Sibos, the world’s premier financial services event, came to London for the first time in its 41-year history in 2019. And organisers SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) called on London agency FIRST to deliver all of the conference production elements for the event at ExCeL London.
A globally renowned event, Sibos 2019 London was the biggest and most ambitious Sibos yet, attracting a record number of more than 11,000 delegates and featuring 600+ speakers, 300+ exhibitors and 300+ conference sessions. The annual conference and exhibition brings together business leaders, executives, decision makers and thought leaders from around the globe.
FIRST provided the conference production elements of Sibos 2019Chantal Van Es, head of Sibos, said: “With more than 11,000 delegates, hundreds of exhibitors and sessions packed with inspiring speakers, with the help of FIRST Sibos remains the place to be to shape financial services into the future.”
SWIFT's brief for FIRST was to position the attendees at the heart of the immersive Sibos journey. From conception to conclusion, FIRST had overall responsibility for all conference production elements including the main plenary, all conference rooms and sessions, the Innotribe stage, the Spotlight stage, all live streaming and conference relaying, the Chairpersons Meeting, Sibos TV, digital signage throughout the venue and surrounding public spaces, speaker management, host staffing and management and the exhibitor and official media services.
"Audacious, creative and flawless"
Working as an extension of SWIFT’s team, FIRST delivered an opening plenary session that was dubbed “bold, vibrant, audacious, creative and flawless” by Paul Taylor, global head of marketing and communications at SWIFT. As the first key touchpoint of the four-day event and the crucial moments that set the scene for what follows, the main plenary sequence aimed to deliver on important key messaging and showcase SWIFT as a future-thinking, industry-leading brand. Choreographed dancers interacted with the onscreen content which centred on the theme of the conference, “thriving in a hyper-connected world”, and kinetic lighting suspended from the ceiling formed part of the emotive visual effects for the 1,600 strong live audience.
In the midst of the exhibition space featuring more than 300 of the world’s largest banks and technology giants were Conference Rooms 1-5, the Spotlight stage and the Innotribe stage within the Discovery Zone. FIRST encouraged SWIFT to push the boundaries with Conference Rooms 1-5, all custom purpose-built rooms situated within the exhibition halls. Varying room setups housed 300+ conference sessions and provided a platform for speakers to focus on the ability of financial services providers to identify, develop and strengthen connections. One ‘in-the-round’ style conference room positioned the speakers at the heart of the audience to deliver with impact.
FIRST provided the conference production elements of Sibos 2019FIRST collaborated on producing and managing the captivating onscreen content for the Innotribe stage situated within the Discovery Zone, which flowed from the main exhibition floor. Innotribe told a story of the future of finance with the help of keynote speakers including: Brian Cox, Paul de Gelder, Brett King and Dave Birch.
A brand new addition to Sibos 2019, the Spotlight stage aimed to overcome the risks of having a large stage open to the exhibition floor with its strategically designed set and stage. FIRST developed a look and feel that allowed for easily accessible content that was delivered in short sessions, all in quick succession. With the stage's positioning and sound design that avoided noise overflowing to surrounding exhibitors, the Spotlight initiative attracted and engaged a high number of delegates.
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
