Details Announced for Hong Kong FinTech Week 2024
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) has announced the details of Hong Kong FinTech Week 2024 (HKFW), set to take place from October 28th to November 1st. The ninth edition of the flagship event, themed “Illuminating New Pathways in Fintech,” will showcase the latest innovations and trends shaping the global financial technology landscape.
30,000 participants from over 100 economies are expected to attend this year, making HKFW Asia's most prominent fintech event. It is set to feature hundreds of expert speakers, exhibitions and partnerships across sectors, bringing together major players from both local and international markets, including a strong contingent from Mainland China, ASEAN, and the Middle East.
The event comes at a time when Hong Kong is reasserting itself as a key financial centre. In recent years, the city has climbed to third in the Global Financial Centres Index and is now among the top 10 fintech hubs globally.
What to expect at the event
HKFW 2024 will showcase cutting-edge AI technologies, blockchain and digital assets, all of which will be significant to the future of financial services.
According to recent surveys, 38% of finance executives in Hong Kong are already implementing GenAI into their operations—well above the global average of 26%. This is expected to be a central theme in several of the event’s forums, where seminars, lectures, workshops, discussions and demonstrations will take place.
These thematic sessions are designed to facilitate cross-industry dialogue and overlap with many key areas of modern fintech discourse such as insurtech, sustainability and more. The event’s structure will take inspiration from Chinese philosophy, using the principles of "wuxing" (five elements) and "yinyang" (balance) to organise the various stages and zones.
A fintech-powered future
Alpha Lau, Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, underscored the importance of fintech to Hong Kong’s future. “Fintech has always been an important pillar of Hong Kong's economy,” she said, pointing to the city’s inclusion in the United Nations’ top 10 of the Global Frontier Technologies Readiness Index. “Hong Kong’s readiness to embrace technologies like AI and blockchain is key to maintaining our competitive edge in financial services.”
Beyond the main conference, HKFW 2024 will also host a series of community events in both Hong Kong and Shenzhen, including networking sessions, a Greater Bay Area tour and even a Web3x3 basketball game. These activities are designed to deepen the connections between fintech professionals and highlight the opportunities available in the region. In essence the event is as much a showcase for Hong Kong and the surrounding area as it is for fintech itself.
Fintech has always been an important pillar of the Hong Kong economy.
A major feature of the event will be the Global Fast Track competition, which will bring semi-finalists from around the world to pitch their innovations live on stage. The competition received over 500 applications from 56 countries, offering selected finalists the opportunity to present their fintech solutions to thousands of attendees, including corporates and investors.
“HKFW is an engine driving businesses to Hong Kong,” Alpha says. “It also creates bridges for our fintech ecosystem to capture global opportunities.”
This sentiment was echoed by Hong Kong's Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui, who recently spoke at a press conference promoting the event.
He said: "With its strategic location and robust financial infrastructure, Hong Kong emerges as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder' for fintech."
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