The basics: Money20/20, billed as the world’s largest global fintech (financial technology) event, hosted its European version in Amsterdam June 4-6. The event featured more than 200 content sessions and 100-plus speakers, plus a slew of headline-grabbing announcements, sponsor activations, and experiential moments like photo ops, DJs in the walkways, nail art stations, and swag stations with personal styling.
“We believe, because our customer feedback and behavioral science tell us, that incorporating fun as useful and purposeful moments into the show has a hugely positive impact on energy, mood, motivation, and stress release,” explained Mark Slade, Money20/20's global vice president of creative. “Our focus on creating experiences that make our attendees happy creates the conditions for more effective meetings, more deals, more partnerships, and better business outcomes." 
A DJ was stationed in the walkways to keep energy high as guests moved throughout the space.Photo: Courtesy of Money20/20
Standout stage designs: Among the event's standout features was the visually stunning Na.i.ture Stage. While most stages aligned with the session content they hosted, the Na.i.ture Stage began with a practical purpose: shading attendees from a glass ceiling.
“We looked at different options and decided that a tree-based canopy would be the best solution,” said Slade. “This was then tied back into our stage content program and 2024 show theme—"Human x Machine"—by imagining what a tree- and plant-based stage design would look like if created by an AI.” The resulting stage was a hybrid design featuring black steel and LEDs for the roots, plus tree trunks and real plants and foliage for the bushes and canopy.
The "Human x Machine" theme also came to life through Aiana, an experimental AI co-host that took form as a blooming, digital flower on the stage screens between sessions.
The Na.i.ture Stage wasn’t the only show-stealer. The Exchange Stage offered a high-energy space for fintech’s most influential voices, and was built from stacked shipping containers complete with an elevated DJ booth and music gig-style lighting for a dynamic vibe. The Summits Stage, meanwhile, embodied the “Human x Machine” theme with a digital “mountain” design, using exposed truss and LED panels to create a moving, pulsing backdrop that felt alive. 
A giant industrial robot arm at the Summits Stage was rigged with a large screen, and the team created video content that transitioned between a mountain and a billowing flag at the summit and a giant eye that roamed and probed the audience during the intervals.Photo: Courtesy of Money20/20
A focus on connection: What better way to get attendees engaged than by literally giving them a prize for it? “To get the best possible ROI from Money20/20, you need to be curious and embrace discovery—whether that is using the app to book meetings with fintech leaders that will help grow your business, seeking out the latest insights and opinions from our content stages, or finding cutting-edge innovations and making new connections with exhibitors,” said Slade. “Our gold merch coins are the embodiment of this.”
The coins were rewarded to guests who asked questions during programming sessions, or who interacted with activations like The Coin Safe, which could only be opened through moments of networking and human connection. Those curious who got their hands on a physical coin could then scan the QR code on the back for the location of the Merch Store, where coins could be exchanged for limited-edition merch. 
An on-site swag station came complete with personal stylists to help guests choose their items.Photo: Courtesy of Money20/20
A refreshed layout: "We altered the floor plan for this year’s show with an eye on our future growth and to create new spaces for our expanding fintech ecosystem to shine,” explained Slade, noting that they wanted to find ways to help attendees navigate the new layout and also have compelling reasons to explore the entire show.
“To begin with, we deliberately scheduled the opening keynote address at the Na.i.ture Stage—partly because we wanted everyone to meet our brand-new AI host, Aiana, and see a gorgeous living stage full of plants, but also because we knew that by doing so, attendees would have to walk nearly the full footprint of the new layout in making their way to that stage,” he said.
Beyond the new layout, the team also unveiled improvements to its show app, Money20/20 Connect, which featured a map of the show and indoor GPS, helping attendees orient themselves quickly wherever they were on the floor and then find their route to their next meeting or content session. “The result was a show that had great energy in every hall, and loads of great lessons learned for how to improve it even more for 2025," said Slade. 
Episodes of Money20/20's MoneyPot podcast were recorded at the show.Photo: Courtesy of Money20/20
