Here’s What to Expect at FinTech Exchange 2017

Via Allen McGregor

New technologies and innovations are rapidly transforming the way people are approaching the finance industry. While much of the attention in recent years has been focused on the consumer end, the impact on the institutional and corporate side of the market is starting to emerge to the surface. For the past three years, the FinTech Exchange Conference has been on the forefront of this shift.

Held in Chicago on Thursday, April 27, FinTech Exchange 2017 seeks to educate and inform participants on the latest trends in FinTech, financial markets and trading through a program that features speakers in a number of fields, as well as networking opportunities with industry experts.

“If you look at FinTech, it is a broad space, and it tends to focus on consumer facing applications like banking, robo-advisors, credit and lending, payments and things of that nature,” says Mark Haraburda, CEO of Barchart, which is hosting the conference. “So, we wanted to create an event that focused on the FinTech vertical – in particular, financial markets and trading, and that has to do with the data and the infrastructure, the software, the exchanges, and the new technologies that relate specifically to financial markets and trading.”

What Makes FinTech Exchange 2017 Different?

“It’s a different type of format,” Haraburda says. “It’s definitely more FinTechy. It’s in a theater, and people can sit back, relax, and just watch presentation after presentation. They’re short and concise. We wanted to create an event that had that new theme, and you can hear about these new technologies impacting financial markets and allowing you to trade in a new way. You’re not in a hotel ballroom that’s kind of sleepy. It’s modern, there is light and there is music, and it’s just engaging.”

The conference will include a fast-paced lightning round of 10 FinTech startups presenting their technology to the crowd, to be followed up by in-depth roundtable sessions covering some of the hottest topics impacting the market right now. There will also be a keynote presentation from Tableau, and an open exhibit hall featuring networking opportunities, demos, ping pong action(!) and more.

“We have a number of roundtable discussions, Haraburda says. “One is going to be talking about newsfeeds and machine readable news, and how that’s evolving when it comes to trading and financial markets. Another roundtable is going to be talking about data centers and how infrastructure has changed inside of them. We’ll also talk about blockchain, where that is being used, and some real-life applications of it within some firms. We’ll also talk about future of market data, and what is changing within that space. We also have one that is a little bit different with the Consulate General of Canada. They are going to be talking about the Canadian FinTech ecosystem, specifically in Toronto, and what they’ve got brewing there, and why people should be looking at that region for investment and starting companies.”

Where FinTech is Headed

Despite catering to the vanguard of the financial sector, FinTech Exchange understands the importance of including established institutions in the conversation. “We’ve attracted a mix of more mature firms as well as new,” Haraburda says. “It is an opportunity for them to hear from the new firms, and we do have a nice turnout from investors who are here gathering intel. That intel might be important from the mature firms too, to see how they’re evolving.”

The proliferation of FinTech applications within the financial industry has really accelerated in recent years, as such, this year’s FinTech Exchange will no doubt feature many new aspects that previous attendees have not seen before.

“We’ve seen a big change from the first two years in that there is a big focus on data,” Haraburda says. “Tableau is our Keynote. They are going to be talking about Data Visualization, data storage, big data and machine learning. Data security is a big part of it. Obviously, data analytics; new tools, new ways to find and uncover patterns in massive sets of data will be discussed. So, we’ve seen that this year. That is really the theme.”

Mixing Old and New Finance

Like its subject matter, the conference is looking to break from the old, stodgy imagery of financial conferences, and aiming to create an atmosphere that’s more modern and forward-looking to better reflect where the industry is heading toward. “We’ve got professional ping pong players playing in the background so you could watch that,” says Haraburda. “We’ve got a DJ. So, it’s got a whole different buzz to it” It’s just more high energy.”

Of course, another way FinTech Exchange differentiates itself is its location in Chicago – a city that brings a singular flair and storied history.

“That’s something that’s really important to us,” Haraburda says of The Windy City. “Chicago is the home of derivatives, futures and options. They all started here a long, long time ago. That spills over obviously into equities and fixed income as well, but we haven’t had an event like this here. So, this event is really important to Chicago.”

To learn more about or to register for FinTech Exchange 2017, visit http://www.fintechchicago.com/