Luxembourg-based European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) has unveiled the agenda of European Microfinance Week (EMW) 2020, which will be held virtually from 18 to 20 November.
EMW is a member-driven event which takes the pulse of the industry, offering a unique meeting point for knowledge-sharing and a forum for networking. In other years, as an in-person conference in Luxembourg, EMW has welcomed 500 professionals from all over the world, including leading global experts, opinion-leaders, policy-makers and investors from the financial inclusion sector. Whilst the decision to take EMW2020 online resulted from current circumstances, it also offers new opportunities to bring the work, initiatives, ideas and discussions to a much broader international audience, while at the same time adapting the format of sessions to maximise interactivity and engagement.
#EMW2020 remains a member-led conference and based on their feedback, a varied conference programme has emerged: more than 40 sessions will be organised across several thematic streams, from the impact of COVID-19 and climate change resilience to client protection, digitalisation and encouraging effective and inclusive savings (the topic of the European Microfinance Award). Other topics included are housing microfinance, refugees and agri-finance, among others. Top experts (practitioners, academics, investors, raters) will lead these sessions as well as the extensive Q&A and audience engagement activities.
Also on the agenda of this first virtual EMW are plenaries focussing on current data on the "state of the sector", client protection post-Smart, the client experience in savings and "2020 in the rear mirror: conversations on the future of financial inclusion". There will be publication launches, as well: from the Housing Microfinance book "Taking Shelter" to e-MFP papers on climate change and savings. Many new session formats will feature (topic lounges, working sessions, fireside chats, interviews) as well as the more traditional panel sessions. There will also be ample opportunities to join in live and interactive discussion and the dedicated platform offers possibilities to connect in one-to-one chats with other attendees and join peers with similar interests in our topic lounges.
In addition, the EMW will host the ceremony to announce the winner of the €100,000 European Microfinance Award 2020, centred around the topic "Encouraging Effective & Inclusive Savings", which is being held online on 19 November 2020.
For more information and to register, visit the conference website.
