Summary of Event: The goal of the fifth iteration of this event is to help executives in the digital finance and commerce sectors share information and solve problems. Provisional agenda items include data analytics, case studies, reaching young people, measuring financial inclusion, cryptocurrencies, investment
Category: Events
MICROFINANCE EVENT: International Conference on Responsible Inclusive Finance; March 21 – 22, 2018; Kigali, Rwanda
Summary of Event: As related to delivering “responsible” financial services, this conference will cover client protection, enabling environments, client perspectives and digital payments, including serving the
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Africa Financial Services Investment Conference (AFSIC); May 2 – 4, 2018; London, UK
Event Name: Africa Financial Services Investment Conference (AFSIC)
Event Date: May 2 – May 4, 2018
Event Location: London, UK
Summary of Event: This sixth iteration of AFSIC will again focus on how to attract investment into Africa’s financial services
MICROFINANCE EVENT: East Africa Islamic Economy Summit; April 24 – 25, 2018; Nairobi, Kenya
Event Name: East Africa Islamic Economy Summit 2018
Event Date: April 24 – April 25, 2018
Event Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Summary of Event: This summit will focus on how technology and financial inclusion can drive the East African
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Cracking the Nut Conference; June 12 – 13, 2018; Antigua, Guatemala
Event Name: Cracking the Nut Conference 2018
Event Date: June 12 – June 13, 2018
Event Location: Antigua, Guatemala
Summary of Event: This conference will focus on how technology can improve agricultural microfinance for poor people in rural areas. It includes a technology fair as well as sessions on the themes “Introducing Technologies
MICROFINANCE EVENT: SG2018: The Power of Savings Groups; May 22 – 24, 2018; Kigali, Rwanda
Event Name: SG2018: The Power of Savings Groups
Event Date: May 22 – May 24, 2018
Event Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Summary of Event: This fourth iteration of this conference is themed “The Power of Savings Groups. Inclusion. Resilience. Empowerment.” Sessions will be based on the following tracks: (1) Systemic Approaches to Increase Scale, Sustainability, and Impact; (2) Access to Formal Financial Services; (3)
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 5th Sankalp Africa Summit; March 1 – 2, 2018; Nairobi, Kenya
Event Name: 5th Sankalp Africa Summit 2018
Event Date: March 1 – 2, 2018
Event Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Summary of Event: This conference focuses on harnessing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to create growth in Africa. Sample session topics include “Driving the Sustainable Development Agenda:
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Investing for Impact Conference; February 15, 2018; New York, USA
Event Name: Investing for Impact Conference 2018
Event Date: February 15, 2018
Event Location: New York, New York
Summary of Event: This conference will cover inequality worldwide and how investors can take advantage of related opportunities to invest in a socially responsible way. The speaker list includes Eric Usher, the head of the finance initiative of the UN Environment Programme; Evan W
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Mobile World Conference 2018; February 26 – March 1, 2018; Barcelona, Spain
Event Name: Mobile World Conference 2018
Event Date: February 26 – March 1, 2018
Event Location: Barcelona, Spain
Summary of Event: This conference brings industry leaders together to cover recent trends and developments in the telecommunications industry. About 100,000 people from 200 countries are expected to attend. Among the networking opportunities and presentations are: “Expanding Digital Services
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 2018 Customer Centricity Learning Event; February 19 – 22, 2018; Mamallapuram, India
Event Name: 2018 Customer Centricity Learning Event
Event Date: February 19 – 22, 2018
Application deadline: January 19, 2018
Event Location: Mamallapuram, India
Summary of Event: This event is intended to improve the ways financial services providers work with low-income customers. The conference includes training exercises and networking events designed to improve social
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: “Microinsurance Master” Program Offers 10 Weeks of Immersion, Coaching on Scaling Up Insurance Services for Poor People
A new program called Microinsurance Master is offering two weeks of training at Pioneer Microinsurance, a Philippines-based firm with 18 million customers, followed by eight weeks of remote coaching intended to help participants “focus on client-centric solutions that reduce the vulnerability of low-income people and
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Harvard Business School (HBS)-Accion Program on Strategic Leadership in Inclusive Finance; March 25 – 30, 2018; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Event Name: Harvard Business School-Accion Program on Strategic Leadership in Inclusive Finance
Event Date: March 25 – 30, 2018
Event Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Summary of Event: This event is intended to allow participants to improve their leadership skills and strategic thinking regarding topics such as “serving clients at the base of the pyramid,” and “your role and the role of your organization in
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 14th Annual Global Microfinance Forum; March 15-16, 2018; Munich, Germany
Event Name: 14th Annual Global Microfinance Forum
Event Date: March 15 – March 16, 2018
Event Location: Munich, Germany
Summary of Event: This conference will include sessions on microleasing, “green” microcredit, managing foreign exchange risk, crowdfunding, serving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), technology, leveraging guarantees
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Africa Banking & Finance Conference; April 10 – 11, 2018; Lagos, Nigeria
Event Name: Africa Banking & Finance Conference
Event Date: April 10 – April 11, 2018
Event Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Summary of Event: This is the seventh iteration of this event, which will focus again on financial inclusion. In addition to a trade show, the conference will include sessions on insurance, savings, payments, capacity building, measuring success, regulation, agent banking, serving women and youth, and how banks can downscale
MICROFINANCE EVENT: $165k Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge and Awards Gala Dinner; November 15, 2017; Dubai, UAE
Event Name: Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge and Awards Gala Dinner
Event Date: November 15, 2017
Event Location: The Ritz Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre, United Arab Emirates
Summary of Event: This is the fifth rendition of a group of awards given by Thomson Reuters, a media firm traded on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges, and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank,
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Second European Microfinance Summit – Future Challenges for Sustainable Development; January 25-26, 2018; Vienna, Austria
Event Name: Second European Microfinance Summit – Future Challenges for Sustainable Development
Event Date: January 25-26, 2018
Event Location: Vienna, Austria
Summary of Event: This event will compare and contrast microfinance in Eastern and Western Europe, focusing the inclusion of people in very rural areas, environmental impacts, technology and
SPECIAL REPORT: Microfinance Investment Vehicles, MFIs “Speed Date” at SAM Investor’s Fair in Ethiopia
Both the “speed dating” and “free meeting” sessions for microfinance institutions (MFIs) to sit down with investors were very popular at 
the SAM (Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance) conference in Addis Ababa. Representatives of dozens of organizations met each other for the first time and renewed old connections.
Duncan Frayne of Switzerland-based Symbiotics Group spoke on behalf of REGMIFA (the Regional MSME Investment Fund for Sub-Saharan Africa), for which his company serves as investment manager. He said, “The value for me is meeting up-and-coming MFIs as well as
SPECIAL REPORT: Innovations in Fintech, Human Resources Development at SAM (Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance)
At the SAM (Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance) conference in Addis Ababa, a wide variety of vendors presented their wares. Among these were several core banking system providers. Antonio Separovic of Oradian previously had set the stage for the conversation at the fintech (financial technology) session organized by Dutch development bank FMO. He argued that microfinance institutions (MFIs) shouldn’t start by thinking about whether to buy a new system, but about where the MFI wants to go and how to get there. “Fintech may be able to reduce the friction to do these things,” he said.
Cameron Goldie-Scot of Musoni agreed: “It’s about what are the challenges in your organization? Is it too expensive to handle cash in rural areas? Do you have trouble getting