NEW YORK CITY — The Finance & Accounting Technology Expo (FATE), organized by the Chief Executive Group (CEG), held its inaugural edition Oct. 29-30, 2024, at the Javits Center. This was the CEG’s first expo.
According to RD Whitney, Chief Operating Officer at the CFO Leadership Council (CFOLC), a CEG community, the event was a resounding success, with a sold-out show floor and exhibitor and attendee feedback “off the charts.”
The CFOLC is the largest network of Chief Financial Officers (CFO) in North America. Whitney called it a “Community of Trust” and a key inspiration behind — and success factor for — the show.
Beginning with a “Community of Trust”
FATE was inspired by a post Whitney made on the CFOLC’s member ListServ, asking participants to share their tech stacks (a group of technologies used to create and run an application or project).
The first 50 responses shared more than 250 different technologies, highlighting the community’s interest in the topic.
Next, the CFOLC performed an independent research study, which involved more than 500 CFOs in the U.S and indicated that most CFOs and their teams were optimistic and enthusiastic about digital technology. Based on its findings, the CEG decided that the CFO community would likely be interested in an event that explored finance and accounting technology.
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An Informed Debut
Whitney shared that the CEG chose to hold FATE in New York City partly due to its status as the “financial capital of the world.”
“The Javits Center is the most visible meeting venue in New York City. It immediately made a statement that this was going to be a significant event,” Whitney explained. “Also, because there are so many businesses along the Amtrak corridor, New York City gave us a fantastic center of gravity to get fast traction with CFOs and marketing partners from Washington D.C. to Boston … We took a risk and rented one of the largest convention centers in the U.S. and launched FATE to be a true experiential, learning and networking environment for CFOs and their teams.”
Whitney added that the CEG utilized its “Community of Trust” to drive attendance and get its “finger on the pulse of what is on the mind of the CFO and their team” to ensure that the show met their needs. It also used its media properties, such as StrategicCFO360, to advertise the event and leveraged its credibility to bring in more than 30 marketing partners.
A Sold-Out Show Floor and More
The inaugural FATE offered 70 technology solutions on its sold-out show floor, more than 50 theater sessions and three keynote presentations, including one from Shark Tank’s Daymond John.
FATE has already doubled its space at the Javits Center and is receiving registrations for its second edition, set for Oct. 28-29, 2025.
Also, the CEG will work to grow the show’s community by holding online events throughout the year.
“Our attendees and exhibitors were thanking us for launching FATE,” Whitney said. “We were reminded about the power of these ‘Communities of Trust’ and how they are so needed to help our customers connect with partners and make good decisions. When you have a strong community foundation, a launch can be so much more predictable and successful.”
Check out the January issue of Trade Show Executive Magazine to learn more about FATE’s launch.
Photo Credit: Ben Hider
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