Events

Oct
18
SME FINANCE FORUM
Conference
Oct 18, 2021
Virtual
Add to Calendar 2021-10-17 20:00:00 2021-10-17 20:00:00 2021 Global SME Finance Forum Event While significant progress has been made in driving the growth of green finance, little of this has touched SMEs. This is despite the fact that SMEs, just as they contribute substantially to jobs creation and economies, also cumulatively account for significant amounts of environmental and social problems.   This year’s Global SME Finance Forum focused not only on the importance of greening SME finance and its role in promoting a more resilient and sustainable growth of the SMEs post-COVID-19 but also addressed some of the key issues and challenges especially on greenwashing, data benchmarking, and verification and misalignment between supply and demand. Virtual SME FINANCE FORUM ronyg@panapps.co America/New_York public
Oct
18
SME FINANCE FORUM
Annual Conference
Oct 18, 2021
Add to Calendar 2021-10-17 20:00:00 2021-10-17 20:00:00 Annual Conferences The Global SME Finance Forum is the annual flagship event of the SME Finance Forum, where senior executives from hundreds of banks, NBFI, development finance institutions, and fintech companies participate from around the world. The three-day conference usually features study visits to fintechs and financial institutions in the hosting city, annual members meeting, fintech pitches, Global SME Finance Award ceremony, SME Finance Marketplace, sessions, and a variety of panel discussions, fireside chats and keynote addresses by worldclass industry experts.   For the last six years, the Global SME Finance Forum Conference has been promoting opportunities to help SMES grow around the globe and access much need finance. The event has been filled with networking opportunities from keynotes to dinner and marketplace. You would have the opportunity to meet new people and make new connections that can lead to partnerships. You would have discovered the latest fintech innovations and good practice in SME banking and non-financial services from local institutions.   The Global SME Finance Forum is the largest, most high-level, technically in-depth meeting on SME financing that occurs anywhere in the world each year. The winners of the Global SME Finance Awards - that recognize outstanding achievements of financial institutions and fintech companies in delivering innovative products and services to their SME clients -  are announced during the event!    The action-packed in-person event usually includes interactive sessions, study visits to high performing institutions, a B2B marketplace, fintech expos, and ample networking opportunities. Our virtual conference emulates the same in-person experience, by offering one-on-one networking, a virtual marketplace, exhibition booths, breakout sessions, fireside chats, and live panel discussions, as well as the recognition of the  Global SME Finance Awards winners.    Our last Global SME Finance Forum conference was conducted virtually on October 26-28, 2020 with the participation of more than 2600 registered attendees from more than 1000 institutions and 149 countries. The Global SME Finance Forum 2021 will be held in the last quarter of the year, on October 18-20. The venue and format of the conference will be announced toward end of April.   Read more about each conference below:   2021 - Virtual Edition - Greening SME Finance 2020 - Virtual Edition - SME Finance Outlook 2030 2019 - Amsterdam - The Convergence of the Real and Financial Sectors in SME Finance 2018 - Madrid -  Reaching the Informal: the Role of Finance in Improving the Growth and Productivity of SMEs 2018 - Regional (Kenya) - Harnessing Innovation 2017 - Berlin - Digitization of SME Finance 2016 - China - Emerging Trends that Impact Small Business Finance 2015 - Turkey - Partnerships and Innovation for SME Finance   For more information about our conferences, email us at smefinanceforum@ifc.org SME FINANCE FORUM ronyg@panapps.co America/New_York public
Oct
18
SME FINANCE FORUM
Annual Conference
Oct 18, 2021
Online
Add to Calendar 2021-10-17 20:00:00 2021-10-17 20:00:00 Global SME Finance Forum 2021: Greening SME Finance Global SME Finance Forum 2021 is Now Open for Registration! Visit the event website to learn more> www.globalsmefinanceforum.org/2021/   Theme: Greening SME Finance  Date: October 18th to 21st     The Global SME Finance Forum is the largest, most technically in-depth, and geographically diverse conference on SME financing hosted around the world each year. Last year, as COVID-19 ushered the world unexpectedly, we decided to move our panels online and build a virtual community. Our event attracted over 2600 registrations from 1000+ commercial banks, development finance institutions, fintech companies, and regulators from 150+ countries, which broke our record for the number of registrations. This year, though we are still apart, we aim to build an even larger community while keeping everyone safe. Therefore, we decided to continue to hold our annual conference virtually.     The virtual edition of the 2021 Global SME Finance Forum will be held over four consecutive days on October 18-21, 2021. This year, the conference will convene global thought leaders, climate finance advocators, leading experts, and practitioners in the field of SME finance to share their visions, insights, and experiences in promoting green finance for SMEs. In addition to the in-depth discussion of how green finance would influence the development of agrifinance, supply chain finance, and tourism, the conference will also include special regional sessions focusing primarily on the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. The 4-day conference will use the latest technology to emulate the in-person experience, providing for one-on-one networking, sponsors booths, breakout sessions, fireside chats, and panel discussions, as well as the recognition of the 2021 Global SME Finance Awards winners. By going virtual, we can also offer on-demand content for those who cannot attend the sessions live due to work or personal commitments.  By organizing virtual COVID-19 Roundtables, Member Spotlights, and Monthly Webinars throughout the past year, we have demonstrated that we are adapting to the current circumstances, going from one webinar/month to more than once per week, and at the same time significantly expanding our website content for both members and the general public. During this year’s event, we’ll continue to provide you with the same high standard of SME finance knowledge sharing and networking you’re accustomed to from the SME Finance Forum – from the comfort of your own home.   We look forward to seeing you at the 2021 Global SME Finance Forum 18-21 October. Please join us for a new and exciting digital journey.   Don’t wait - Register* before the end of September to get a 40% off early bird rate at  Or click here> http://bit.ly/SMEFF21Registration. *By registering to this event, you agree to the SME Finance Forum/IFC Event Privacy Notice. Members, Partners, Media and World Bank/IFC staff will receive the invitation via email with a dedicated link and special code to register free.   Stay tuned for more updates to come!   ** Previous Conferences 2020 - Virtual Edition - SME Finance Outlook 2030 2019 - Amsterdam - The Convergence of the Real and Financial Sectors in SME Finance 2018 - Madrid -  Reaching the Informal: the Role of Finance in Improving the Growth and Productivity of SMEs 2018 - Regional (Kenya) - Harnessing Innovation 2017 - Berlin - Digitization of SME Finance 2016 - China - Emerging Trends that Impact Small Business Finance 2015 - Turkey - Partnerships and Innovation for SME Finance     Online SME FINANCE FORUM ronyg@panapps.co America/New_York public
Oct
13
SME FINANCE FORUM
Event
Oct 13, 2021
WebEx
Add to Calendar 2021-10-12 20:00:00 2021-10-12 20:00:00 Reuters Events Webinar: Access to Trade Finance for SMEs in the Digital Era Pre-pandemic, the global trade finance gap was estimated to be 1.5 trillion USD. As we assess the extent to which this has been exacerbated by Covid-19, one thing is evident – digital solutions will play a key part in combating the challenges facing the industry. In particular, there is huge potential for technology to reduce the barriers to entry for SMEs, who face disproportionate difficulties in accessing the financing they require. To discover how world-leading banks and fintechs are developing digitally-enabled solutions to narrow the trade finance gap, join Reuters Events for their free webinar, From Surviving to Thriving: Access to Trade Finance for SMEs in the digital era, taking place Wednesday 13 October 2021, 13:00 BST). Here are some key learning takeaways:  What has been the true impact of disruption caused by Covid-19 on the SME trade financing landscape? Mapping key challenges and assessing their extent  Leveraging networks and orchestrating an open ecosystem to reduce friction, lower costs and increase efficiency using blockchain technology  How machine learning and AI can offer empowered, predictive analytical techniques for businesses to extract value from their data  The role of NFTs, digital currencies and other bleeding edge technologies   Our CEO, Matthew Gamser, will attend the event as the main guest speaker.    Register now to secure your place! Can’t make it? All registrants will receive a recording of the webinar.      WebEx SME FINANCE FORUM ronyg@panapps.co America/New_York public
Oct
04
SME FINANCE FORUM
Event
Oct 04, 2021
Las Vegas
Add to Calendar 2021-10-03 20:00:00 2021-10-03 20:00:00 InsureTech Connect ITC Vegas brings together insurance industry executives, entrepreneurs, and investors for a unique opportunity to connect. Explore commercial relationships. Learn about leading edge technology across all categories, including P&C, Life, Health, Small Business, Specialty, and more. Engage with fellow leaders—70% are VP or above. Understand the mindset of the industry and learn about where the market is heading. Meet thought leaders and leave with deep insight into the forces shaping the industry. Learn what investors across the globe are eager to fund. Understand the competitive landscape and the mindset of entrepreneurs and incumbents alike. We are happy to partner with @insuretechnow for #ITC2021,October 4-6, 2021 and offer discounted tickets. Las Vegas SME FINANCE FORUM ronyg@panapps.co America/New_York public
Sep
24
SME FINANCE FORUM
Event
Sep 24, 2021
Add to Calendar 2021-09-23 20:00:00 2021-09-23 20:00:00 Cultivhacktion - Indonesia Digital Agriculture Hackathon Event Launch 24-25 September 2021 The World Bank Group, Microsoft, TaniHub, in partnership with the MoA and other key players in the digital agriculture sector, envision a series of hackathons and innovation challenges to facilitate the acceleration of disruptive agriculture technology adoption in Indonesia. Under the collaboration with GIZ, FAO, GrowAsia, IPB University, Data Science Indonesia, and the West Java Provincial Government, the first hackathon – “CultivHacktion” will be held from September to October 2021, focusing on the West Java horticulture sector. The hackathons and innovation challenges will serve as a platform for a wide range of actors in digital agriculture (e.g., governments, private sector, academia, civil society organizations (CSOs), tech innovators, and farmers) to interact and learn from each other, build networks, find synergies, as well as co-invest to support the further development and scaling up of promising AgTech solutions.  The three Problem Statements come from three different perspectives - Central Government, Provincial Government and Private sector on the use of data. Participants will be invited to submit solutions around three broad themes that reflect challenges faced by the central and subnational governments as well as private sector actors in agriculture: Enhancing farm productivity and making production systems more resilient to shocks, including climate shocks. Facilitating farmers access to markets (finance, input, output). Supporting public sector decision-making. The call for Proposal Submissions will close on October 5, 2021.  Register and submit your proposal here> https://www.cultivhacktion.id/ Watch the launch event again here> SME FINANCE FORUM ronyg@panapps.co America/New_York public