SFF x SWITCH 2020 to adapt hybrid online-offline platform

The event, running from December 7-11, will be hosted across cities globally.

This year’s Singapore Fintech Festival x Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology (SFF x SWITCH) will make use of a combined online-offline platform world to become the world’s first week-long round-the-clock, hybrid digital and physical experience, announced the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

Running from 7 to 11 December, the event will be hosted across various physical locations around the globe simultaneously, with participants being connected in “an online city” experience.

“The event will feature a hybrid experience knitting together an online city with various physical locations around the world, centred on businesses activities to boost sales cycles, discover partnerships and generate investments,” MAS added in a press release.

The online city will provide each participating organisation with a digital location where they can share and engage with participants as well as schedule 1-1 meetings.

Participants can access physical events hosted in their cities to network with local government and industry leaders, learn more about a country’s key initiatives related to fintech, find out about local early-state startups, or access closed-door roundtables.

They will also get round-the-clock live streams of sessions featuring leading speakers from around the world and also view sessions taking place in the physical cities. For example, during Golden Hours across  time  zones,  participants  worldwide will see keynote speakers from different regions coming together to share their perspectives on topics such as financial inclusion, green technologies and sustainability, according to MAS.

This year’s event carries the theme “People and Talent”, with the aim to shine a spotlight on pioneers and rising stars in transforming global industries.

Exhibitors can showcase technologies in key innovation domains such as fintech; Smart Cities and Urban Solutions; Healthcare and Biomedical Sciences; Trade and Connectivity; as well as Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and 5G.

This year will also see SFF x SWITCH engage the African fintech community.