March 28, 2024 10:41 AM
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London wins bid to host Sibos 2019

London will host Sibos, a financial services event, in 2019. Following a successful bid by ExCeL London and London & Partners, the official destination marketing organization for London, more than 7,000 financial services professionals from across the globe will converge on London in 2019.

London Mayor Boris Johnson MP, said, “As London Technology Week is currently proving, our great capital is leading the world in financial services and financial technology, offering a veritable melting pot of expertise, insight and innovation. Hosting this influential gathering underlines our world-leading credentials as a booming financial and technology center, and I am certain that with London as the dazzling backdrop, Sibos 2019 will be a huge success.”

London claimed the top spot as a center for technology readiness, business, finance and culture in PwC’s latest Cities of Opportunity index, which ranks 30 major cities internationally. The city is also well-placed to lead the world in financial technology due to the convergence between its financial services industry and the booming tech industry. London employs more workers in financial technology than either New York City or San Francisco’s Silicon Valley.

The city also hosts a growing number of fintech accelerators, and the UK and Ireland accounted for more than half of Europe’s fintech deals in 2013 – as well as more than two-thirds of total financing – according to Accenture.

David Pegler, CEO, ExCeL London, said, “We are thrilled that London and ExCeL have been chosen to host Sibos in 2019. As the world’s premium financial services event, it has been our aspiration to host Sibos for many years. The huge investment in ExCeL’s world-class event facilities coupled with London’s new transport and hotel infrastructure mean that we have been able to meet the criteria outlined by SWIFT for the very first time. By 2019, Sibos delegates will be able to travel across our city in record time using Crossrail, arriving at ExCeL’s dedicated onsite station. Sibos joins our portfolio of world-leading events which contribute significantly to London’s economy, generating £2.9billion in economic impact and supporting 31,000 jobs in 2014. We look forward to working in partnership with SWIFT over the next 4 years to deliver an unforgettable Sibos.”

Gordon Innes, CEO, London & Partners, said, “Sibos 2019 is a big win for London, and we are thrilled to be able to make this announcement. It is over 30 years since Sibos came to the UK and London’s financial services landscape has changed beyond recognition since then, particularly with the rapid growth of our fintech sector. The organizers were wowed by the enthusiasm of partners across London to host the event as well as the city’s credentials as a world-leading financial center. We look forward to welcoming Sibos in 2019 and to showcasing London’s offer to the many thousands of delegates who will fly in from around the world for the event.”

London’s financial services players also fully support the city’s bid to host Sibos, and recognize the value the event brings.

Ashok Vaswani, chief executive, Barclays Personal and Corporate Banking, said, “We welcome the news that Sibos will come to London for the first time. London’s vibrant financial services sector and its growing reputation as a center for fintech innovation make it a fitting host for this gathering of industry leaders from around the world, and London itself will also benefit as a result of the event taking place here. We are committed to supporting our clients to trade around the world, which is why we are supporting SWIFT and the Sibos community to make Sibos 2019 a great success.”

Karin Cook, group director, operations, Lloyds Banking Group, said, “Sibos is the event for the financial services community, bringing together the global industry and fostering dialogue on key developments, such as those created through changing customer needs, increased digitization or new regulation. As a major SWIFT member and long-standing Sibos participant we are delighted that London will host the event for the first time in 2019. The choice of London reflects the city’s status as the leading global financial center and we look forward to playing our part in maximizing the benefit of the event for London and for the global financial community.”

Simon McNamara, group chief administrative officer, RBS, said, “I am delighted that London has been chosen to host Sibos in 2019. The UK is playing a major role in helping to restructure the financial services industry and as a leading hub for innovation it is fitting that this important global event, which fosters dialogue and collaborative solutions throughout the industry, will be held in London. RBS is a founding member and supporter of SWIFT as an industry cooperative and we are looking forward to helping make Sibos 2019 a great success.”

Since its opening in November 2000, ExCeL has played host to 4,000 events, welcoming more than 20 million visitors from 200 countries. It is London’s largest events venue, with 100,000 square meters of flexible event space, including two conference suites and 60 meeting rooms. The venue is well situated on a 100-acre waterfront campus in the heart of London’s Royal Docks, including 7 onsite hotels and numerous cafés, bars and restaurants. It provides excellent transportation links to the London Underground and, as of 2018, ExCeL will have its own dedicated Crossrail station opening up the whole of London to Sibos delegates, with quick easy access across the City, including direct access from Heathrow in 43 minutes.

Gottfried Leibbrandt, chief executive officer, SWIFT, said, “As Europe’s leading financial center, London is an exceptional place for companies to do business. London has the highest concentration of global financial institutions in the world, and with many of our customers active in this market, this makes London an ideal location for Sibos.”

Sven Bossu, head of Sibos at SWIFT, said, “ExCeL and London & Partners have done an outstanding job in providing all the key elements required for making Sibos successful. The overall coordination between venue, city and representatives of the financial industry was truly impressive. We look forward to bringing Sibos to the financial heart of Europe for the first time – and to making it a great experience for our entire community.”

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