CIB Bank
Organisation of the CIB Novathon Conference 2019

The event’s guest of honour was Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, and more than twenty international experts, fintech leaders and banking decision-makers also travelled to Budapest.

The biggest challenge was to create a communication and experience platform that would simultaneously support brand building, professional positioning and an innovative approach, whilst also appealing to young target groups and strengthening CIB’s position in both the domestic and international markets.

Progressive developed an integrated communications and events strategy that went beyond traditional PR tools to focus on the overall participant experience. The Novathon 2019 concept covered the pre-event, during-event and post-event communication phases alike.

During the pre-event communication phase, particular attention was paid to engaging the professional audience, business decision-makers, as well as university students and young talent. The communication strategy was based on the integration of PR, social media and digital channels, complemented by activities designed to enhance the participant experience.

Whilst developing the event concept, we drew up alternative venues, space-utilisation solutions and visual designs, whilst technical, catering and guest experience considerations were all given equal emphasis. When designing the programme structure, we paid particular attention to striking a balance between international keynote speakers, panel discussions and networking opportunities.

The conference’s experience-based approach was further supported by digital solutions. Participants were able to follow the programme via a mobile app, had the opportunity to ask questions interactively, and could explore the latest banking and fintech solutions in the demo zones and exhibition areas. Throughout the event, networking, innovation and the technological experience came together to form a cohesive brand experience.

Novathon 2019 has become one of Hungary’s most significant fintech and innovation conferences. The event, attended by nearly 1,000 people, featured more than twenty international speakers, leading banking professionals and technology experts.

Steve Wozniak’s participation drew international attention to the event, whilst the conference successfully positioned CIB Bank as an innovative, digitally-minded financial institution. The event provided an opportunity for the bank to engage simultaneously with its business partners, customers, players in the fintech ecosystem and the professionals of the future.

Thanks to the integrated communications approach, Novathon functioned not merely as a one-day conference, but became a valuable long-term brand-building platform. The project demonstrated that a complex communication strategy, a content-driven event concept and an outstanding participant experience, when combined, are capable of creating genuine business and reputational value.

The CIB Novathon demonstrated that the conferences of the future are not merely events, but experience platforms that simultaneously build brand equity, professional credibility and community engagement.