Ray Ruga is co-founder of CVOX Events LLC, the organizer of the Fintech LATMA 2014 Conference scheduled for Sept. 24 at The Lightbox at Goldman Warehouse in Miami. Knight Foundation is a sponsor of the conference, which focuses on the intersection of technology and finance. Photo: Robertson Adams. 

“Finance is arguably the last unconquered industry of Silicon Valley,” writer Austin Carr noted in his Aug. 11, Fast Company profile of Square’s Jack Dorsey.

Lately, though, the financial technology industry—referred to as fintech—has emerged as one of the hottest and fastest growing in technology. Several cities, most notably New York and London, are revving up their efforts to assume leadership in the sector. Miami is the internationally recognized financial capital of Latin America, and Fintech LATAM 2014 aims to coax the city’s burgeoning technology ecosystem to consider finance as a space for local companies to focus their disruptive efforts on, and to encourage the development or import of startups in an area where there is great appetite and capital to scale. Related Link

“Fintech LATAM conference to help make Miami a hub for financial tech innovation with Knight Foundation support” — Sept. 5, 2014 Press Release

As a city that is home to one of the largest concentrations of international banks in the world, Miami can benefit from the increasing focus on financial innovation that is transforming the way consumers use and access financial services. Many financial services firms in Latin America are behind the innovation curve, and Miami Fintech can be a catalyst to help create efficiencies and access to financial services that help propel development, both here and throughout the region.

According to the World Bank, more than 60 percent of the 600 million Latin Americans don’t have bank accounts. This represents a great opportunity for Miami. Our geographic, economic and cultural connections to the region—and its gross domestic product of more than $5 trillion—perfectly positions us to host technology entrepreneurs and companies targeting the global investment of nearly $3 billion in financial technology.

A core mission of the conference is to educate bankers and regulators on the innovative ideas, products and solutions driving change throughout the world, and how importing these to Latin America can help the region’s financial system be better, faster, more efficient and more inclusive.

From Bitcoin, to decentralized payment systems, to regulating the digital frontier, the agenda is designed to help the banking audience understand the innovation frontier that is changing the way businesses and consumers access financial services.

By creating a conference that introduces bankers – both local and Latin American – to ideas in a fresh, fast and dynamic fashion, we intend to help plant the seed of innovation and position Miami as the place where ideas come to life.

Tickets to FinTech LATAM 2014 are available online for $499. Follow the latest on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.