Regional rivals Hong Kong and Singapore battle to lure fintech leaders to competing mega events
- Cities are hosting their fintech events in the same week, with some industry players saying they will go to both
- Some attendees praise Hong Kong’s status as long-running finance centre, while others say coronavirus curbs are hindering business opportunities
Hong Kong and Singapore are competing to attract industry leaders to their respective flagship fintech mega events this week, marking the first such clash since they launched in 2016, with some participants saying they planned to go to both.
More than 20,000 participants and more than 500 firms are expected to join Hong Kong’s FinTech Week, which started on Monday, while attendees from more than 110 countries and 2,000 organisations will take part in the FinTech Festival in Singapore from Wednesday to Friday.
The showdown came a month after Singapore took third place in a global ranking of the world’s most favoured financial centres, beating out Hong Kong.
In a bid to show it is open for business, Hong Kong has invited 500 companies, including 126 banks, multinational technology firms, and start-ups, to attend a two-day in-person event at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, while the rest will be able to join virtual events hosted throughout the week.
Among those attending Hong Kong’s FinTech Week was Tom Scampion, the chief executive officer of GSS Rose, a cross-industry financial service provider based in the United Kingdom.
