Chantal Van Es, Head of Sibos, reflects back on the first ever digital Sibos in 2020 and looks ahead to the ideas and inspiration that will power this year’s virtual event</em></strong></p> What did you learn from Sibos 2020?</strong></p> My main takeaway would be the enthusiasm, understanding and support that our community showed Sibos in the strangest of years. We all learned on our feet, discovering new ways of working and hosting a global event. Our delegates, partners and the wider financial services sector got behind us and helped create a fully digital Sibos that was very special in its own way. </p> Was it a hard decision to take Sibos digital again in 2021? </strong></p> The global situation is still uncertain and we must put delegate safety and experience above all else. We sincerely hope to see everyone in person again at Sibos 2022, but staying digital will help us to further broaden and diversify our audience in the meantime. Sibos 2020 was a record breaking year for registrations, attended by nearly 23,000 people from over 180 countries. Our conference programme was also more diverse than ever before, with 43% of our speakers female; it’s our aim to build on this in 2021.</p> What are the main challenges of the digital format? </strong></p> I would definitely say the solitary online experience versus attending a physical event, where you can listen to and connect with speakers, experts and peers in person. Being behind a computer or phone also means you’re not completely removed from day-to-day activity where the temptation to multi-task across a range of daily work and social tasks is strong. But this year we’ll be working hard to replicate that emotional experience of being present, and focusing a lot of energy on making Sibos 2021 as immersive as possible. </p> Can you tell us your priorities for this year? </strong></p> Our priorities are to deliver engaging thought leadership, increased connection opportunities and an enhanced community experience. We’ll be offering a top roster of speakers as usual, maximising audience interactivity, and evolving opportunities to connect with companies, individuals and peers. In short, this means more live sessions, real-time participation, two-way communication, and exchange of ideas in smaller groups and facilitated breakouts . </p> How were the conference themes developed for 2021?</strong> </p> We collect input from our delegates, partners and other stakeholders in the financial ecosystem, and then reflect on this against the backdrop of evolving trends in our industry. </p> This year ’s themes will strike a note with everyone involved in financial services, delving into digital acceleration, transformative technology, managing risk and banking on change, addressing some of the most pressing topics of our time. </p> Finally, do you have a message for the Sibos community? </strong></p> My main message would be - watch this space! Registration opens in August, and we’ll have lots of exciting surprises up our sleeve between now and Sibos week in October. I like to think of Sibos as a family gathering and this year we’re determined to spice things up, serving up a feast of facts and opinions to create a space for big ideas to emerge in an organic and collaborative fashion. Our vision is for delegates to step away from Sibos 2021 equipped with practical, tangible insights that spark inspiration and accelerate change in their everyday working lives. We hope you’ll join us on this journey. </p>