Ten Tips To Doing Finovate Like A Pro

I just returned from my second Finovate event in New York City and I realized that, despite being warned, I was totally unprepared for what was going to transpire when I went to my first event last Spring in San Francisco. As a result, I didn't experience the full benefit of the event.

For Finovate Fall, however, I was much more prepared for the onslaught of great ideas, interactions and multi-sensory experiences that are legend at Finovate.

While the next U.S. event is more than 6 months away (there are upcoming events in Asia and London), I thought I would share my survival tips for anyone lucky enough to attend Finovate.

1. Arrive Early: Unlike other conferences where the attendees are divided into several rooms for breakout sessions, the entirety of Finovate takes place in one big hall. Even if the crowd is divided into different viewing venues (which occurred at FinovateFall), it pays to be early, since the best viewing locations (and close accessibility to outlets) go fast. While Finovate goes out of its way to ensure the free Wifi and electricity access is widely available, it's impossible to support 600, 1,100 or 1,400 people equally.
2. Get Connected: If you have an iOS or Android device, download the free Finovate app to better understand the event, learn about the companies doing demos, rate the presentations and to capture your notes during the program. I have yet to see a mobile event app that is so well developed. Also, sign-up for FinovateConnect so that you can set up meetings or simply communicate with other attendees.
3. Develop a Game Plan: To optimize your experience, download the program guide and keep abreast of updates and demo descriptions on the Finovate.com site beginning weeks before the event. Determine which innovations appeal to you and decide who you want to meet with before arriving. As with anything in life, if you have a plan, everything goes smoother.
4. Come Well Rested: The demos always start on time and they come at you at a pace that's hard to get used to. With dual podiums, a new demo comes at you non-stop every seven minutes until a break (usually after 7-8 presentations). With global presentations, some accents may be difficult to understand and some presenters try to give a 30 minute demo in 7 minutes . . . so it helps to stay alert.
5. Network: While Finovate is known as an innovation demo event, it may even be a better financial service innovation networking event. Not only do you have several 30-45 minute breaks between demo sets to mingle with other bankers, providers and media, there is a ramped up version of networking done after the show each day. My suggestion is to arrive the night before the event begins and stay the evening after the event because some of the best interaction occurs during the evening.

Musings of a Finovate Virgin

They say you always remember your first time. 

After years of being built up by a great amount of hyperbole, including being dubbed The Disneyland of Fintech™ by my friend Brad Leimer, I finally decided to experience Finovate for myself a couple weeks ago in San Francisco. Similar to many 'first times' in my life, my experience expended a lot of energy, ended too quickly, but definitely did not disappoint.

To those not familiar with Finovate, the event is a fast-paced showcase of financial technology vendors, who have only seven minutes to provide a live demo of their solution (Powerpoint not allowed). It’s produced by Online Financial Innovations, the people behind the excellent NetBanker blog.

Taking place several times a year across the globe, FinovateSpring included 72 demos in front of a record crowd of over 1300 bankers, investors, media and bloggers like me. (Video archives of this year's presentations are available here)

As opposed to focusing on only a few themes, Finovate has something for everyone. This Spring's event covered some familiar themes that would be expected (Mobile, Payments, etc.) as well as some newer themes that sparked conversation, debate and maybe even a bit of fear among traditional bankers (P2P Payments, P2P Lending, Virtual Currency, etc.). 

My Takeaways

Overall Impression: Bordering on sensory overload, Finovate should be on every financial marketers bucket list. While many of us spend countless hours dealing with some rather mundane challenges at times (compliance and other internal battles), it is refreshing to know that innovation is alive and well in financial services. It was difficult to keep up with the presentations at times since there is no apparent logic to the order of presenters, but I quickly realized the value of the live blogs and recaps from Finovate, Bank Innovation, PaymentsViews, the William Mills Agency, and others.