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The people you see at conferences – Updated for 2019!

/ / Published in AI/Machine Learning, Blog, Cyber security, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured, Fintech, FinTECHTalents, Regulation, Start-ups

Now that we are deep in Spring conference season – I thought I would update my ever popular #PeopleYouSeeAtConferences list. Now way longer than 10 items. I shall add in a few ‘suggestions from my pals on Twitter and add a few more from my travels around the FinTech universe.

  1. The old fogey who remembers when this event started above a pub, sometime in the 1980s, with 10 delegates
  2. The 20-something marketing woman who wears five inch heels … all day
  3. The middle aged man who is now a “consultant” and scoping for work. He doesn’t wear a tie (but looks slightly uneasy about it)
  4. The camera guy with a man bun … and tattoos
  5. The ‘very senior person’ who is constantly trailed by a minder. He is given a script before he gets on stage. A moderator who goes ‘off-script’ and asks a follow up question, will be an ‘issue’
  6. Me (Come say Hi, I know lots of good jokes 🙂 )
  7. The really interesting person who arrives five minutes before their great panel and leaves as soon as it’s finished
  8. The American who tells everyone about their post-event European long weekend plans
  9. The swag hoarder
  10. Backpack guy.

*New for 2019!*

  1. The person who runs up to you, gives you a hug and a kiss, and you have no idea who they are (and their badge is on backwards)
  2. One lonely person, sitting in the corner of an empty stand, facing the wall
  3. Boys and girls playing videos games
  4. Guy asleep in the back of the main plenary session (will definitely be in a suit)
  5. World weary marketing exec who says over and over ‘I’m sorry, we are all out of VIP passes to our party tonight’
  6. Senior sales exec who sneaks the last remaining ‘VIP pass’ from booth ‘for a friend’. (thanks :-))
  7. Over prepared speaker, running through their notes before going up on stage (usually female)
  8. Conference staffer who really must scan your badge ‘every single time’ you enter a session or a room
  9. The industry legend whom you’ve spoken to, tweeted with, had drinks alongside, who steals a glance at your badge to figure out who you are after you’ve ‘re-introduce’ yourself to him – again.
  10. Middle-age-ish-guy – in a box fresh baseball cap too young for him – doing a selfie piece to his camera about how kickin’ this event is – for a LinkedIn post.
  11. Marketing director moaning about how the show isn’t as good as years before and the cost of the booth was too much – will spend money on the event the following year anyway.
  12. Someone eating a delicious looking ice cream cone. (You never find the booth with the ice cream cones.)
  13. Person you haven’t seen in ages – you see right at the start of the conference hugging/making plans to catch up – you never see them again.
  14. AV guy who asks if you’ve ‘Got any pockets?’ (Wonder when they’ll get tired of that question?)
  15. There is always a woman wearing a crown – it’s a different woman every year.

Add your #PeopleYouSeeAtConferences today!


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