Trading the traditional free exhibition model for a high-energy festival format, Money20/20 has rewritten the B2B playbook to anchor its Asia edition as a C-suite-driven, high-yield deal-making hub
Event brief
The 2026 edition of Money20/20 Asia at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) by Informa Festivals marked the culmination of a three-year partnership with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).
Organisers leveraged a paid-delegate model, intentionally departing from the free-to-attend structure of incumbent regional events. This year, the event welcomed 4,500 attendees, achieving an impressive 40 per cent year-on-year growth.
To build a captive audience, organisers purposefully avoided hosting the show in a traditional financial hub, selecting Thailand as a neutral meeting point.
“What we find is that when people fly into a destination location, the audience is a lot more sticky,” noted Danny Levy, executive vice president and managing director, APAC & Middle East, Money20/20.
“Because attendees fly in with purpose, they are present for all three days, contributing to the show’s high retention rate,” he adds.
Over the past three years, the focus has been twofold: deepening governmental partnerships and curating a hyper-regional audience, answering a clear demand from delegates seeking direct access to Asian decision-makers.
Event highlights
Money20/20 has been experience-led since its founding in 2012, an ethos deeply embedded in its DNA. The event’s internal creative team brought this vision to life through festivalisation.
Instead of a grid style, the show floor utilised a circular design where navigating left or right offered completely different visual and networking journeys.
“We didn’t just set up the show floor in terms of density and yield. We prioritised activations that add to the delegate experience,” Levy stated.
These activations include podcast studios, happy hours, and gamified experiences, for example in its inaugural year, a 3D Pacman Money Arcade. The experience was curated from morning to night, culminating in the Tribe Sky Beach Club networking event.
Despite the festival atmosphere, the environment was highly conducive to commerce. This year, the Connections Lounge facilitated 7,000 meetings without gated or incremental charges.
“The showfloor is built for business. From lounges to food hubs, everything is geared up so people can meet and do business all day long.
“For deal-making, the important thing to stress is the seniority of the show. Even as the event has scaled, we see that one in three attendees are C-suite, and over 50 per cent are vice presidents, directors, or decision-makers,” Levy added.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) was also a key operational pillar. Informa’s proprietary Large Language Model, Aiana – which has previously co-hosted stages – was integrated to push out executive summaries of content sessions. Additionally, the Connect app featured matchmaking algorithms where delegates plugged in operational requirements to optimise their networking.
Challenges
Transitioning the Asian market to a paid format presented initial hurdles. The core challenge was delivering the global Money20/20 experience while localising the value proposition for the region.
“The challenge in Asia is that most incumbent fintech events are free,” Levy explained. “Because we aren’t free-to-attend, we knew we couldn’t compete on scale or reach 60,000 attendees. Instead, we positioned the show as Asia’s premier, high-quality fintech event.”
He continued: “Transitioning an established tradeshow from a model based on booth density to one focused on experience can be difficult. In Asia, it’s about ensuring delegates feel they got the best possible return on investment. Events are tiring, so we want participants to leave feeling that their money and time were well spent.”
Logistically, finding a venue capable of housing this consolidated infrastructure was paramount, which was why QSNCC was decided upon.
Navigating government relations was another primary focus. Securing unified support from the Bank of Thailand, Securities and Exchange Commission, National Innovation Agency, and TCEB was crucial to embedding the show within the local financial fabric.
This regulatory alignment led to the launch of Policy 20/20, a regulatory track co-located with the main show that brought 50 global regulators to Bangkok. Following its success in Thailand, the format has since been scaled to other Money20/20 events globally.
After three years of compounding growth and deepening alliances with local regulatory bodies, Money20/20 Asia has firmly established its home in Thailand, and is set to return to Bangkok for a fourth consecutive year in 2027.
Ultimately, the event’s legacy lies in redefining the traditional B2B playbook by blending high-level business with an engaging experience, all while providing a global stage for regional innovators.
“In many ways, Asia is now leading the West in areas like real-time cross-border payments, Web3, and digital assets. We are providing a platform for local players to showcase their innovations on a global scale. Our tagline is: for Asia, by Asia,” ” Levy concluded.
Event Money20/20 Asia
Organiser Informa Festivals
Venue Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
Dates April 21 to 23, 2026
Attendees 4,500
