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Executive Summary

Banking CEE Expo 2022 was our first major flagship event - a two-day, multi-track conference with live broadcasting, a speaker dinner, and a gala reception.

The objective was to establish Connectiva as a serious B2B event organizer in Central and Eastern Europe, launching with a strong impact in the regional banking and fintech community.

The event hosted 200+ attendees, featured four parallel stages, and included live-streamed sessions, an exhibition area, and networking experiences.

With over 45 international speakers from institutions like the European Banking Federation, Czech National Bank, and Bank of Lithuania, the event positioned Connectiva as a new, credible player in the CEE event landscape.

Key Highlights

• 200+ attendees and 45+ international speakers
• 4 themed stages: Main Stage, Payments Stage, CX Stage, and Lending Stage
• Exhibition area with 20 sponsors and partners, including NCR, FICO, Backbase, Tietoevry, KEBA, and others
• Two-day agenda with 25 sessions and multiple parallel panel discussions
• Networking experiences: pre-event speaker dinner, gala dinner with entertainment, and cocktail reception
• Team: Managed a 12-person production team plus external AV, broadcast, and venue crews
• Outcome: Highly profitable (approx. 40% event margin) and strong regional positioning

Process

1. Concept & Planning
   • Objective: create a “flagship banking experience” for the region - educational, experiential, and community-driven
   • Designed the structure with one main plenary stage for morning keynotes and three parallel afternoon stages focused on Payments, CX, and Lending
   • Defined a “movement-friendly” floor layout to maintain attendee flow between the exhibition and stages
2. Venue & Logistics
   • Selected a large-scale congress center in Prague capable of hosting multiple stages, catering, and exhibition zones
   • Negotiated a complex contract as a first-time client, securing terms and logistical flexibility
   • Oversaw site planning, room allocation, and stage setup for parallel sessions and live broadcasting
3. Program Development
   • Built an agenda spanning two full days with sessions on digital transformation, open banking, CX, and innovation
   • Curated high-level speakers: representatives from the European Banking Federation, Erste Group, Swedbank Lithuania, Bank of Lithuania, and major technology partners
   • Partnered with 10+ associations for content promotion and credibility
4. Event Production & Management
   • Led the full production lifecycle: agenda creation, speaker management, technical setup, rehearsals, and on-site direction
   • Coordinated the live broadcast setup - first-ever for Connectiva - including multiple camera feeds and live-streaming integration
   • Managed vendor relations, catering, registration flow, and logistics for all sessions and networking events
5. Team Leadership
   • Supervised 12 on-site staff: 3 stage coordinators, 2 assistants, 2 hostesses, 1 photographer, 1 videographer, and 3 AV technicians
   • Managed 3 external broadcast operators and post-production support
   • Oversaw simultaneous room transitions and live technical coordination

Challenges

• Broadcast reliability: live-stream provider underperformed - multiple audio/video dropouts. Led to creation of Connectiva’s future AV rehearsal framework
• Food & capacity management: underestimated catering needs on Day 1 due to higher-than-expected walk-ins; later solved via pre-registration limits and improved F&B forecasting
• Marketing limitations: constrained budget restricted reach; post-event analytics identified need for more targeted pre-event content strategy