MEFTEC 2009 Review

Although MEFTEC 2009 coincided with the peak of the global financial crisis, the exhibition was a sell-out and recorded a 10% growth to become the largest show in the event's five-year history. More than 150 exhibitors took part in the exhibition and the total size of the show exceeded 6,000 square metres.

Delegate numbers also remained steady despite adverse market conditions, with more than 300 fully hosted delegates flown in from 27 countries. Overall, more than 800 qualified delegates, representing no fewer than 582 institutions, attended the two-day event.

Brisk business was reported throughout the show. More than 77% exhibitors reported having received between 50 and 100 delegates on their stands.

New initiatives including the MEFTEC Online Community and Connect @ MEFTEC (private meeting lounges) were warmly received. Overall, more than 1,100 meetings were pre-scheduled via the Online Community while Connect @ MEFTEC ran at full capacity throughout the show.

The 2009 conference, chaired by industry icon Chris Skinner and held under the theme ''Leveraging Technology through Turbulent Times'', drew top-notch speakers from many international and regional banks, including Barclays Bank, Lloyds TSB, Allied Irish Bank, Al Hilal Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank and Bank of Maharashtra.

Participant feedback from the 2009 event has been overwhemingly positive, with 99% delegates and 91% exhibitors vowing to return for the 2010 edition. According to the post-show survey results, 87% of the participants rated MEFTEC as better than other industry events, whereas 83% of exhibitors stated they were likely to close new business.

The success of MEFTEC 2009 reaffirmed the event's status as the world's premier financial technology forum for emerging markets. With the MEASA economies making a strong recovery from the global slowdown, the 2010 edition of MEFTEC is primed to be even bigger and better.