Jack Henry Connect was bigger than ever this year. About 2,750 bankers (representing 880 banks and credit unions) joined 250 fintechs in Indianapolis to collaborate and exchange ideas.

A Growing Ecosystem

The conversations included industry titans such as Linda Kirpatrick, Mastercard’s president of North America, speaking with Lee Wetherington, then Roshni Joshi, managing director of Google Cloud, and Todd Nagel, CEO of Incredible Bank, speaking with Ben Metz, to name a few. The trending theme was support for one another in building open, progressive ecosystems.

Fintechs of all sizes can benefit from this movement. For instance, many high-growth stage fintechs are rapidly scaling by connecting to financial institutions faster through companies like Jack Henry. Incidentally, this is an important proof point to banks and credit unions (connectivity to Jack Henry) and is an important milestone for fintech investors.  

The User Conference Advantage

Banks and credit unions had two objectives on their agenda at Connect: education and shopping. This is why so many of our clients consider these large-scale user conferences part of their growth strategy. Conversely, the mega-shows such as Money20/20 and Fintech MeetUp are about networking, scheduled meetings run the agenda, and there’s a touch of serendipity for meeting new and old friends in-between (more to come on those in subsequent blogs).

The question we get asked most about attending a large user conference of this scale is how does a fintech make the most of the show? Tips include:

• Promote attendance in advance with direct outreach,
• Newsletters, blogs, and social,
• Book dinners for your clients and prospects to engage with one another; and
• If budget allows, learn about opportunities for promotional packages.

Also, consider major partner news that you may be able to announce, or highlight a mutual client success story. Jack Henry and other open providers want you to talk about how you are working with them in the ecosystem. Consider releases for when you become VIP members (status with Jack Henry), mention them as the core provider of your newest FI sign, or approach them with ideas about joining you in panels and other opportunities. (Two weeks is the minimum courtesy for approvals in most public companies.)

Planning for 2024

WMA’s 2024 Trade Show Guide will be coming out soon. Write us if you have a new event we should include and follow us to keep updated. Also, WMA clients and friends, we want to hear your feedback from the shows. Please tell us what you love, and what you want to improve.

For our media, consultant, and analyst partners: there’s a lot for you at these shows as well. Please reach out to us to talk about opportunities.

We look forward to hearing from you!