China's Ant Financial is flexing its muscles by organising a massive fintech conference in Shanghai this April.
Jack Ma's firm says it expects up to 30,000 participants for the three-day Inclusion Fintech Conference, dwarfing many established industry get-togethers such as Sibos, which drew around 11,500 delegates in London last year.
The new event aims to bring together the global financial and technology community "to envision the future of a world that’s more inclusive, green, and sustainable through digital technology".
Keynotes and panels will cover the likes of the global digital economy, digital finance, innovative technology, commerce and cities, and sustainability between the 23rd and 25th of April.
Ant has a huge hold over the Chinese financial services market through businesses such as Alipay, Ant Fortune, Yu'e Bao, Zhao Cai Bao, Ant Micro Loan, Sesame Credit and MYbank.
Douglas Feagin, president, international business group, Ant Financial, says: "With the launch of the Inclusion Fintech Conference, we hope to create connections that encourage robust discussion on how technology innovations such as blockchain, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence can propel sustainable development in finance, commerce and the environment."
Meanwhile, plans are already underfoot to turn the conference into a series, with events in Europe and Southeast Asia likely to follow the Shanghai shindig.
The firm has made no secret of international ambitions, recently setting up a $1 billion fund to invest in fintech startups in South East Asia and India. It also has a major stake in India's Paytm and interests in Indonesia and Malaysia.