more out of this one event than you will all the other events in the year.
00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:48.160
I promise.
00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:50.079
Forget about those other events.
00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:52.079
Forget about those other events.
00:27:53.440 --> 00:27:57.519
I think the one thing missing is it actually sounds like a really fun show.
00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:07.279
It is fun, it is fun, and the team, the FinTech Meetup team is fun, and um I think that's I think that's clear to everyone who works with them.
00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:12.319
We put a lot of time and effort into other people, and we don't want to be the standard conference.
00:28:12.400 --> 00:28:15.920
We want to add a bit more life to your event.
00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:16.640
Awesome.
00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:18.720
Well, Jay, thank you so much for coming on the show.
00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:22.400
Where can people follow these funny episodes you guys are dropping?
00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:26.240
They are being uh launched every Thursday at 9 a.m.
00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:30.640
East Coast Time on LinkedIn, our YouTube channel, and Instagram.
00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:32.400
Okay, awesome.
00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:34.480
Well, you guys have got to go check those out.
00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:36.240
Thanks again, Jade, for being here.
00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:37.119
Amazing.
00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:38.640
Thank you so much for having me.
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:00.800
What's up, y'all?
00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:09.119
Have you ever left a conference feeling totally inspired, ready to implement all the things you learned, only to realize that a few days later you forgot everything?
00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:15.039
I think a lot of that is because so much of what gets discussed at these shows is purely theoretical.
00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:26.399
In other words, super led on tactics, no real playbook discovered, nobody really wants to give away a secret formula on how to pull off these transformational changes.
00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:33.759
So if you're trying to figure out what your conference schedule looks like next year, you should absolutely consider fintech meetup.
00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:37.119
We unpack why that is the case in this episode.
00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:40.799
It's gonna be an awesome show, and it's one of the first big ones of the year.
00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:51.119
I've got Jade Mitchell on the line, and she's responsible for planning all content at the show, and they have got some really unique things in store for anybody who's gonna be going to this show.
00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:57.039
And if you're a fintech, there's an opportunity to pitch your product to the audience you want to get in front of.
00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:03.359
And we talk about how to win one of these$50,000 safe notes that are being given away at the show.
00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:04.079
Check it out.
00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:06.000
Well, Jay, thanks so much for coming on the show.
00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:11.120
I'm excited to unpack what's going on with FinTech Meetup, which is one of the hottest shows of the year.
00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:14.480
Talk to me about how you put together the agenda for the show.
00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:15.040
Sure.
00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:17.680
Um, well, first of all, it's lovely to be here with you.
00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:23.359
So the agenda for the show is put together over a long, what feels like a long time.
00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:34.319
I talked to a lot of people in the industry from across the entire ecosystem to see what was interesting to them, what was current, what they're working on, what they're looking to see on stage.
00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:39.439
It's really important to me that the agenda reflects what's going on in the industry.
00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:45.200
And it's also really important to me that the speakers are like play an active part in putting that agenda together.
00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:51.519
I don't want to be someone who comes along and says to a speaker, Oh, I think you'd be really great here.
00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:52.879
Sit on this panel.
00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:55.840
Because I only have so much knowledge, right?
00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:05.519
Like the people who are in the industry doing the jobs, they're the ones that actually know what they're doing day to day and they know the ins and the outs and they know things that I just can't know.
00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:14.560
So I prefer to work with speakers who look like they have something really great to say, and then ask them what they would like to speak about and what they think is relevant.
00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:22.479
Um that way I think you come up with an uh an agenda that's not just doesn't just work for the industry, it works with the industry as well.
00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:32.719
So yeah, lots of talking to people, lots of um adjustments and jigging of the content as we go along, just to make sure that it's current and up to date as well.
00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:35.360
This is the other problem with working in fintech, right?
00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:36.879
Like everything changes so quickly.
00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:37.520
All the time.
00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:40.800
So something happens something happens one week, and then you think, oh, that's a great idea.
00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:42.319
I'm gonna put that into the agenda.
00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:48.159
And then in three weeks' time, you see some news come out, and you're like, oh, well, that's completely rained on my parade.
00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:49.919
So you have to change things again.
00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:51.199
Yeah.
00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:59.520
Even just learning the industry and for people coming into it, man, it's a steep task to kind of wrap your arms around.
00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:03.520
And you know, the people who you invite to come speak, like they're just so in the weeds.
00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:05.599
And like you said, you're just one person.
00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:12.159
There's no way you're gonna know what is interesting across all these different verticals in the industry.
00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:13.439
Yeah, exactly.
00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:17.120
And for me, all I can do is listen to what the industry says to me.
00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:27.039
And one of the key things that came out when I was talking to people and doing my research was that people are still attending events and coming away saying, Well, that was a great event.
00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:28.560
I spoke to some nice people.
00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:43.199
But then kind of the next day forgetting everything that they were told or everything they learned, or all the people they met, because there's no there's no real structure, there's no real guidance, there's no real takeaways to a lot of the content.
00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:48.800
You have senior leaders sitting up on stage and giving you their amazing vision for the future.
00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:54.719
Um, we're gonna do this with the company and we're gonna do this, and AI is gonna go here and there and everywhere.
00:03:54.800 --> 00:04:00.800
And you know, it's lovely to listen to, and at the time you're feeling inspired and you're thinking, wow, I can take this back to work.
00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:03.840
But really, people want solid takeaway.
00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:08.960
They want to take practical things back to their office and say, right, I can actually do this.
00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:13.439
You know, there's there's no point in having the vision if you haven't got the practicalities that go with it.
00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:16.480
So the tactics, the how.
00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:18.480
How do we do this on the playbook?
00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:19.199
Yeah.
00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:19.839
Yeah.
00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:22.079
Not what to do, but how to do it.
00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:29.279
And I'm very conscious of that this year and really want to make sure that the agenda is built around this.
00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:33.120
So not just gonna have speakers on stage for the sake of it.
00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:38.319
We don't want just conference scripts, you know, like the classic conference scripts.
00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:42.079
I want to make sure that everyone who goes on stage really has something to say.
00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:42.800
Yep.
00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:54.959
I think if you can pull that off and really deliver tactical insight and value to the attendees, it'll be one of the best shows they've gone to in a long time because it's very easy.
00:04:55.120 --> 00:05:04.160
And I've learned this in hosting the podcast and talking with experts, talking with consultants, that it's very easy to talk theoretical and kind of PowerPoint-ish.
00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:07.920
But when you try to get into like the tactical, it's more challenging.
00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:10.720
But I think that's a great mantra for you guys at the show.
00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:11.839
Yeah, absolutely.
00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:16.480
And events are all about community and they're all about sharing and helping each other.
00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:21.680
And I think I'm very much on the on the page of just just tell people what you know.
00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:22.800
It doesn't mean they can do it.
00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:25.920
They might not have the technologies to do it, they might not have the means to do it.
00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:34.879
You know, you tell them what you know, and then 10 years down the line, two years down the line, what six months down the line, they might come back to you and say, Oh, I've done this and we've moved on to the next step.
00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:37.920
And then you might be like, Oh, we're struggling with the next step.
00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:39.360
Can you help us with the next step?
00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:42.879
And then, you know, exchange of information and you can help each other.
00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:44.639
I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all.
00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:48.560
Yeah, gatekeeping is is not the way to move things forward.
00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:50.959
Yeah, like there's more than enough for everybody.
00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:52.160
Yeah, exactly.
00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:52.800
Exactly.
00:05:53.920 --> 00:06:03.920
So one of the really cool things that we're doing this year with FinTech Meetup with the content is a um, I guess it's our take on an open open mic night.
00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:12.480
So we've got a session whereby you can apply to speak ahead of time and you won't know whether you're going to speak until the uh session rolls around.
00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:24.480
We'll do a a cool spinny wheel thing on the stage, and if your name gets called, then you're gonna go up on stage and you have the mic for five minutes and you get to talk, but it has to be practical.
00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:26.800
It has to be, I did this at work.
00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:33.920
However small, big, you know, it could be a technology thing, it could be a leadership thing, I did this and it went really well, and this is how I did it.
00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:37.600
Or I did this and it went really badly, and this is how you could do it next time and fix it.
00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:41.680
So is this bankers and and fintech or b one or the other?
00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:44.480
Yes, yes, there's absolutely no limit on who goes up.
00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:45.439
Oh, cool.
00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:52.560
I think for a lot of people and a lot of events, there's so many people who want to speak at an event.
00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:56.480
And the criteria to speak at an event is often quite strict.
00:06:56.639 --> 00:07:00.160
Um you're looking for a certain type of person, a certain type of conversation.
00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:05.439
But I wanted to open up the floor for everyone and not put any limits on who gets up and speaks.
00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:15.360
So this is an opportunity for anyone in any industry, any seniority to have the chance to get up on stage and give us some really useful, fun information.
00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:16.000
So yeah.
00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:29.439
If you're going to fintech, you've got there's an opportunity to speak for five minutes on stage about whatever you want in the industry that you're doing that you've seen or have some expertise on and want to share with the audience.
00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:30.879
Yes, exactly.
00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:33.439
And how does one go about applying for this?
00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:35.600
We have a link on the website.
00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:42.639
There's a speaker application form, a generic speaker application form, and then next to it there's also a it's called fintech in five.
00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:44.480
So we're not calling open mic night.
00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:45.600
Don't want to confuse everyone.
00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:52.000
We're calling it fintech in five, and there's a link on the website that you can go and submit your information.
00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.480
So uh sounds like an awesome opportunity.
00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:57.199
Uh we'll put that in the show notes for anybody to grab it.
00:07:57.439 --> 00:07:58.079
Cool, cool.
00:07:58.160 --> 00:07:59.839
Yeah, it'll be it'll be fun, I think.
00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:02.879
And um it's one of those things that's just it's a bit different, right?
00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:10.160
Because uh I I love a panel and I think panels have their place, but different formats uh uh engage people in different ways.
00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:13.279
And coming up with different content formats is really important to me.
00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:17.120
And I think we did a in the 2026 show, we did a a game show.
00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:20.720
We called it um a fintech feud, it's a play on family feud.
00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:23.680
So it was that kind of structure for a game show.
00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:40.639
Great host with with Team Bank and Team FinTech, and we did it all around like one topic, and we had buzzers, we had we had scorecards, and it was so nice to see people in the audience laughing and clapping and not just sitting there and nodding or falling asleep.
00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:41.840
On their cell phones.
00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:42.960
That's I love that.
00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:43.600
That's so great.
00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:49.039
So you guys are doing a lot of really kind of fun out-of-the-box things for a conference.
00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:59.360
I think the kind of generic format is headline speaker, try to funnel people through the show, you know, and then we've got a couple breakouts, conclusion, everybody flies home.
00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:02.240
But you've got a little bit of everything for everybody.
00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:05.759
You've democratized speaking in front of the audience.
00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:10.799
Uh, we'll get into more around how you're brokering conversations and introductions, which I think is great.
00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:11.600
People need help.
00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:17.679
It's kind of hard to get out there and feed a lot of people and come away with a lot of takeaways to really like work the conference.
00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:19.039
And you guys are helping with that.
00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:20.240
And we'll get into that in a sec.
00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:21.840
One last piece on content here.
00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:45.919
So, you know, one thing that we talk about at Propagate, a lot of what we do is tied to marketing and PR storytelling, is trying to develop skill sets in the marketing and PR space that maybe make you feel a little bit uncomfortable, but are part of the things that really get you on the radar of, let's say, your ideal client profile or, you know, try to bring you into more of a household name.
00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:48.240
And there's so many different little experiments you can do.
00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:52.559
I think humor is one of those really great things to experiment with.
00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:57.840
It's, I think for a lot of people, kind of dangerous and then a little scary to try to do that, right?
00:09:58.080 --> 00:09:59.440
It's much easier to be generic.
00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:02.000
It's much easier to be like everybody else.
00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:05.600
Just like nobody ever got in trouble for choosing IBM back in the day.
00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:19.759
Uh you guys are doing this in a really interesting way with your it's kind of like a mini TV show series in, I would say, 9 by 16 kind of portrait orientation, ideal for cell phones in people's hands.
00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:21.279
Tell us a little bit about this.
00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:24.159
Yeah, so it's called The Network.
00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:26.159
It is a 15-part series.
00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:29.840
So we'll be, we'll be releasing one episode every week for the next 15 weeks.
00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:39.360
And you're following along with two main characters, uh Joe and Clementine, in a very traditional office corporate environment.
00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:48.559
Um, and it's kind of it goes, it covers all the pitfalls and the crazy things that could happen happen in an office environment, basically.
00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:55.519
Um, it's a little bit tongue-in-cheek, it's fun, and the reason we're doing it is because we want to stand out from other events.
00:10:55.679 --> 00:11:02.799
Like you say, we don't want to be following the generic, this is a conference, this is, you know, we're doing it to just to just to do it.
00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:09.440
We want to stand out, we want to provide our audience with something that's like enjoyable, not just insightful.
00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:11.919
And that extends to the way we're marketing.
00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:22.480
And I think that to give someone a few minutes of lighthearted fun out of their days while also communicating the fintech meetup value proposition, it's kind of the best way to market, I think.
00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:23.519
Um The best.
00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:24.399
I totally agree.
00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:24.960
Yeah.
00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:26.000
And it is it is funny.
00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:35.600
And every time I watch one, I I laugh because there's certain parts of it that you just not all of it maybe, but every episode, there'll be a part of it you can say, that's happened to me before.
00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:36.240
Funny.
00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:37.120
It's yeah.
00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:38.080
Very enjoyable.
00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:39.519
Hopefully everyone's gonna love it.
00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:41.440
I think it's I think it's great.
00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:44.639
Um are the actors gonna be at FinTech Meetup?
00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:47.360
Are they are you guys gonna get them out on stage or is that a surprise?
00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:48.879
Or to be confirmed.
00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:50.639
To be confirmed.
00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:51.120
Okay.
00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:51.759
I like it.
00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:53.200
Uh yeah, it's very funny.
00:11:53.360 --> 00:12:01.440
It's kind of like uh it's got a little bit of an office space uh kind of vibe, a little bit, or the office kind of kind of thing.
00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:04.559
The English and the American uh versions.
00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:07.279
Yes, there is both.
00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:12.480
But yeah, you know, I mean everybody's had the terrible checked-out boss.
00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:16.879
Everybody's had the really cheesy onboarding at a company experience.
00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:19.679
And I think you guys have had three episodes at this point.
00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:20.000
Two?
00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:21.440
We've looked we've done two episodes.
00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:21.759
Yes.
00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:23.519
Second episode came out today.
00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:24.159
Okay.
00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:25.600
And do you guys do it each week?
00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:26.559
Every week.
00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:29.200
Thursday at 9 a.m., they launch.
00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:29.840
Okay.
00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:30.720
Okay, got it.
00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:35.279
I think it's safe to say the fintech beatup show is going to be very different.
00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:43.440
Trust is the theme of the show, which is a great idea because trust is such a rare commodity right now.
00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:50.080
But in the advent of AI, we're all kind of second guessing and questioning things that we didn't before.
00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:53.759
Why did you guys land on trust as a theme for the show?
00:12:54.159 --> 00:13:09.039
When I was talking to everyone in the in the research phase for this show, it was surprising to me how quickly the conversation turned from excitement around technology and capability to anxiety about responsibility and consequences.
00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:15.200
And I know that people can see that the technology is improving, but the questions are now coming out like, but is it good enough?
00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:16.320
Is the data good enough?
00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:18.720
Who's accountable for these decisions?
00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:22.559
How will our roles change in our companies now that the technology is coming in?
00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:31.759
And what was really fascinating to me is that although across the industry everyone's problems are different, they they still come back to the same issues.
00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:36.399
They want to grow fast, but they also feel like they're growing too fast and they can't keep up.
00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:47.440
So it doesn't matter whether I was into a bank, a fintech, a retailer, they're all trying to move faster without destroying the confidence of their customers, employees, regulators.
00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:52.559
And that kind of tension led me to think, well, this is all an issue of trust.
00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:55.200
Um, because I think that makes sense.
00:13:55.360 --> 00:14:04.720
You had a situation where banks had dollar signs in the eyes a little blindly back in the early 2000s leading up to the financial crisis.
00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:09.279
And you know, you talk about trying not to grow too fast or trying to grow intelligently.
00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:13.519
You know, there's shortcuts to growing an institution, growing deposits.
00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:18.960
So the thing I love about trust as a theme the most is that it's practical.
00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:22.399
So it shows up in the work people are doing.
00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:26.159
So it shows up in accuracy and governance and liability and in data.
00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:28.000
But it's also a very emotional theme.
00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:36.480
So it shows up in in leadership and um, you know, are your customers confident and comfortable with what you're doing?
00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.519
And do your team trust that you're gonna lead them in the right direction?
00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:56.799
So it means that in the content, in the agenda, by bringing people's kind of real life case studies to the forefront of the content, we are um positioning ourselves as open and honest and communicating all these issues.
00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:11.039
If everyone can come on stage and be really honest about what they're facing and the problems they're facing and the challenges and how they're overcoming them, I think that kind of opens the trust doors and people can be more open about how they're moving forwards.
00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:14.240
You know, everyone, like I said earlier, everyone's facing the same problems.
00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:16.559
It's just they're facing them in very, very different ways.
00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:22.080
And I want to show the industry that the content is being created with them and not just for them.
00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:29.840
I think it's really important that they trust me as much as I trust them to put the content together and to create a really good show.
00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:37.440
I think that dovetails really nicely with what you guys are doing to drive meetings and connections between bankers and fintechs.
00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:40.000
You know, fintechs need to meet more bankers.
00:15:40.159 --> 00:16:06.320
And one of the big concerns that bankers have is okay, if I spend all the time getting to know you, introducing you to the other decision makers at our institution, sitting through your demos, spending time with you, and then you your funding runs out, you go away, or maybe you get in trouble with the government or whatever, being able to broker these relationships and introductions is a great way to introduce people and give them time to get to know each other and to do it in a quick way, I think is great.
00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:16.559
And then for bankers, you know, bankers are coming to these shows tasked with solving for a few problems or opportunities at their institutions.
00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:20.000
And I think the meetings program is a great way to do this.
00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:22.000
Why don't you tell us a little bit about this?
00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:22.960
Yeah.
00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:29.919
So the reason FinTech Meetup is different is because we run our meetings program like nobody else does in the industry.
00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:36.639
The market is really crowded and success at most events is based on like random meetings, random conversations.
00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:42.000
So at FinTech Meetup, before the event happens, as an attendee, you'll complete a profile.
00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:49.519
And on the profile it'll say what you want to achieve, who you are, what you can offer, and the types of people and organizations that you want to meet.
00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:54.240
So once you've completed your profile, you can then review every single other profile.
00:16:54.399 --> 00:17:01.759
So every attendee who's coming to the event, you can look at absolutely everyone, the whole list, and decide who you want to see.
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:06.400
The important part of why we're different to other events is because we're double opt-in.
00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:09.200
So you will not meet with someone unless they want to meet with you.
00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:11.599
So it's basically like speed dating.
00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:12.240
Bumble.
00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:14.720
It's kind of like isn't Bumble like that?
00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:15.599
It's been a long time.
00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:19.839
I've been married, you know, a while now, but uh from what I hear, Bumble works kind of like that.
00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:21.039
I wouldn't know.
00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:21.440
Yes.
00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:25.759
So if you both swipe left, then you do end up meeting at the event.
00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:31.200
So it basically means that it's not an off-chance meeting and you're not meeting someone who doesn't want to talk to you.
00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:37.519
So the kind of the cold start has gone and it's it creates a really friendly, warm introduction.
00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:44.880
We also program all of the meetings for you, put them into your calendar, so when you turn up, you just have to attend and sit down and talk.
00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:45.440
Great.
00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:52.799
Yeah, because you don't want to be a deposits person and you're sitting down with a aircraft landing fintech.
00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.519
You're like, okay, so do you like weather?
00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:56.720
Yeah.
00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:58.640
Have you been anywhere nice recently?
00:17:58.720 --> 00:17:58.880
Yeah.
00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:00.319
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:01.759
That's that's so cool.
00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:07.119
Okay, so we're talking a huge quantity of meetings in rapid fire orientation.
00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:09.440
How many meetings are you guys brokering here?
00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:14.640
We uh successfully do about 50,000 meetings over the three days.
00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:28.000
And it's just it's a sight to behold when you walk into the meetings hall and you just have these small tables set up for two people, just taking up a whole entire room, thousands of them, with a giant countdown timer on the wall.
00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:37.039
Everyone gets 15 minutes for their meetings and the bars and the atmosphere and like the s genuine smiles and happy conversation that goes on in that room.
00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:40.079
It's just it's very Yeah, it's really nice to see.
00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:41.359
That's so cool.
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:46.319
Um, how would you recommend people should get the most out of it if you're, let's say, a banker?
00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:56.000
I think the the most important thing to do is think about what you want to get out of the meetings before you before you even complete the profile process.
00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:03.680
So think about what you want to to achieve by the end of the three days and then put some time aside to complete your profile.
00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:16.720
We see the best results when people actually turn off all distractions, sit down and spend it's it's time consuming, but spend some time completing your profile exactly as you want to complete it.
00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:19.359
Um don't let an assistant do it for you.
00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:20.319
Do it yourself.
00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:21.519
You know what you want.
00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:28.960
Yes, it will take a while, but the outcome of your meetings, uh the quality of your meetings will be just a hundred times better.
00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:37.519
And is that because the people you're meeting with have a chance to look at that and go, oh, okay, you're you're really interested in treasury only.
00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:43.920
You're not interested in just consumer deposits, you're interested in treasury or, you know, whatever commercial lending, whatever it may be.
00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:44.720
Exactly.
00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:49.920
The more details you put in your profile, the less likely you are to match with someone who who isn't quite right.
00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:50.559
Okay.
00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:56.559
The quality of your schedule basically depends on the quality and the time spent, you know, with these selections.
00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:02.880
And then I would say once you have your meetings all planned and scheduled out, don't just turn up to the event.
00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:08.319
Maybe spend a little bit of time researching the people you're meeting with, because you have their names ahead, you know, in advance.
00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:12.160
Do a bit of research on their names, what they do, come up with a few key questions.
00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:14.240
You only have 15 minutes at each table.
00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:18.720
So you don't want to spend the first five minutes introducing each other, making small talk.
00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:22.079
Go along with three questions that you want to ask.
00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:22.960
Just be prepared.
00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:23.440
Okay.
00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:27.279
Let me try out on uh the startup pitch competition that you guys have.
00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:36.799
So around 250 startups apply for the pitch competition, and you guys are giving away two$50,000 safe notes.
00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.319
How do people win this competition?
00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:45.839
So our startup pitch competition is judged externally.
00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:52.079
So no one from FinTech Meetup gets to be involved in the judging process, which I think is the most important part.
00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:54.160
I know it sounds crazy, but Unbiased.
00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:55.440
Nice not to be biased.
00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:56.400
Yeah, exactly.
00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:00.559
It's judged by people who want to invest in these companies.
00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:12.160
So they have they have an interest in in watching the pitches and really figuring out who whose is the best um product or the most useful product or something that really is going to go far.
00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:25.200
Um the startups who get picked to go on stage, they get 10 minutes to go up on stage and pitch their product to the set of judges, think X Factor judges style.
00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:31.039
Pitch their product for 10 minutes and and then the judges go away and consult, come back with the winners.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:34.880
I think to be successful, um, it's a tough one, isn't it?
00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:38.720
Because you have your product and there has to be a time and a place for a new product.
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:45.440
And if you've picked the perfect product and you've got the perfect pitch, then you're more likely to go to get through.
00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:52.319
Um but I think it's about being clear about what you do and how it's going to serve the industry and how that's going to serve the investors as well.
00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:53.839
Yeah, just just be very clear.
00:21:53.920 --> 00:22:03.839
Don't be nervous when you're pitching and maybe, you know, use cases, who's used your product, who you'd Expect to use your product, make it applicable to real life.
00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:06.960
And I think this plays back into the trust theme as well, right?
00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:13.839
Because when you're presenting to an audience, you need to get them to buy into what you're saying and to trust what you're saying.
00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:19.359
Um the people watching really believe in what you're saying and trust that you have the next big thing.
00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:26.480
So I think you're right, putting it into a real life scenario and saying, you know, this person woke up and they wanted to do this, but oh no, it wasn't available to them.
00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:30.960
Ta-da! You know, then that's uh yeah, it's a great way to go.
00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:32.240
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:38.400
Okay, so how does somebody get their pitch application in the final selection phase?
00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:43.839
What what do you what do people need to do to really kind of stand out and be selected to go on stage?
00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.759
So it's very s very similar to what I would say when you're on stage.
00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:52.720
So you have to apply with descriptions of what you're pitching.
00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:59.599
Um you have to put the put the link to the website and to a video of you demonstrating how to use it.
00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.400
So again, I would just say just be really clear with what you're showing.
00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:05.599
You need to pretend you're submitting it to a five-year-old, right?
00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:11.920
Someone who has no idea what this is or where it came from or where it's going to.
00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:16.960
And very just very simple demonstration of what you're trying to get across.
00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:17.839
Let's be honest.
00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:22.480
Like, I'm sure there are going to be loads of people in the room who understand what you're doing, but there will be people who don't understand.
00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:25.680
There'll be people who are less technical and people are in a different space.
00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:32.640
So it's always better to go in simple and you can expand once people understand what you're what you're where you're going with it.
00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:33.599
I like that.
00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:36.720
And is there a customer uh count requirement?
00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:40.720
Do you need to have so many customers or no, no, not at all.
00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:43.039
Um it's pretty, pretty open.
00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:43.359
Yeah.
00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:45.920
So if you want to apply, just just apply.
00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:46.880
Awesome.
00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:47.359
Okay.
00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:47.920
Great.
00:23:48.160 --> 00:24:00.240
So getting toward the end here with you, Jade, would love to draw you out on some news I saw recently from Hive Group, which recently acquired Signal Week, uh, formerly Paris Blockchain Week.
00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:07.279
This is another show that you guys are going to be folding into how FinTech Meetup conducts future conferences.
00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:07.759
Yeah.
00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:15.039
How does stablecoin and and digital assets tie into broader fintech ecosystem here?
00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:22.799
Yeah, so this is a really exciting integration for us because traditional finance and digital assets are already converging.
00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:28.960
So we see conversations have already been creeping in with the in the general fintech meter agenda.
00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:36.480
And we've had conversations around stable coins and tokenization and things like that within the agenda for the last few years anyway.
00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:38.880
So the two worlds are starting to converge.
00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:44.319
And acquiring Signal Week means that we can really start to grow that offering.
00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:49.359
Um, in 2026, just gone, we produced a digital assets series.
00:24:49.519 --> 00:25:00.880
So we, for the first time, launched a separate content stream just on digital assets to see how the market responded, to see how the audience responded, and it was an overwhelming success.
00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:03.279
It was absolutely round the room.
00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:06.960
Um, we had so many people there and so much interest.
00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:13.279
So when we acquired um Signal Week recently, we knew that this would be a huge success.
00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:34.480
And um they're primarily based in Europe, but they will be coming along for the ride for the US event in February next year, and we'll be offering up a larger uh digital asset summit um powered by Signal Week as a as an extra as an extra content stream, but much larger than you saw this year.
00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:35.920
Fantastic.
00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:54.160
There's so much education that needs to happen in this space, and I think a lot of bankers, I mean, any everybody in the industry would benefit by increasing their knowledge base on digital assets, tokenization, crypto, the list goes on and on, and the convergence is happening, right?
00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:58.880
So I think that's great, and that will drive a lot of value for people who are attending the show.
00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:13.200
As we wrap up here, for somebody who is responsible for picking the shows that they're going to, you know, for the year, for their team, what would you say about fintech meetup uh, you know, carving out a spot on their calendar?
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:18.319
Like what's something that people should know as they're looking to plan their year from a conference perspective?
00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:23.759
Um, so fintech meetup is the first major event of the year.
00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:27.039
So it's the perfect way to set a scene for the rest of the year.
00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:31.680
And we design FinTech Meetup to help you achieve something, not just attend something.
00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:40.000
So a lot of large industry events you go to and the schedule is so packed that you have absolutely no idea what to do first, where to go.
00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:44.319
Um and we run an organized ship.
00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:49.279
So nothing overlaps in our run of show, which means that you can turn up at 8 a.m.
00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:52.720
on Monday morning and all the way through till 8 p.m.
00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:54.319
at night, you'll have done everything.
00:26:54.480 --> 00:27:01.599
You won't have missed out on anything because we make sure that nothing overlaps and you and you get the chance to see everything you you came to see.
00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:07.359
Primarily we have four financial institutions, and then we connect them with the FinTech Solution providers.
00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:12.480
And when you pair this with our meetings program, this is something completely unique that no one else does.
00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:19.680
So you arrive at large industry events and you can spend three days hoping to meet the right person and getting lost as you walk around the corridors.
00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:25.680
But we make deliberate introductions and then support them with the content and community.
00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:29.839
We don't place our content above our meetings, they're both on par.
00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:32.559
So we don't ever run meetings and content at the same time.
00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:35.839
And we believe they both deserve equal space on the agenda.
00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:38.240
And you know, the event works best when you participate.
00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:47.119
So if you come with a clear goal and use the matching process properly, then you'll get more out of this one event than you will all the other events in the year.
00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:48.160
I promise.
00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:50.079
Forget about those other events.
00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:52.079
Forget about those other events.
00:27:53.440 --> 00:27:57.519
I think the one thing missing is it actually sounds like a really fun show.
00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:07.279
It is fun, it is fun, and the team, the FinTech Meetup team is fun, and um I think that's I think that's clear to everyone who works with them.
00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:12.319
We put a lot of time and effort into other people, and we don't want to be the standard conference.
00:28:12.400 --> 00:28:15.920
We want to add a bit more life to your event.
00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:16.640
Awesome.
00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:18.720
Well, Jay, thank you so much for coming on the show.
00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:22.400
Where can people follow these funny episodes you guys are dropping?
00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:26.240
They are being uh launched every Thursday at 9 a.m.
00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:30.640
East Coast Time on LinkedIn, our YouTube channel, and Instagram.
00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:32.400
Okay, awesome.
00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:34.480
Well, you guys have got to go check those out.
00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:36.240
Thanks again, Jade, for being here.
00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:37.119
Amazing.
00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:38.640
Thank you so much for having me.
