Business & Money | Friday 4 December, 2015 4:51 am |

A renowned international payments event has been transformed into a larger conference and exhibition. PayExpo Istanbul replaces Mobile Money and Digital Payments Global which has taken place for the past nine years.

Building on the success of PayExpo London, the UK’s largest payment event, PayExpo Istanbul will bring together the entire payments ecosystem in one place to do business, share knowledge, meet and network. Taking place 28 to 30 November in Turkey, the event is set to attract over 1000 delegates and 100 speakers from across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with expertise in sectors including banking, retail, government, transport, tourism, telecoms and technology.

Expert speakers at the comprehensive conference at PayExpo Istanbul will focus on the future of banking, security and authentication, mobile financial services, cashless payments and global regulation. Alongside the conference are a range of new features, giving visitors even more opportunities to learn, network and do business. The Banking Innovation Hub is a dedicated case study area displaying payment technologies and case studies. The store of the future will be showcased at The Merchant Payments Experience, an area which enables retailers to experience the latest payment technologies first hand.

The Payments Predictions Panel, an established feature of the show, hosts a hand-picked panel of payment gurus to debate the issue – ‘what does the payments industry need to prepare for over the next 12 months?’ The popular Payments Dragons Den competition also returns where visitors can enjoy a preview of up and coming companies set to change the payments industry. Budding start-ups also have the opportunity to meet with investors at the Payments Accelerator area as well as receive advice and even pitch their business at the open mic stage.

Numerous networking opportunities are built into the show’s new format with additional networking breaks adding up to over 10 hours of networking time.

Zehra Chudry, Head of Content at PayExpo Istanbul, explains: “With the PayExpo event brand already making waves in the payment industry, we’re confident PayExpo Istanbul will offer valuable business and networking opportunities alongside insightful debate and education. The payments sector is rapidly evolving and our new event has some exciting, enhanced features to meet the needs of payment professionals.

“What’s more, the event’s location in Turkey means it is perfectly positioned to access markets in the CIS, Gulf and Africa countries. The country has a forward-thinking banking sector with a government mandate to eliminate cash by 2023.”

Complimentary passes are available for employees involved with specifying payments solutions at:  Banks; Retailers; Mobile Network Operators; Non-Governmental Organisations and Micro-Finance Institutions. New for this year - complimentary delegate passes are now available to over 1000 C-level executives from across the payments industry.