Connecting the Payments Technology Ecosystem
The payments industry is built on connections. From the literal physical connections, conduits and hardware that transcribe the bits and bytes of a transaction, to the strategic partnerships and deals that power innovation and bring payments technology solutions to market, connections are the foundation of the industry.
And while the technology is increasingly wireless, the power of a strong network in the payments technology ecosystem has never been more important. Billions of dollars in investment from venture capital and private equity are flowing to payments companies. One hundred deals totaling over $40 billion in merger and acquisition activity defined the payments marketplace in 2018, and industry-shaping deals are already underway in 2019. The business of payments is changing itself – new players in the sales channel, the emergence of new business models and technologies, integrated payments and smart point-of-sale devices have redefined what it means to develop, market and provide fast and secure payments products and services. The sum of these changes is that payments professionals need to develop and capitalize on strong networks of partners and clients to stay competitive in the innovative marketplace.
Capturing that network, building leads and creating conversions is a constant and challenging task. Across all industries, B2B companies spent over $80 billion in the United States on marketing to their customers in 2017. According to data from eMarketer, companies spent billions on retargeting, campaign analytics, search engine optimization, social media and other digital tools.
But most find face-to-face interaction at events is often the most effective method, the data show. A 2017 DGR study of B2B marketers found that events were the most effective tool for generating leads and converting to sales, outranking digital retargeting, print advertising, social media, leading nurturing campaigns, case studies, email, direct marketing, search optimization and online ads.
For payments technology professionals looking to maximize their marketing investment by finding new partners and clients, reaching new audiences and building brand awareness in a competitive marketplace, there is one event that provides universal access to the payments ecosystem: TRANSACT.
TRANSACT is the world’s largest payments technology event, happening April 30-May 2, 2019 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It’s where over 4,000 payments technology professionals from the ecosystem will come together for three-days of high-impact networking, thought-leadership and partnership building. On the show floor, 200+ exhibitors will showcase new products and services.
“[TRANSACT] is an opportunity for us to get in front of the people that we work with all year long,” Chelsie Cooper, Southeast Regional President at PaymentCloud, a fintech startup delivering software solutions to payments providers and merchants, told Transaction Trends at TRANSACT last year. “It’s this event that we count on every year for our business growth and the relationships that we keep.”
The event is purpose-built to connect attendees to payments’ most powerful network of professionals. The event is preceded by a golf tournament at a world-class course, sponsored by SecurityMetrics. The opening reception on the show floor sponsored by Google Pay will kickoff the show with networking in mind and bring exhibitors and attendees together to network in a relaxed atmosphere. Bespoke networking events like the first-time attendee/new member reception sponsored by Wirecard, the Wnet Networking reception, Young Payments Professionals & Forty Under 40 reception sponsored by Discover, the Startup reception sponsored by Worldpay, and the Visa President’s Dinner and Awards Gala give attendees ample opportunities to make connections in the niches that suit them. The closing all-attendee party, sponsored by Bank of America Merchant Services, is undoubtedly the most anticipated event of them, providing a memorable way to make lasting business connections.
With most B2B businesses committing less than 10 percent of their budgets to marketing according to Sagefrog, maximizing ROI is critical. Whether exhibiting, sponsoring, speaking or attending, TRANSACT is the nexus of the payments industry and the best place to build your network in payments technology.
Click here to learn more and register.