Tokyo Summit 2015 in the Making: A Talk with Finance Magnates' Head of Events

If you have ever attended a Finance Magnates Summit, you must know that these are bustling arenas crowded with people and action. One particularly fireball person you may have encountered during our Summits is our Head of Events, the relentless Tessa Harari, propelling a staffer into action or patrolling the exhibition hall with a walkie-talkie. As the Tokyo Summit is still more than a month and a half away, we sat down with Tessa to get the latest on the event and her experience.

First, give us a snapshot of what is happening right now in the making of Tokyo Summit

Tokyo Summit is full steam ahead, with panels and workshops almost filled up (a couple of last slots left). Our Finance Magnates family has grown and we are all working on this incredible annual event. I see day by day how the content rich summit is taking form.

We have hit over 220 attendees by now, almost 95% of them Japanese with mostly senior executives attending

Exhibitors are sending us fabulous creatives and they are also coming up with new and interesting give away ideas. Registrations are also steadily coming in. We have hit over 220 attendees by now, almost 95% of them Japanese with mostly senior executives attending. This is in line with the high-end fashion our Summit is known for.

To streamline the event’s action to a broader scope, we have launched Twitter and Facebook pages. Until the events are set in motion, you can find useful content about Tokyo, Forex Forex Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Read this Term, Fintech Fintech Financial Technology (fintech) is defined as ay technology that is geared towards automating and enhancing the delivery and application of financial services. The origin of the term fintechs can be traced back to the 1990s where it was primarily used as a back-end system technology for renowned financial institutions. However, it has since grown outside the business sector with an increased focus upon consumer services.What Purpose Do Fintechs Serve?The main purpose of fintechs would be to suppl Financial Technology (fintech) is defined as ay technology that is geared towards automating and enhancing the delivery and application of financial services. The origin of the term fintechs can be traced back to the 1990s where it was primarily used as a back-end system technology for renowned financial institutions. However, it has since grown outside the business sector with an increased focus upon consumer services.What Purpose Do Fintechs Serve?The main purpose of fintechs would be to suppl Read this Term and how it all converges in our event. So you could say that almost two months ahead of the event we are fully into it at Finance Magnates.

What's new in this year's event?

There are two major fields in which we are presenting an innovative approach.

I fell in love with Tokyo, which is technology and innovation-driven much like the Japanese people

First is content-oriented, namely the dominance of FinTech at the event. This is a cross-company strategic decision we took at Finance Magnates a few months back, as part of our ambition to stay ahead of the curve. "The FinTech Industry in Japan" panel will shed light on that growing trend in Japan, and the feedback that we have already gotten shows a great thirst for this topic.

Second are the workshops. One of the things we have learned is that the Japanese industry participants are keen on getting a concrete, hands on value when attending a conference. Therefore, six companies will deliver learning sessions dealing with their field of expertise during the jam-packed one day event.

This is your second major event in Tokyo. What was the experience like?

Working in Japan is such an honour and pleasure. The Japanese people are so respectful and detail-oriented, everything ticks just on time – you can see it from the greetings to the way business cards are handed out - everything is part of a ritual.

What are you looking for this time round?

I am looking forward to returning to Tokyo, a city I fell in love with. The city, much like the Japanese people, is technology and innovation-driven and I enjoy every moment I work there.

But even more so, I am waiting to see old friends and meeting new faces, new firms, new opportunities. For me, on top of making sure everything works well and happens on time – this is what the Finance Summits are all about.

Finance Magnates' Tokyo Summit 2015 will be held at the Mandarin Hotel in Tokyo on July 29th. For more information about workshops, exhibiting and sponsorships, please contact summit@financemagnates.com