Money20/20 is the most influential gathering of the global financial ecosystem. With more than 13,000 attendees from over 3,000 companies, it is the largest conference for those working in the money community including banks and credit unions, fintechs, payment companies, and more.

Among those in attendance were a contingent of the Caliber team and multiple Caliber clients. As always, Money20/20 offered ample opportunities to hear insights and trends from industry leaders, visit expo booths and network. Here are five fintech takeaways from Money20/20 from the Caliber team.

1. If AI, payments, and fraud weren’t trending on your feed, they certainly were at Money20/20.

Kyle W. Kempf, managing director, head of content & social

“AI, payments (including real-time payments, cross-border payments and real-time, cross-border payments) and fraud/KYC continue to be dominant session themes. Of course, one-on-one, in-person conversations remain a top priority for attendees.”

2. Money20/20 is the jackpot for forging meaningful connections.

Sarah Leach, business development lead

“I was struck by the feeling of a family reunion and the focus on relationships at Money20/20. During the day, the expo floor, hallways, and even the media room, were buzzing with energy and conversation. Many people come simply to shake hands and engage in conversation with connections new and old. For this reason, the happy hours that last many hours past “happy hour” (like The Financial Revolutionist’s Fin & Juice) continue to be one of the highlights of the show. Where else can you get as much bang for your buck in time spent making and maintaining meaningful connections?”

3. Cloud deployment problems are being solved through open source and collaboration within financial services.

Ross Stevens, account manager

“Money 20/20 was a great opportunity to connect with clients, team members, and leading voices in the industry. Not only that, but in terms of key takeaways, I would highlight FINOS’s panel on its recently announced FINOS Common Cloud Controls – a set of open standards that describes consistent controls for compliant cloud deployments in the financial services sector. The panel, which featured executives from Goldman Sachs, BMO, Google Cloud and FINOS, showcased the power of open source and collaboration within financial services, bringing together cloud service providers, financial institutions, tech vendors, public sector organizations, and more to deliver a solution to cloud deployment problems plaguing the financial services sector.”

4. Banks and their customers can both win by implementing digital solutions.

Gerlyn “G” Yambao, social media strategist

“During an interview with Adam Willems, lead reporter at The Financial Revolutionist, Thomas Fuss, vice president of technology at Backbase, discussed the company’s launch of a digital banking solution to help small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) access the modern suite of banking products and services. Backbase wants to make it easier for underserved SMBs to evolve and grow.”

5. The most impactful way to nurture key relationships is through quality face-to-face time.

Christina Levin, director

“Personally, I found it invaluable in terms of relationship building with clients, media and the Caliber team. I was able to connect face-to-face and nurture key relationships with reporters at leading financial and fintech outlets like Axios, S&P Global, Pitchbook, Breaking Banks, The Financial Revolutionist, Fintech Leaders podcast and others. I also staffed a number of media interviews and spent some quality in-person time with longtime clients like Uplinq. It was great to spend time with folks I don’t always get to see in person.”